Church taps dioceses around PH to help Marawi evacuees

SAFE HAVEN People displaced by the fighting in Marawi City are safe at Gomampong D. Ali Cultural Center in Baloi town in nearby Lanao del Norte province, but they need more food, water, kitchen utensils and sleeping kits. —CAI PANLILIO

The Catholic Church’s social action arm has appealed to its dioceses nationwide to help those displaced by clashes between government troops and the Maute terror group in Marawi City.

The National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa) has urged the faithful to assist the families who have been fleeing the fighting in Marawi, Lanao del Sur province, since last week.

Archbishop Rolando Tirona, Nassa national director, made the appeal in a letter sent to Catholic bishops and social action directors of the country’s 85 dioceses.

“Caritas Philippines is now appealing to your generosity for any assistance to augment the needs of the internally displaced persons affected by the Marawi siege,” he said.

The Church’s social action arm initially released P300,000 to support the relief operations of the Diocese of Iligan’s social action center, which was aiding the residents of Marawi.

Other dioceses in Mindanao have also begun helping the Prelature of Marawi in assisting families now staying in nearby towns and cities.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) estimated that some 60,000 residents were displaced by the fighting in Marawi, with most of them staying with relatives and friends instead of going to government shelters.

As of Monday, the DSWD said 59,665 people or 12,509 families from 26 villages in Marawi and in neighboring towns of Lanao del Sur  were in the homes of relatives and friends.

Only 4,278 persons or 1,018 families are in 14 evacuation centers set up in Lanao del Sur and neighboring Lanao del Norte province.

So far, the DSWD has provided P1.2 million worth of relief goods mainly to affected families staying in evacuation centers.

Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said DSWD field personnel on Sunday started distributing food packs to displaced residents temporarily staying in 10 villages in Iligan City.

Taguiwalo urged those displaced by the conflict to register with barangay officials so they could be assisted.

Donations welcome

She said government relief supplies were enough, but she welcomed donations of food and essential items such as hygiene kits, blankets and mats, and garments.

“We want to make clear that the DSWD is currently not asking for donations for Marawi, but we will gladly accept all financial help for Filipinos affected by the military operations,” Taguiwalo said.

Nassa will deploy an assessment team to Mindanao this week to determine the aid needed for the families. Donations to the Catholic Church-led relief operations may be deposited through the Bank of the Philippine Islands, Intramuros Branch, under the account name CBCP Caritas Filipinas Foundation Inc. NASSA (Account No.  4951-0071-08).

Other provinces

In Ilocos Norte province, the local chapter of National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL) is hosting a benefit gala on June 20 at Plaza del Norte in Laoag City to raise money for families who were forced to flee Marawi City.

Laoag Councilor Roque Ablan said other NMYL chapters had also set up drop points in other towns and provinces for relief donations for evacuees.

“Any support will be highly appreciated by us and the evacuees [to whom we provide service.] We are obviously searching for multiple donations of items from different stores and merchants, but, if you are only able to donate one item, it will still make a huge difference,” Ablan said.

He said donors could course their donations through the Ablan house or the councilor’s office at Laoag City Hall.

A group of photographers led by Laguna province-based Alex Baluyut went to Iligan City to feed evacuees from Marawi.

Baluyut said Art Relief Mobile Kitchen (ARMK), a group that he established in 2013, would be serving hot meals to residents seeking shelter in a madrasah in Barangay Tubod and at Moneera Integrated School in Iligan City.

Matet Noble of Mindanao People’s Peace Movement said they prepared 350 packs of local food to give something “close to home” to evacuees on Monday.

Baluyut said they used ARMK funds to buy halal kitchen utensils, or those that haven’t been used to cook pork.

The group, he said, would welcome donations to sustain the feeding program this week.

Hostages

Meanwhile, Archbishop Tirona said there were no updates yet on the situation of

Fr. Teresito “Chito” Suganob and 15 others who were taken hostage by the Maute group.

Suganob, vicar general of the Prelature of Marawi, and several others were abducted last week from  St. Mary’s Cathedral in Marawi.

San Jose (Nueva Ecija) Bishop Roberto Mallari shared this Facebook message from Marawi Bishop Edwin de la Peña on Monday: “I could hardly sleep at night just thinking about the hostages, my very own people. I have kept vigil for them, spoken about them through the many media networks that asked me for interviews.”

“I asked my friends in the Bishops-Ulama Conference for help. I got assurances of help but because of the situation they couldn’t get through. The hostages are left on their own and in the mercy of God … Our faith in God is unshakable. We continue to pray for them and their families as we wait patiently for the day of their liberation,” De la Peña’s post said.  —WITH REPORTS FROM LEILANIE ADFRIANO, TONETTE OREJAS AND MARICAR CINCO