ARMM renews call for Marawi evacuees to register for relief, rehab programs

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) reiterated its call for evacuees to register using the Disaster Assistance and Family Access Card (DAFAC) issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“The evacuees should be registered, to have access to services and resources we are providing,” ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia said.

The delivery of services to displaced families has become harder in recent days as many Marawi residents did not register with DSWD as evacuees, especially those who are staying at their relatives’ houses in neighboring towns and cities.

Only 970 families, or 4,691 individuals, are in designated evacuation centers, while 39,783 families, or 189,261 individuals, are home-based.

The regional government has utilized the DAFAC system to ensure equal and timely distribution of relief packs for the evacuees.

The system is applied by the DSWD-ARMM to validate the status of families affected by the crisis, which will serve as a reference in the provision of appropriate interventions.

The DAFAC, Alamia said, will also be used in future rehabilitation and recovery programs for Marawi City.

She said some evacuees went to Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Socsksargen (Region 12), and Davao (Region 11); while some have gone to as far as Visayas and Luzon.

“They could go to their municipal, or city, social welfare officer to register using DAFAC so that the city government of Marawi will be able to monitor its residents, especially when rehabilitation starts,” Alamia added.

The regional government has already spent roughly P35 million in urgent assistance to victims of the Marawi crisis. 

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said the aid is aimed at meeting the growing humanitarian needs of communities struggling with the current situation. Marawi is one of only two cities in the ARMM.

The governor said current funds from the regional government can still respond to the needs of the evacuees noting the government has so far allocated about P77 million for the victims of the crisis. 

An operation center has also been set up in Malabang town in Lanao del Sur, and in Iligan City in Lanao del Norte to coordinate and manage the region’s response to the ongoing crisis in Marawi City. 

The ARMM crisis management committee has been active since May 24 in gathering information as well as in assessing and monitoring the situation on the ground to help keep track of the needs of the affected families.

Information gathered and verified help the committee in decision making, in planning actions, and in taking steps to continually ease the plight of evacuees, stranded individuals, and missing Marawi residents. (Bureau of Public Information/PIA-10)

0

Over 900 Marawi IDPs benefit from free hospitalization

The Department of Health (DOH) continues to provide free healthcare services to individuals displaced by the on-going crisis in Marawi City.

Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial said over 900 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were admitted in government and private hospitals and given medicines for free. “Wala silang binayad dahil ang PhilHealth at DOH ang nagbabayad (They have nothing to pay, as the Philhealth and DOH will be paying for them),” she said.

The DOH earlier announced that hospitals would treat Marawi IDPs even if they don’t have identification or membership statuses with PhilHealth. Ubial said the excess will be paid by DOH through its Medical Assistance Program.

“Sinisigurado po namin sa lahat ng aming kababayan na galing sa Marawi na lahat ng health services sa RHU, barangay health stations, at mga ospital dito sa Iligan, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, and even sa Cagayan de Oro ay libre. Wala kayong babayaran,” she reiterated.

The health secretary gave assurance that health centers and hospitals in Marawi and Lanao provinces will be fully functional and operational once the crisis is over.

“Kung matapos ang conflict na ito, sinisigurado natin sa mga Muslim brothers and sisters na lahat ng health facilities sa Marawi , Lanao del Sur,  at  Lanao del Norte ay ipapaayos  natin,” she noted.

(As soon as this crisis is over, I assure our Muslim brothers and sisters that we will repair all health facilities in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.)

Ubial further said those in the evacuation centers will continue to receive free health services and medicines from DOH doctors and nurses.

Meanwhile, DOH will distribute Philippine Health TV sets to the evacuation centers in Iligan and Lanao del Sur. The TVs will air health messages and advertisements to inform IDPs on how to strong and healthy.

Taking note of the psychosocial needs of IDPs, Ubial said they can also watch other shows for entertainment.  “Kahit papaano, kahit mahirap ang sitwasyon natin, dapat may konting entertainment (Even if we are in this difficult situation, at least we have some entertainment),” the health secretary added

0

DepEd calls for desk donations for displaced Marawi studes

The Department of Education (DepEd) has called on big private companies to donate school desks for students displaced by the on-going clashes in Marawi City.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones said they have established learning spaces in evacuation centers through the help of the United Nations (UN) and other donors, but they need desks to facilitate comfortable learning among children-evacuees.

