Editorial Preface
Over the years, the Southeastern Philippines Journal of Research and Development has been committed to promoting scholarship about the development needs of Mindanao and ASEAN regions. The March 2025 issue continues this tradition as it features contributions from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Out of 267 submissions, nine papers passed the triple-blind review, ensuring that they are aligned with the standards of scholarly publications and are responsive to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The first five articles in this issue deal with sociocultural studies about Muslims, enlarging our consciousness of who and how they are as a people. In Folklore, Identity, and Tourism among Thai Muslims in Koh Yao, Andaman Sea, Thailand, Rungrat Thongsakul of the Phuket Rajabhat University in Thailand and Hanafi Hussin of the Universiti Malaya in Malaysia investigate the preservation of Muslim folklore and identity and how it could be developed as a cultural tourism product. On the strength of rigorous fieldwork, Thongskul and Hussin proffer that the folklore practices of Thai Muslims in Koh Yao could be enhanced and promoted as activities by fostering collaboration across sectors while safeguarding their rich cultural heritage.
If the study of Thongskul and Hussin focuses on the Muslims in Koh Yao, Andaman Sea, Thailand, the work of Christopher Ryan B. Maboloc, Mussolini S. Lidasan, and Mansoor L. Limba of the Ateneo de Davao University, and Rasul M. Salik of Notre Dame University in Cotabato City, Philippines, looks at the condition of the Muslims in Mindanao, Philippines from the vantage point of Pogge (2008) and Young (2000). In Unveiling Structural Poverty in Muslim Mindanao: Focus on Power Dynamics and Economic Injustice, Maboloc and his co-authors argue for structural reforms beyond state-centric measures to sustain peace and development in Muslim Mindanao. They firmly believe that changing the power dynamics in the Bangsamoro region is necessary if people are to benefit from authentic autonomy.
Still on the Muslims in Mindanao, Mohmmad Ammar G. Mangondato and Sharisse May M. Barra of the Mindanao State University Marawi City, Philippines in The Unspoken Turmoil of the Siege: Unraveling the Lived Experiences of the Bereaved Mothers of Child Soldiers in Lanao del Sur, Philippines, narrates that the bereaved Meranaw Muslim mothers have been experiencing immense psychological challenges since the Marawi siege erupted up to this time, but they affirmed that they need to practice sab’r (patience) for what happened to their sons is because of qad’r (divine decree). The researchers recommend including the entire family dynamics to understand how the family experiences the Marawi siege and how they interact to help each other.
An equally significant contribution to the Muslim Mindanao discourse is the work of Mark Aljen D. Binocal of the Davao Oriental State University and Ele D. Lunzaga of the Adventist University of the Philippines. In Understanding the Social Cognitive Motivations for Jihad Among Muslim Millennials in Southern Philippines: A Psychological Perspective, Binocal and Lunzaga elucidate that the Muslim millennials have a positive outlook on jihad, a nuanced perspective that allows us to get a better sense of the ideology sans the biases against its interpretation. Their paper highlights the call for a well-rounded and informed perspective on jihad – fisabilillah (struggle in the way of God) and jihad al nafs (struggle against the self), especially within education, religious, and community environments.
As important as recognizing the teaching of the Qur’an is the study of the Hadith (traditions) of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). In Figures of Speech in the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad: An Analysis of Tashbīh, Isti‘ārah, and Kināyah, Mohammad Hussin, Mohammed H. Al Aqad, Syakirah Rifa’in @ Mohd Rifain of the Universiti Malaya and Yoyo of the Universitas Ahmad Dahlan in Yogyakarta, Indonesia emphasize the need for scholars, translators, and interpreters of Hadith to master bayān elements for a more precise and contextually faithful understanding of the Prophet’s speech. This has direct implications for Arabic rhetoric, Islamic studies, and translation studies, particularly in preserving the rhetorical and semantic depth of Hadith.
This edition proceeds with an additional work on linguistics. Further emphasizing the necessity of accounting for the indigenous languages in the Philippines is the archival research, The State of Blaan and Tboli Linguistics. Rudelyn V. Bantilan of the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges in General Santos City, Philippines, and her co-writers from the University of Southeastern Philippines and Universitas Negeri Makassar in Indonesia conclude that the majority of the studies in Blaan and Tboli linguistics were done by non-Filipino scholars, underscoring the need for local researchers’ involvement in documenting, developing, and sustaining these languages.
The following two studies provide a picture of the society and agriculture in Indonesia. In Surviving the Edges: Multidimensional Poverty among Indigenous Women Community in Remote Rural Areas in Indonesia, Nikodemus Niko of the Maritime Raja Ali Haji University in Tanjungpinang, Indonesia, articulates that based on his ethnographic research, poverty among Dayak Benawan women is not merely an economic issue but is deeply ingrained in a complex interplay of social, cultural, and environmental factors. He then advocates for targeted policies aimed at promoting social equity for indigenous communities in Indonesia.
Shifting to agriculture in Indonesia, Akhmad Zamroni and Wahyu Endah Christiani Putri of the Institut Teknologi Nasional Yogyakarta in Indonesia and their co-researchers from the Philippines in their publication, Nature-based Solutions for Agricultural Drought Adaptation Strategies in the Karst Area of Gunungkidul Regency, Indonesia, propose NBS address drought challenges, zeroing in on increasing water retention capacity as the most effective strategy. Recognizing the limitations related to data availability and uncertainties regarding the long-term effectiveness of the proposed strategies across different climate scenarios, the researchers highly suggest doing longitudinal studies and comprehensive monitoring systems to evaluate their long-term effects on agricultural productivity and ecosystem resilience.
Staying on the scholarship in agriculture, but this time from Southern Philippines is the contribution of Melissa P. Loquias, Shemaiah Gail P. Placencia, and Larry A. Digal from the University of the Philippines Mindanao titled Choice of Agri-credit Source among Cavendish Banana Farmers: Evidence from Southern Philippines. Using a multinomial regression model, their findings can potentially aid the government in crafting policies and interventions relating to improved access to formal credit, especially in the context of the export industry.
Meticulously reviewed by scholars from America, Asia, Australia, and Europe, the articles in this edition are critical examinations of the conditions and issues concerning Mindanao and ASEAN regions, urging the readers to interrogate and resonate through formulating policies and collaboratively doing research and extension programs for a sustainable humanity.
SAJED S. INGILAN
SPJRD Editor-in-Chief