Behind the Veil of Conflict
Box 3.1 Labor mobility: the Maranao Maranao labor mobility from Mindanao, by households, 2000-2005
Source: National Statistics Office 2000 data; Human Development Network 2005. The Maranao (or “people of the lake”), one of the dominant ethno-linguistic groups among Mindanao Moros, are known for their high mobility, a diaspora from their original homeland in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur transcending conflict-generated mobility. Among the Moros, the Maranaos are known as traders and entrepreneurs, with a business tradition that has endured over many generations despite their association with secessionists and violent outbursts between feuding Muslim clans. Labor mobility among the Maranaos highlights how agglomeration economies work. Before the 1960s in-migration in Lanao del Sur was relatively high when the capital, Marawi City, was a center of trade and commerce, drawing Muslims and Christians from Luzon and Visayas.a Maranao out-migration surged in recent years as other parts of the Philippines boomed, such as General Santos, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Butuan, Cebu, and Manila. Now the Maranao are scattered in various parts of the country (see figure). Their relatively high level of education and wide networks give the Maranaos an advantage when joining labor markets in new environments. Education indicators, such as elementary and high school participation rates, were highest in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City, where the Maranaos are the predominant social group. The 2003–09 annual average net enrollment rate for elementary school in these two areas was more than 100 percent, compared with 91.4 percent in the ARMM and 86.3 percent nationwide. And more than 50 percent high-schoolage population in these two areas were enrolled in high school, surpassing the ARMM average of 31.7 percent and 59.6 percent nationwide.b Anecdotal evidence suggests that individual or business relocations among the Maranao tend to be within and between agglomerations with the potential for profitable trading opportunities (as opposed to the promise of high wages). Human Development Network 2005. Human Development Network 2005; data from the Department of Education for school years 2002–03 to 2008–09. Source: Mindanao study team.
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