She admitted it would take time to purchase school desks under the government procurement procedures.

Briones also disclosed that DepEd is preparing for the Brigada Eskwela Para sa Marawi. She said they have chosen a school where they would gather resources and materials for the repair of affected schools in Marawi.

According to her, six schools in Marawi and nearby areas were destroyed, three were razed while the other three damaged by crossfire.

The Education Secretary meanwhile assured affected teachers that they will continue to receive salaries while school opening in Marawi is still on hold stressing that the crisis is not their own making. She said the Philippine Public School Teachers Association will also offer loans in ‘very generous terms.’

Displaced teachers will also be given psychosocial assistance to help them re-establish sense of normalcy. “They have to deal with the trauma.., they can only help the school children if they themselves are also helped,” she said.

While waiting for the go signal from military authorities, Briones further urged parent-evacuees to send their children to the nearest school so that their studies will not be interrupted. She reiterated that DepEd has waived the usual documentary requirements to give leeway to displaced children to go to school. 

0

Looking beyond beliefs, embracing kindness in crisis

War, calamity, tragedy and other adversarial events may damage lives and properties but they also open doors for solidarity and compassion.

Datu Norodin Alonto Lucman, 61, traditional Meranao leader of the Royal House of Mindanao and Sulu and former deputy governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, for one serves as a living testimony on how crisis enabled him to help beyond beliefs, religion and ethnicity as he narrated how he helped non-Muslims working on a tower near his residence when the violence in Marawi City erupted on May 23.

“I was doing some house chores. Around the same time, some technicians were fixing the Smart tower.  At around two o’clock in the afternoon, I heard a burst of gunfire in the vicinity of the other side of the river,” Lucman narrated.

Lucman said he made some phone calls when he learned that the Maute group launched the attack.

Upon knowing that terrorists blocked the way going out to Iligan, Lucman decided to let the non-Muslims take refuge in his house.  He said they were hoping that the fighting will subside the following day. He was thinking that he can then arrange their transport back to Iligan or Cagayan de Oro City.  But it turned out that the fighting became protracted.

“It was a 12-day ordeal for me because when other non-Muslim workers learned of my decision to bring in people in my house for safety, they also came for their own safety including their children, wives and some carpenters.”

Lucman said that at first there were only 11 but it kept on adding up until it swelled to 44 non- Muslims. Other Meranao families also came to the house for protection.  By the time they entered the fifth day of the siege, people in his house swelled to 74.

The Meranao leader shared that he has enough food in his house which could last for only a week.  “We were only subsisting on rainwater and some fruits taken from some trees nearby from day 8 to day 12 of the crisis," he said.

According to him, one of the Meranao families that he was sheltering fasted since the start of the Ramadhan.

“I cannot fast because if the others see that I am weak, they might be demoralized and I don’t want that to happen. They have to see that I am strong, that I can make decision, and I’m on top of the situation,” Lucman said.

Strategic location

Lucman resides in a very strategic location. It is also equipped with a generator.

“My location is elevated and it overlooked the whole city.  In fact, I witnessed five major battles in that area. I can see the terrorists running around, the bombs that are being thrown at them too.”

The good fellow also shared that there was even a time when a general called him so he can describe the landscape of the battles.  

He narrated that there were battles taking place in areas specifically in areas around Malimono, Lilod, Marinaut. Another battle took place about 500 meters from his house and it was very deafening. It was a full scale battle. 

As for his survival for days with the battles taking place in the area, Lucman said, “It’s a good thing I have a generator, I was able to use it for three days until I ran out of gasoline."

Encounters with the terrorists

Lucman recalled that some local terrorists knocked on his door.  “They were Yakans, Maguindanaoans and Tausugs. I opened my door and confronted them and I told them who I am. They seemed to know my family so they showed respect. They said they are fighting for Islam and lectured me about Islam.”

Lucman told them that there’s no need to lecture him about Islam since he studied Islamic Jurisprudence in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

“So, they stopped and asked me if they can enter my house,” Lucman narrated.

I replied ‘no’ and told them there are children and women inside the house.

I also asked them who their leader is and they said he is a Meranao. I told them again to bring the Meranao leader so I can talk to him.

