By Jocelyn Uy
Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines–This 77-year-old retired home economics teacher has come up with simple and real recipes for peace in her troubled little town in Sulu province.
Wobbly from arthritis, Norma Abdulla was never fettered from helping couples resolve fights or calling the attention of authorities whenever there’s trouble in her neighborhood.
“Peace should start with solving petty conflicts in the community, especially in the family so it will not escalate into a full-blown clash that could involve the entire town,” Abdulla, convener of the first Muslim Women Peace Advocates in Sulu, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Friday.
For going the extra mile, which not many people her age would take, the Jolo native was named one of the 10 recipients of the annual Ulirang Nakatatanda awards by the nonprofit group, Coalition of Services of the Elderly Inc. (COSE).
She received her award on Sunday, the culmination of the celebration of the Filipino Elderly Week led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
In selecting the Tausug leader, COSE said Abdulla “is an icon of public service and dedication, highly respected and well-loved” in her community in Barangay San Raymundo, Jolo.
She was nominated by former Sen. Santanina Rasul, a pioneer of the Mindanao-based Muslim Women Peace Advocates (MWPA).
Abdulla’s spirit for community service was kindled at the Sulu Trade School (now Hadji Butu School of Arts and Trade), where she taught teenagers to pickle food, sew handicrafts, crochet and stitch clothes for 16 years.
She was then 22 years old and a fresh graduate of the Centro Escolar University (CEU) with a degree in Home Economics. Later, she earned a master’s degree in Home Economics and a doctoral degree in Education from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, and CEU.
As part of the Sulu Trade School’s outreach program, Abdulla visited homes of poor people, dropped by the public plaza in her hometown, and gave cooking lessons to impoverished wives and mothers to boost livelihood opportunities.
This was in the 1950s when Jolo was a peaceful town, she said, and had yet to worry about the Abu Sayyaf bandits, the armed Moro rebels or the tension between Moro separatists and the military.
Rising from the ranks
Over time, Abdulla rose from the ranks and became president of the Sulu State College.
Meanwhile, the violence in neighboring strife-torn districts pervaded Abdulla’s hometown. Suddenly, the situation called for more than just outreach programs. Evacuees were seeking shelter in the schools of Jolo.
“Now and then, people would leave their homes, go somewhere, and come back. It was really hard,” she said, recalling her own experience in 1974 when Jolo became embroiled in a shooting war with armed rebels.
The commercial district was burned down. Abdulla and her family, along with other residents, had to find shelter in a hospital and later in a school.
Escape to Jolo
“Because of escalating conflicts, people from outlying communities and municipalities would flee to Jolo where there was electricity and drinking water,” Abdulla said.
The modest town, flanked by restive Patikul and Indanan, gradually became crowded and the sidewalks teemed with hawkers, she said.
“Before, you can walk the streets even at midnight. Now you can’t. The stores close at 5 p.m. Even drugstores close early because they are scared of extortionists,” Abdulla said.
The challenge
The opportunity to address the mounting restlessness in her hometown came seven years after her retirement.
In 2003, Abdulla was tapped to join the core group of the MWPA in Sulu whose mission was to gather and train women leaders in the barangay, and help solve petty disturbances, such as land conflicts, crimes and family troubles.
She accepted the job, despite her weakening knees, numbing of hands and graying hair.
“I’m the oldest in the group, but I accepted the job because I still think I can contribute to peace-building. I am glad not one of my six sons has reminded me that I am old and that I should be resting,” said the spunky grandmother of 20 grandchildren.
Secrets of peace
Peace-building begins with simple acts like “never insult unlettered people so you don’t earn their ire,” Abdulla said.
A small misunderstanding must be settled as soon as possible, a little help from someone in authority would not hurt, and asking questions should be encouraged, she added.
After assembling the first group of peace advocates in Jolo in 2003, she set out for Indanan and Patikul to expand the group’s network.
“We didn’t go there to stop the war. We went there to teach them how to prevent conflicts in the household level. Because if you leave that unsettled, it could escalate until the whole community is involved,” Abdulla said.
With the culture of vendetta common among warring Moro clans, a simple spat could easily become a full-blown feud or a “rido,” she added.
Peacekeeper
After four years with the peace group, Abdulla has helped resolve a number of family crises — from a wife complaining about her husband’s infidelity to a husband objecting to his wife working outside the home.
Her secret? Patience and a willingness to listen.
After a shooting incident a couple of years ago near the mosque in the barangay, relatives of the victim came to her and asked if she could talk with the authorities into setting up an outpost to curb violence in the area.
Abdulla saw the mayor herself, who immediately responded to the request.
Age doesn’t matter
When a boy was killed in Indanan after watching television in a neighbor’s home early this year, the council immediately wrote a resolution asking the authorities to investigate.
Abdulla herself met with the brigade commander, believing this was the only way to address lawlessness in the area.
These gestures may be paltry in a troubled place, but Abdulla believes such actions will create ripples leading to a long-term peace someday.
“To me, age doesn’t matter if you want to do something. You don’t have to be young to serve,” she said.
October 14th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
We need more of her kind in our midst. She walked the extra mile in a place where conflicts stare at your face everyday. Thanks, Abdulla for just being different. Makes me proud to be a woman.