Below is an article published by Arab News:

Filipino expatriates here have welcomed the ongoing moves to finalize a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after 17 years of talks.

Several Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), mainly from Mindanao, expressed optimism about the progress of the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro (FAB) that was signed in 2012.

The two parties will sign another Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) on March 27 [2014] following consultations in Mindanao.

Saleh Bucay, secretary-general of the Federation of Maranao Associations in Saudi Arabia (FEMAS), told Arab News: “I pray that this agreement will finally be fruitful and get the full support of Filipinos, especially our fellow constituents who are non-Muslims.”

“Considering the past failed attempts to pacify the entire Bangsamoro through various agreements that were either never implemented or considered in vain, serious doubts by many cannot be discounted,” Bucay said.

The FAB is a preliminary peace agreement that outlines the general features of the political settlement between the two parties. It contains points of consensus reached during the series of talks since a cease-fire agreement in 1997.

The deal defines the nature, structure, and powers of the political entity called the Bangsamoro that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Rasol Abbas, an OFW from Riyadh, said: “We’re praying that our expectations will come true. Maybe most of the Bangsamoro, who know business, will become managers of their own companies.”

On Friday [14 March 2014], Teresita Quintos Deles, presidential adviser on the peace process, confirmed that the CAB accord would be signed on March 27 [2014]. “After 17 long years of arduous negotiations, we are finally arriving at a political settlement that will seal enduring peace and progress in Mindanao,” she said.

In Marawi City, Mohagher Iqbal, MILF peace panel chairman, who also chairs the Bangsamoro Transitional Commission (BTC), said more than 30,000 Maranaos attended the public consultation on the agreement.

With the help of a translator, Iqbal told the crowd that the MILF and government panels have a “commitment to finally answer the Bangsamoro Question, and to ensure that it will be on a path to economic security, stability and success for future generations.”

Nash Pangadapun, from Lanao, said: “This public consultation is laudable as it reflects the concern of the MILF and government for the right of the Bangsamoro to create an autonomous state.”

After the signing of the framework agreement, the government will sign an order creating a transition commission that will draft basic laws and amend the Philippine Constitution if necessary. The body will consist of 15 members — eight from the MILF and seven selected by the government representing different sectors in the Bangsamoro.