The following day, they came back with the Meranao leader who instantly recognized me and called me Kaka, a sign of respect to an elder.

I asked him, “Why are you doing this?”

“This is for Jihad,” the leader replied.

“Is there any way we can talk this over and do something about it?” I asked him again.

He said, “no Kaka, I will die here as a martyr.”

“If that's your decision, so be it," I told the leader.

"And then they left. From then on, they never bothered me again.”  Lucman further narrated.

The terrorists never discovered that Lucman was sheltering non-Muslim civilians.

“This type of people has a very different view of Islam. They think that by using the word Islam, it is their ticket to genocide, killing people whether Muslims and non-Muslims like what we have witnessed in Syria and Iraq. That is the only way they think. They believe that they can set up their own Islamic state by eliminating large section of non-Muslim population which is next to impossible because Islam thrives on other civilizations. It is very tolerant on other religions,” Lucman pointed-out.

Left with no other option

Getting close to starvation, Lucman decided to break through the hostile area.

“There is no more water and food in the house. I have 74 people with me who might die of hunger instead of being killed by the terrorists or by the bombs of the military.  

So on June 3, Lucman and his companions’ braved bullets and marched out of the hostile areas.

“I woke up everybody at about 5:30 in the morning and told them to prepare because we are going to break out of the house. I also got in touch with an officer who gave me the coordinates of the army positions nearby.”

Lucman said the only time he felt there was the danger was when they reached the commercial center where he noticed some snipers.

“Just watch me and if there's something wrong, in front of us, let me deal with it. Don’t say anything, just Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest),” Lucman told his companions.

Lucman described the commercial area as totally devastated.  “You see dogs, cats, rats, human remains, all strewn in the streets rotten… and the smell was overpowering.”

When they reached the mouth of the bridge, Lucman said they were confronted by one of the local terrorists.  “As I got near him, he instantly recognized me and he called me by my name. I was relieved that he recognized me.  After that, he gestured to his teammates on the other side of the bridge and motioned them to let us pass,” Lucman narrated.

Lucman was elated that his non-Muslim companions, as well as the Muslim families who were with him, were not injured or shot. “They were hungry and tired but they are all ok,” he added.

Unity and understanding

Lucman said it is high time that Muslims and Christians should come together and find ways to heal the past historical anomaly for the country to move on. 

“There is no way you can govern through bigotry and ignorance.  The only way we can move forward as a nation and as a people is to understand each other, work together, even pray together,” he said.

He pointed out that it would take months to clear the rubble brought by the armed conflict in Marawi. “We need the help of everybody and the national community because after the smoke clears there will be an epidemic in Lanao del Sur especially in Marawi City,”  Lucman said.

According to him, there will be retribution by clans or clan wars and the clean-up will be very enormous after the crisis is over.

“We can no longer live as a divided nation. It is not good for our children and our children’s children,” Lucman said.  (APB/PIA-10)

0

Lanao del Sur dad tells Marawi residents to hold on

“We will regain the whole of Marawi soon,” Lanao del Sur Vice Governor Mamintal A. Adiong Jr. told the residents here during the flag raising ceremony at the Provincial Capitol Grounds in celebration of the 119th Philippine Independence Day yesterday, June 12.

Although he could not determine the exact date, he assured the residents that Marawi would be freed and restored with the help of the different sectors of the society.

Bursting in tears, Adiong urged Meranao residents to continuously pray for Allah’s mercy for them to survive and surpass the current crisis.

"Let us pray to Allah that He will grant peace and serenity to our homeland and Marawi City," he appealed.

Adiong also expressed gratitude to those who extended assistance to displaced persons staying at the Provincial Capitol Evacuation Center, especially to the government soldiers and police for fighting hard to restore the rights of the Marawi residents to live peacefully.

He further called on the residents, particularly Meranaos, to work together after the crisis is over to build back Marawi City. (APB/PIA-10)

0

DepEd continues to locate public school teachers in Marawi

Officials of the Marawi City Schools Division opened two tracking and monitoring desks to locate public school teachers affected by the Marawi crisis.

Anna Zenaida A. Unte, assistant city schools superintendent, said the desks were established to track the whereabouts of their teachers and learners.

