DPWH converts Western Mindanao office into evacuation center

Department of Public Works and Highways

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has converted its Western Mindanao regional office in Zamboanga City into a temporary shelter for city residents fleeing the conflict between Moro National Liberation Front fighters and government forces.

This was disclosed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday by Elizabeth Pilorin, chief of the DPWH Public Information Division, who said “as of 10 a.m. today, at least 238 persons are taking shelter at the makeshift evacuation center at the DPWH Region 9 office in Zamboanga City.”

“Last Friday, there were only 136 evacuees at the DPWH compound,” she said.

Citing a report of DPWH regional director Jorge Sebastian, Pilorin also said “about half of the evacuees are employees of the department.”

“The evacuees are mostly residents of barangays [villages] Sta. Catalina, Sta. Barbara, Talon Talon, Kabatangan, and Hadjiril Madan Mariki,” Pilorin also said.

The department “has been providing the evacuees cooked food, toiletries and other relief items since last Friday.”

“Some of the agency’s employees are running the evacuation center,” according to Pilorin.

The regional office, which sits on a one-hectare government property in Barangay Tumbaga, is about five kilometers away from the conflict area.

Last weekend, an undisclosed number of suspected MNLF “snipers” tried to enter the DPWH compound. However, they were blocked by soldiers manning the area.

At least one of the secessionist rebels was arrested by government troops, said a DPWH Region 9 report to the department’s head office in Manila.