MANILA – Vice President Leni Robredo rallied Filipinos on Monday to show a “united front” amid the continuing crisis in Marawi City. Rather than find fault, Robredo said the people should stand together behind the government to defeat the threat of terrorism.
The Vice President visited on Monday the Balo-I evacuation site in Lanao del Norte, where some of the families displaced by the fighting have sought refuge.
“Ako, gusto kong maniwala na lahat ginagawa [I’d like to believe everything is being done to end this crisis],” she said when asked for her assessment of the military’s handling of the Marawi crisis.
“Mahirap kasi ngayon na wala tayong united front. Dapat more than at any other time sa ating bansa, ngayon dapat tayong magpakita na nagkakaisa tayo. Kaya iyong lahat ng puwedeng ma-contribute ng bawat isa sa atin, dapat ibigay [It’s hard if we’re not united. More than at any other time, we need to close ranks. Anything that anyone of us can do or give, we should do so],” she added.
She said the government “is not perfect,” but stressed that all Filipinos must come together to help.
“Pagtulungan natin lahat. Iyong sa atin, lahat tayo may responsibilidad na makipagtulungan, rather than criticize tayo nang mag-criticize, magtulungan na lang tayo kasi maraming pangangailangang talagang kailangan sagutin,” she added.
Visiting in Balo-i, Lanao Norte, Robredo thanked the private institutions providing help to the evacuees, but said that more needs to be done. She said the question that lingers among the families was when they can return to their homes. She also said that a number of children, when asked about their greatest fear, wrote that it was martial law.
“I think the government has been doing everything that it can. We can only hope that this will end soon, because that is the question that all the evacuees have been asking us: “When can we go back to Marawi? When can we go back to our respective homes?” It is a question that we cannot answer definitely,” she said.
She added, “Halimbawa, iyong mga bata dito, pinasulat yung greatest fears sa kanila. Marami sa kanila na iyong greatest fear nila martial law. Marami sa kanila na greatest fear nila iyong hindi nila makita iyong mga mahal nila sa buhay. Kaya ito iyong dapat mag-exert tayo ng more effort, na iyong naiwan pa sa loob, sana ma-reunite na sa mga pamilya nila.”
Temporary learning centers
Among the displaced families pleased by Robredo’s visit were parents of children whose schooling had been disrupted, and were looking forward to the temporary learning centers she endorsed.
One of them, a 30-year-old mother named Apipah Galman, said she was pleased by Robredo’s announcement that temporary learning centers for child evacuees are being set up.
Apipah’s family is staying at the Al Markazie Islamic Institute in Balo-i.
“Temporary learning centers will be set up so that children in evacuation centers can resume schooling,” Robredo said. “There are children here who cannot resume classes because they don’t have supplies yet, so we’re telling them, ‘we’ll send you what you need as long as you study again.'”
Apipah had taken pains to bring along some of her children’s school supplies even when they were rushing to flee the Maute Group’s rampage in Marawi. “Para ma-ano sila sa pag basa, hindi nila makalimutan. Kahit na konti lang. Kasi wala na school dun. Mahirap na [So the children can continue reading and won’t forget their lessons.].”
It’s important for the children to be able to continue schooling, said Apipah, as she does not want them to end up like her, a dropout.
“It’s important for a child to study. If a child continues schooling, he can survive even when the mother is gone,” said Apipah, speaking in Filipino. She dreams of having a child who’s an engineer or doctor.
Weavers visited
Robredo, meanwhile, also visited the Dayawan weavers among the evacuees in Barangay Tubod, Iligan City..
One of them wept when the vice president sat beside her. At least 20 weavers were forced to evacuate from an apartment building in Marawi.
Robredo’s office has long been helping the community of Dayawan weavers, in order to preserve the “phagoal” — a traditional form of weaving a malong.
Weaver Umreema Mohammad said her sewing machine was the third time the OVP had helped them since they fled to Iligan. They had also received free check up, free medicine, and hygiene kit.
Robredo also visited the NDRRMC headquarters and the DOH operations center to consult with local officials and heads of agencies.
Before returning to Manila, she had a dialogue with the Bangsamoro Women and Mindanao Alliance for Reforms and Empowerment (MARE).
Alagang Kapatid
The Alagang Kapatid Foundation also made the rounds of several evacuation centers, where relief packs were given out by a team led by News5 anchor Cheryl Cosim.
The packs given out at the Saguiaran evacuation center contained rice, tuna, sardines and monggo.
Some 80 families in Barangay Bito Buado Itowa evacuation center received food packs, water, hygiene kits and blankets.
Menchie Silvestre, executive director of the Alagang Kapatid Foundation, said the outreach was spearheaded by the MVP CSR Council, which counts the One Meralco Foundation, PLDT-SMART Foundation, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Philex Foundation, Maynilad and and the donors of the Alagang Kapatid Foundation.
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