Boodle for the BBL

TABOAN Hall in Davao’s famed Matina Town Square proclaims “artistic freedom” and features the city’s best local bands and cultural groups. Spectators normally enjoy the shows from individual tables filled with kilawin, panga, and pitchers of Pale Pilsen lite. But last May 11, as thousands marched to the Congress in support of the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), local and foreign peacemakers gathered there for a “boodle para sa BBL.”

The “boodle” is the way the Philippine military bond in solidarity around a meal laid out on banana leaves. No forks, no spoons: kamayan! No chairs, no inhibitions: just laid-out food bringing comrades to deeper friendship through shared food, shared purpose, and shared conversation (pakighinabi). At Taboan Hall, those who “boodled” were Muslims, Lumads, Catholics, Protestants, soldiers, religious and civil-society leaders, artists, poets, students – most of whom longtime, battle-scarred peace advocates in Mindanao. Guests, among them South Africa’s peace negotiator, Joan McGregor, rubbed shoulders to get at the grilled meats, fresh fruits and delicate vegetables with their fingers. “In the Philippines everything is done with food,” the host declared. Here, shared food around one table was solidarity in Mindanao with those marching to Congress that day to manifest support for the passage of a meaningful Bangsamoro Basic Law.