Sultan Kudarat rebel camp now a tourist enclave

SECURITY CHECK The checkpoint of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the armed wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), welcomes visitors to the headquarters of the BIAF 1st Brigade under the 105th Base Command. Natural attractions in portions of the MILF stronghold have been opened to tourists to provide the local community a source of income. —PHOTOS BY BONG S. SARMIENTO

ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines — Tucked at the foot of the lush Daguma Mountain Range here, a checkpoint mounted with high-powered weapons, including semiautomatic Barrett precision rifles, awaits visitors exploring the interiors of remote Barangay Lagandang here.

Running the checkpoint, however, are not government security forces but young fighters of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the armed wing of the once separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Known as Camp Gadzanfar, the predominantly Moro-populated village serves as headquarters of the BIAF 1st Brigade under the 105th Base Command. It is a satellite military facility of Camp Omar, one of the six recognized MILF camps or stronghold areas subject to transformation into productive civilian communities under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. The agreement, signed on March 27, 2014, formally ended the 40-year Moro rebellion.

When the coronavirus pandemic struck, Datu Nasrullah Ibrahim Mama, commander of the BIAF 1st Brigade and popularly known as Commander Stallion, started developing the camp into an off-the-beaten-path tourism spot that offers a fascinating view of the sprawling lowlands of Isulan, the provincial capital of Sultan Kudarat.

Providing livelihood

Mama said he turned the camp into a tourist resort to provide income for the poorest fighters under his command who had not been decommissioned as part of the normalization program of the 2014 peace deal.

“We are trying to [make do with] the meager assistance extended by the government because we are tired of going back to war,” he told the Inquirer. “By putting up this agritourism resort venture, we are providing livelihood to our poorest members.”

Through Mama’s efforts, a portion of the camp, which was established by his late father Datu Ali Bambad, has become the first MILF camp to be developed into an agritourism resort.

Run by MILF combatants and named as Stallion Farm and Agri-Tourism Resort, the enclave is slowly making a name among local tourists from Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, [North] Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos) region and other areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Stallion Farm has earned a spot in recent history. It was heavily bombarded by the military during the 2000 all-out war unleashed by former President Joseph Estrada. It was also here where Commander Stallion and his men hid at the height of the conflict with the government.

EMERGING TOURISM SPOT The historical camp of Moro rebels has become an emerging tourism spot in the Soccsksargen and Bangsamoro regions, owing to its pools, caves and waterfall. Datu Nasrullah Ibrahim Mama, known as Commander Stallion (right), is behind the transformation of Stallion Farm.

Now, it opens to the public a cave replete with a small natural lagoon for swimming. Tourists can also access another cave not far away that serves as the MILF fighters’ prayer sanctuary when they were still fighting government soldiers.

Training

What used to be 60 hectares of mostly undeveloped land now boasts of a newly built infinity pool that offers a panoramic view of the lowlands. It has a function hall for training and workshops.

Around the shallow natural pools with crystal clear and cold water, several closed cottages dot the resort for overnight stays. Previously accessible only to motorcycles, Stallion Farm can now be reached even by cars, though the ride is still bumpy in some parts.

Tourists are advised to bring thicker clothes because the temperature drops and gets colder as the night turns deeper.

POOL WITH A VIEW Water flowing from the Daguma Mountain Range supplies this infinity pool at Stallion Farm. The pool offers a view of the lowlands of Isulan, the provincial capital of Sultan Kudarat.

Guns aside, at least 10 MILF fighters busy themselves in the resort daily, either as cleaners, caretakers or peacekeepers. They are rotated every week, depending on the decision of the battalion commander. Banana and coconuts are grown in the agritourism resort.

Several MILF fighters have already attended training on corn production, seed growing and upland rice farming held at the resort by the government.

Stallion Farm is closed on Fridays, in deference to the Islamic day of prayer, while pork, gambling, wearing skimpy clothes and alcoholic drinks are strictly prohibited in the area.

According to Commander Stallion, he already brought to the attention of Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. the plight of the MILF combatants under his command, who are spread in Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato provinces, and their initiatives to help their fighters put food on their families’ tables.

“I hope the government will act fast and extend help before our combatants feel they are being neglected. It will undoubtedly push them back to the jungles to wage another round of war,” said the 42-year-old leader.

Gov’t assistance

Galvez, during a recent visit to Sultan Kudarat, lauded the development of Stallion Farm and expressed hope that other MILF camps and satellite stations would follow, Mama said.

He said Galvez promised that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process would extend aid to further develop Stallion Farm and the surrounding Moro communities, although they have yet to receive the assistance.

Jamaludin Dimalanes, an MILF fighter for 20 years, is thankful that Stallion Farm is becoming a popular tourist spot visited not only by Muslims but also by Christians.

“It makes us productive and gives us an honest living,” said Dimalanes, adding that his wife was among those who opened small sari-sari stores in the vicinity.

“With the signing of the final peace agreement [in 2014], I feel free, having been able to go to the urban centers with my family,” said Dimalanes, who won as village councilor in the 2018 barangay elections.

FRESH WATER Creeks with clear water coming from the mountains of Sultan Kudarat crisscross Stallion Farm.

He hoped that the freedom he and his comrades were enjoying now would last in their lifetimes and in the next generations. But he said the government would play a key role in protecting the peace by implementing the provisions of the peace deal, including the package of financial and livelihood assistance promised by the state to the MILF members and their communities.

“I’m tired of going back to war with the government. Life in the jungle is very difficult,” he said. “I hope the government will fulfill its promises to the MILF. Otherwise, you might see us rising up in arms again.” INQ