NEWS
17March
March 18 declared non-working holiday in BARMM for ‘Day of Shuhada’
- Mar 17, 2026
- Taher G. Solaiman
- HITS: 1052
COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has declared Wednesday, March 18, 2026, as a regular non-working holiday to observe the ‘Day of Shuhada (Day of Martyrs).’
The declaration was formalized through Advisory No. 01, Series of 2026, in line with Proclamation No. 0003, Series of 2025. The holiday honors those who sacrificed their lives in the Bangsamoro people’s pursuit of peace, justice, and self-determination.
Issued by authority of Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua and signed by Acting Senior Minister Abdullah Cusain, the advisory suspends work in all regional government offices. However, agencies tasked with essential and emergency services are directed to maintain operations to ensure public safety and delivery of vital needs.
The ‘Day of Shuhada’ commemorates key events in Moro history, most notably the 1968 Jabidah Massacre – widely recognized as a major catalyst for the contemporary Bangsamoro struggle, which led to the formation of liberation fronts and eventually the establishment of the autonomous region.
The Jabidah Massacre involved young Muslim recruits, mostly from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, who were being trained by the Philippine military on Corregidor Island. This secret operation, codenamed Operation Merdeka, aimed to destabilize and eventually reclaim Sabah from Malaysia.
The recruits eventually realized the true nature of their mission—which could have forced them to fight against fellow Muslims in Sabah—and protested due to poor training conditions, lack of pay, and the ethical dilemma of the operation.
On the night of March 18, 1968, the military allegedly led the recruits out in small groups and executed them to keep the operation secret. While the exact death toll remains a subject of historical debate, it is widely believed that dozens of young men were killed.
Write to Taher Guiambangan Solaiman
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