A total of 1,676 elementary teachers, 401 secondary teachers, and 25 senior high school teachers in Marawi are affected by the crisis. Around 18,570 learners in elementary level; 3,023 in secondary level; and 537 senior high schools are also affected.

The tracking and monitoring desks are located at the Provincial Capitol in Marawi City and Iligan City Central School.

Unte said they already located 674 teachers staying home-based in Iligan City and eight in evacuation centers in Iligan and Saguiaran town.

"We believe that a lot of our teachers and learners are in nearby municipalities, some in Manila, Cotabato, Butuan, and Cebu," she said.

Unte said the tracking helped Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepED-ARMM) determine the kind of assistance that will be afforded to the displaced teachers.

"Mahirap kasi karamihan sa mga teachers natin umalis sa mga bahay-bahay nila na ang dala lang ay yung suot nilang damit, karamihan sa mga bagay na importante sa kanila ay naiwanan nila gaya ng kanilang ATM cards," she further said.

DepEd has already provided hygiene kits, food packages, and medicines to the teachers. They will also undergo psychosocial support and interventions starting tomorrow, June 13. (APB/PIA-10)

0

Gov't forces pushing hard to combat Maute group in Marawi

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Eduardo Año said they are pushing hard to combat the Maute group in Marawi City.

This is a different kind of warfare. There are still a lot of civilians trapped inside the city,” he said in press briefing held today in Cagayan de Oro City.

Año emphasized that they wanted to spare the lives of the trapped civilians and minimize the destruction of properties,"

He gave assurance that the government has enough forces to fight the local terrorists.

They have been isolated in four barangays and we have sealed off their exit. We will be able to clear all barangays of Marawi, we are doing it deliberately and carefully, he further said.

National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, on the other hand, said the arrest of the matriarch and patriarch of the Maute group has a huge impact saying it would help the government in putting an end to the armed conflict.

The matriarch, Onita Romato Maute a.k.a. Farhana, was apprehended at a safe house in Barangay Kormatan, Masiu, Lanao Del Sur on June 9 while the patriarch, Cayamora Maute, was recently arrested in a checkpoint in Davao City.

Lorenzana also disclosed that the number of terrorists in Marawi City has diminished with 191 confirmed dead.

One hundred fifty four (154) firearms were also seized by the government forces.

Meanwhile, local chief executives in Lanao del Sur met today and discussed measures to prevent lawless elements from penetrating other parts of the province which include strengthening of barangay peace action teams.

Lorenzana said he supports the idea. "Matapos ang gulo, we are going to organize them properly, train them, and give them firearms - to be controlled by the military, and they will be serving their towns and barangays" he said.

He also emphasized that they will carefully vet the people to ensure that they will not be giving arms to Maute supporters. (APB/PIA-10)

0

Prices of basic commodities in ARMM stable, says DTI

Prices of prime commodities in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) remain stable, the region’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Monday, June 5.    

“Hindi totoo ang kumakalat na balita na umabot na sa limang libong piso ang presyo ng isang sakong bigas,stable ang presyo ng bilihin (it's not true that a sack of rice costs P1,000 and the prices of goos are stable),” DTI-ARMM Secretary Anwar Malang  said, as he clarified issues on the alleged increases in prices of goods in Lanao del Sur.   

 “We are reminding our retailers to comply with the set price ceiling,” he said. A price freeze of commodities was automatically enforced in Mindanao after President Rodrigo Duterte declared Martial Law for 60 days on May 23 following clashes between the government troops and Maute terror group in Marawi City.   

Under Republic Act 7581, or the Price Act, price freeze on basic necessities shall be automatically implemented in areas under a state of calamity.   The measure covers basic goods including canned sardines, processed milk, bottled water, locally manufactured instant noodles, coffee, detergent soap, bread, candles, salt, rice, corn, cooking oil, fresh pork, fresh beef, fresh poultry meat, fresh and dried fish and other marine products, fresh egg, fresh milk, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, root crops and sugar.     

Malang said his office is conducting weekly price monitoring not only in Lanao del Sur but in other provinces of the ARMM as well. “We are intensifying the monitoring to check if business establishments are complying with the price freeze order,” he said. 

