“From war zone to economic zone.”

This is how Commander Datu Nasrullah “Stallion” Mama, or simply Commander Stallion, described the transformation into a tourism destination of the 105th Base Command (BC) Satellite Camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat Province.

Perched on a steep slope of a mountain in Sitio Kimundo in Barangay Lagandang, the former training field of the MILF is now called “Stallion Farm,” a resort that provides a nature-themed destination for tourists and livelihood for former combatants and the community of Muslim and indigenous peoples in the area.

On Feb. 21, Minister Kenichi Matsuda, deputy chief of mission of the Embassy of Japan, and Edwine Carrie, deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), turned over food assistance, seedlings of high-value crops, solar street lights, and farm machinery to Stallion Farm.

They also broke ground for the construction of a coffee shop in the resort, where coffee beans and other product offerings are harvested from the crops of local farmers.

Dole Philippines Vice President Reynaldo Doria and Mahintana Foundation, Inc. President Martiniano Magdulot assisted Matsuda and Carrie in the handover. 

Matsuda described the development of a former training ground for combatants as “remarkable.”

"We are hoping that this project, in partnership with the UNDP, will continue the upward trajectory of development of the 105th MILF Base Command in Barangay Lagandang, Isulan," he said.

Mahintana Foundation, Inc., the corporate social responsibility arm of Dole Philippines, is the Japanese government’s local partner in the implementation of a project for “Enhancing Food Security and Livelihood” in Bangsamoro.

“The project endeavors to improve access to food and livelihood towards the recovery and transformation of communities affected by conflict,” Liza Hora, executive director of the Mahintana Foundation, explained.

From training camp to tourism destination

Stallion explained that the conversion of the camp came in accordance with the Normalization Program spelled out in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro forged by the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF in 2014.

“Dahil nga mayroon tayong camp transformation, nakita ko ang lugar na may potensyal siya. Tapos, gusto ko makatulong sa kabuhayan ng mga tao; pangalawa, ma-maintain ang peace and order sa lugar; pangatlo, ma-preserve ang history ng lugar. Gusto ko na ma-preserve ang kuwento na hanggang sa susunod na henerasyon, hindi makakalimutan na anuman ang nararanasan namin ngayon ay resulta at bunga ng struggle namin noon,” he said, explaining why they pushed for the development of the camp as a visitor site.

[Since we have had camp transformation, I have seen that the place has potential. Then, I want to help people's livelihoods; second, maintain peace and order in the area; and third, preserve its history. I want to preserve the story so that the next generation will not forget that whatever we are experiencing today is the result of our struggles yesterday.]

As a tourism site, Stallion Farm offers a space for meetings that can accommodate 60 to 100 people and an area for camping. Visitors may also take a dip at the site’s spring-fed infinity pool or enjoy the crystal-clear water of the stream cutting across the resort.

Other activities include trekking to nearby waterfalls and caves.The resort is also surrounded by a dense forest.

Soon, Stallion said the farm will open a coffee shop featuring the products of local coffee farmers. This café, besides being a livelihood for the locals, is also aligned with the provincial government’s bid for Sultan Kudarat to be declared “Coffee Capital of the Philippines.”

“Sana po lahat ng kampo ng MILF, tutal mayroon naman tayong camp transformation, ay sana gayahin nila tayo. Pangalawa, bago tayo humingi ng tulong sa ibang tao, mag-umpisa muna tayo tulad nga ginawa natin sa Stallion Farm, bago tayo lumapit iba’t ibang ahensiya ng gobyerno, ipinakita muna natin na tayo ang nag-umpisa,” he said.

[I hope all the MILF camps will imitate us. Second, before we ask for help from other people, we should start it first, like we did at Stallion Farm, before we approach different government agencies; after all, we have a camp transformation.]

Stallion Farm, whose workers were former combatants, and its community have also received interventions from several agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Science and Technology.

Seedlings given to the community include 7,000 oil palms; 10,000 coffee; 15,000 Puyat durian, mangosteen, lanzones, and durian; 500 Musang King durian; 6.500 iron bamboo; and 7,500 forest trees such as narra, lauan, nato, dao, and mahogany.

Meanwhile, the Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative, in collaboration with the provincial government of Sultan Kudarat, pledged to bring electricity to the resort.

“Maraming maraming salamat sa mga ahensiya ng gobyerno na tumulong sa amin dito sa Stallion Farm Agri-Ecotourism. Kung hindi dahil sa mga tulong ninyo, at mga tulong nila hindi namin maabot kung ano mayroon kami ngayon,” Stallion added.

[Thank you very much to the government agencies that helped us here at Stallion Farm Agri-Ecotourism. If it weren't for their help, we wouldn't be able to reach what we have today.]

In his message, Lt. Gen. Danilo Pamonag, GPH co-chair of the Joint Task Force on Camp Transformation, recalled their experience in the area.

“Kung pupunta ka rito dati, makikita mo ang mga tao rito ay palaging may bitbit na sandata. Ang mga structures na ganito were all bunkers to protect themselves from hostile fire,” Pamonag said.

[If you go here before, you will see people here were always carrying weapons. Structures like this were all bunkers to protect themselves from hostile fire.]

People in the area used to be busy planning military operations, he added.

“Ngayon namulat ang ating mga mata sa isang magandang transformation—ang kampo naging agri-economic development area [Today our eyes opened to a beautiful transformation—the camp now became an agri-economic development area],” Pamonag enthused. (DED - PIA Region 12)