DEVCOM Corner

Fleeing at midnight in the midst of bombardments
By Mohamadsaid Gandawali

She had grown up in a world where war is seemingly normal,the war that deprived her of education .

This is the story of Sarah Alim from Shariff Saydona Mustapha. At 23 years old, she is now a mother of three.

Sarah said she ended only in her 6th grade, her parents cannot send her back to school because of frequent displacement which make them more poorer.

She laments instead of going to school, she has to take care her younger siblings.

Last February, she was among the flock of local residents from their community who evacuated at the middle of the night because of heavy artillery fires that hit their village.

Sarah said the cycle of war appeared as replication of her past.

Tired and extremely sick of the this cycle, she appeals for everlasting peace for her children’s future.

Pregnant moms struggle in Evacuation Centers 

by Jeffrey Allen M. Paclibar

Bianca Musiv and Tanumbai Talib are two only of least two thousand pregnant mothers from at least 125,000 individuals affected by the recent armed conflict as government troops conducted offensive against BIFF rebels in Maguindanao.

These pregnant mom suffers the most undesirable situation while inside the crowded and searing evacuation in Talayan town.

They left their houses in Guindulungan with traumatic experiences.

Had witnessed the volumes of fires coming closer as they distanced from the conflict zone carrying infants and aiding other children.

Health officials were deeply concerned of their conditions.

Risky and uncomfortable, they fear miscarriage or unhealthy babies developed while inside mother’s wombs.

The displaced families, dislodged again in school temporary shelter

By Cayetano T. Daquiado Jr.

The story of Babo Indeng Sulaiman is a case of a displaced people now threatened to be dislodged again because the school ground used to be a temporary shelter in Datu Saudi Ampatuan school was ordered to be vacated for the incoming school opening.

She and hundred of other families could not yet go home in their village in Iginagampong, Datu Unsay because of fear that violence may erupt since it is not free yet free from warring forces of government soldiers and BIFF rebels.

She narrated the starvation experienced by her children in evacuation center because they cannot anymore harvest goods from their farms.

The food rations she said is not enough to survive a decent meals unlike when they are at home.

Still the situation in their villages is not yet stabilized, so they opted to stay at the sorrounding and corners of the schools where they erected once again temporary shelters.


The short time Mongo harvester mother
By Christy Joyce D. Toledo

An extreme sacrifice for a mother to feed nine of her children at the evacuation center.

This is the story of 35 year old Marida Mocsin from Brgy. Tapikan, Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.

In Nabundas elementary school where they sought shelter, she strives hard to earn a living from the small harvest of Mongo beans harvested from their farm.

She recounts that she is only given an hour in the morning to harvest her crops in their village because the military has an advisory that armed groups are still in the area..

and anytime encounter may happen.

But despite the situation, she has to be brave and quick so that she could immediately process the beans to buy for the family’s food consumption for the day.

Marida said despite this, she wont let her children be out from school, she is proud her twin elders had graduated from high school last March.


The mother’s call to spare schools from exchange of gunfires
By Carelle Shane D. Bacordo

For 43 year old Nora Usop from Brgy. Bakat, Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao.

Armed groups engaged in exchange of fires should spare schools from their rifts.

Targeting the schools is like targeting also the future of their children.

In most cases, schools hit were razed to ground or even severely damaged and could not be used anymore as facility for learning.

Recently rehabilitation efforts was initiated by joint military and police accompanied by local residents in Brigada Eskwela Bayanihan spirit.

She could only dream of another version of Bayanihan --- a bayanihan working sincerely for peace as one Mindanaons without differences in religion or cultural affiliation.