Because of the recent crisis in Marawi City, the department has organized and deployed two special price monitoring teams in Lanao del Sur, he further said. The monitoring covers the municipalities of Buadipuso Buntong, Ditsaan-Ramain, Poona Bayabao, Tamparan, Malabang, Ganassi, Marantao and Watu Balindong.  

Reports from the field, Malang said, indicated price increases of only up to 10 percent in the municipalities of Marantao and Ditsaan-Ramain. “The minimal increases in prices (of basic goods) in those areas (Marantao and Ditsaan-Ramain) are justifiable on account of transportation costs incurred in the hauling of goods from suppliers in Iligan City,” he added.   

Supply of basic commodities in Lanao del Sur comes from the cities of Iligan in Lanao del Norte, Cagayan de Oro in Misamis Oriental, and Pagadian in Zamboanga del Sur. Penalties for those who violate the price freeze include a fine ranging from P5,000 to P1,000,000 and/or imprisonment from one to 10 years.    

Price control of basic necessities remains while Martial Law is in effect. Billboards on the price ceiling of basic goods, price freeze advisories, and other relevant information will be posted all over the region through the DTI-ARMM’s provincial offices. (Bureau of Public Information/PIA-10) 

0

Donations for Marawi crisis IDPs pour in

While the number of evacuees continues to rise due to the on-going law enforcement operations in Marawi City, donations from various individuals and organizations are pouring in to help ease the plight of those displaced by the hostilities.  

These relief efforts have been facilitated by young men and women in Cotabato City manning the regional offices of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).  

Amino Sahabuddin, 20, has initiated a donation drive with his classmates and urged his professors to do the same. He added that people in Marawi and Lanao del Sur need humanitarian help noting even small donations will make a difference. 

“We cannot help them all, but at least we could help some. Kahit ‘yung isang araw na maitawid mo ang gutom ng (isang evacuee) ay malaking bagay na,” Sahabuddin said. 

He collects small amounts of money and gathers food packs and used clothing. These donations are delivered to the operation center of the ARMM’s Humanitarian Emergency and Action Response Team (ARMM-HEART) here. 

Myrna Jo Henry, ARMM-HEART information officer, said most of the donations come from private individuals, small organizations and government offices from all over Mindanao and the rest of the country. 

These donations are distributed by the ARMM-HEART to internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are staying either in homes of relatives or in designated evacuation centers. 

The center generally receives food such as rice, canned goods, noodles, dried fish, coffee, sugar, milk powder, biscuits, juice powder, bottled water, eggs and fruits. Non-food items are also donated such as hygiene kits, used clothing, diapers, baby clothing, praying materials and mats, toys, and other items such as trapal, mats, malong, medicines, cadaver bags, and jerry cans. 

ARMM's employees have also been active in raising donations since the crisis started in the third week of March. Employees of the region’s Department of Natural Resources recently delivered various items including dried goods, used clothes as well as cash donations that could support at least 25 families. 

“The ARMM departments are committed to giving aid to the families displaced by the Marawi crisis,” Albashir Saiden, DENR-ARMM executive assistant, said.  

Although many donations are pouring in, Henry underscored that the relief goods needed most by the IDPs are bottled water, halal food, hygiene kits, kumot (bedding), kulambo (mosquito net), banig (mat), and products babies need. 

ARMM-HEART has distributed a total of 20,000 bottled water and almost 10,000 relief packs to evacuees in Iligan City during the early days of the crisis. So far, a total of 26,082 families, or 130,410 individuals, have been provided with food and non-food items. 

“Hanggat may IDPs, patuloy and pagbibigay natin ng relief goods (As long as there are IDPs, distribution of relief good will continue),” ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said.  

While the regional government continues to call for donations, it has also earmarked P100 million in relief assistance to families adversely affected by the crisis. (Bureau of Public Information/PIA-10) 

0

Sulog family rekindling hope in time of crisis

In the midst of war, a small gesture of kindness to ease the pain of those who fled their homes and brought nothing but fear in their hearts, is what a family in the municipality of Balo-i in Lanao del Norte did to the hundreds of Marawi residents who moved to Iligan City due to the clashes between the government troops and a local terror group on May 23.  

Offering free food and water to the hungry and weary civilians, H. Salahuddin “Abner” Lope Sulog recalled how he was in tears when he saw distraught people, prompting him to have his wife and 13 children prepare some food for the displaced civilians, Muslim and Christian alike.   

At first, the family offered ice water and bread while waiting for the rice and eggs to be cooked. When they ran out of stocks, they resorted to sweet potato.   

“Every time na may nabibigyan, umiiyak sila at nagpapasalamat kasi na trapped sila sa traffic ng 8-12 hours, hindi nakapaghapunan, breakfast at lunch. Wala silang mabilhan kasi lahat ng mga tao ay tumatakas palayo sa Marawi,” said Norjannah Sulog, Abner’s seventh daughter.  

 (Every time we get to give food, they cry and are thankful for what we have offered because they were trapped in a traffic for 8-12 hours without taking in dinner, breakfast and lunch. They could not buy food since all of the people are trying to get out of Marawi.)   

Tapping helping hands   

On the night of May 24, Norjannah said they called up some relatives in Saudi Arabia to send money for them to continue their relief efforts.  

 “We started as family lang tapos tumulong na ang mga kapitbahay sa distribution (We started the act as a family then the neighbors started to help in the distribution),” she said.   

Abner’s nephew, Amer Riga, posted the family ‘s effort on social media. It became viral and many netizens reached out to the family and offered to donate.   

“Sa Facebook post ko nagsimula ang pagdagsa ng tulong. We never expected it and we never ask for any donations. Wala akong ibang intensiyon dun sa post ko, pinakita ko lang na masaya kami na nakatulong ang pamilya namin kahit konti,” Amer said.   

(It was in my Facebook post when the help started to pour. We never expected it and we never asked for any donations. I have no other intentions in my post but to show how happy our family is to provide help even in our own little way.)   

Everyone can help   

Amer travels to Iligan City to get the donations and purchase goods for their relief packs. One relief pack consists of sugar, coffee, noodles, sardines, 2 kilos of rice, 2 kilos of corn flour.   

“We hand out our relief packs to evacuees staying with relatives in remote areas of Balo-i,” he said.   

Amer further expressed that as long as they receive donations, they will continue extending relief good to the evacuees.   

To date, the Sulog family has distributed 1,989 relief packs in six barangays in Balo-i.   

“Every individual has the capacity to help others, you don’t have to be rich or poor, old or young, man or woman, you just have to feel in your heart the misery of others and aim to help without any desire of reward or praises from the public and the Almighty Creator will do the unexpected,” Abner said. (APB/PIA-10) 

0

Caring haven for displaced women with infant, children

A group of mothers advocating for breastfeeding and baby-wearing has set-up a mother-baby friendly space in Buru-un evacuation center to respond to the needs of mothers and infants affected by the on-going crisis in Marawi City.

Nadine Casino, founder of Modern Nanays of Mindanao (MNM), said the space aims to provide an enabling environment for displaced mothers to nurture their infants and children.

Dubbed Women with Infant and Children (WIC) Care Space, the common area is designed to be a safe haven for mothers with infants and a space where mothers can help each other and rebuild strength.

The WIC also has a community kitchen where the mothers can cook nutritious foods.

Instead of mothers falling in line for food, the supplies are brought to them at the WIC saving them time for breastfeeding and child care.

NMN volunteers also hold counseling at the WIC to educate mothers on the advantages of breastfeeding and the ideal infant and young child feeding practices.

The NMN partnered with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Humanitarian and Emergency Action Response Team (ARMM-HEART), Iligan Breastfriend Club, and Moropreneur Incorporated in the setting-up of WIC.

Aside from the WIC, MNM also distributed care packs wrapped in a malong. A malong care pack contains diapers, baby wipes and infant dress, as well as sanitary items like alcohol, face towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and sanitary pads.

Casino said they used malong because it can serve many uses like a baby-carrier.

Out of the 300 malong care packs prepared by MNM, 78 were distributed in Buru-un evacuation center.

Tarhata Mustari with her two-weeks old baby, is one of the recipients, expressed appreciation for the support she received. “Maraming salamat sa lahat ng tulong at sana huwag po kayong magsawa sa pagtulong at pagsuporta sa amin,” she said.

Tarhata said she also learned the importance of breastmilk and how she can protect her baby from diseases.

NMN plans to establish a WIC in all evacuation centers. (APB/PIA-10)

0