Marawi folk barter relief for fresh food

ILIGAN CITY—Marawi resident Melanie Racmak and her family will likely not go hungry even if they stay longer at the evacuation center here where they sought refuge on May 24.

“We do not have any problem when it comes to food. We have plenty of food. We’re literally flooded with food,” said the 41-year-old mother as she cuddled her 2-month-old daughter.

She said “my only problem is money because my children also have other needs, like clothes and slippers. And fresh food.”

Since she and her family fled Marawi and arrived at the evacuation center in Barangay Maria Cristina here on May 24, she and her family have been eating nothing but rice, sardines and noodles.

“Our sleeping area has become smaller because of the rations that arrived recently. My children are well too,” Melanie said, grateful for the help she has received over the past 25 days.

But 49-year-old ice cream vendor Ansari Minor found necessity to truly be the mother of invention or, in this case, innovation.

“For me, I’ve had enough of sardines and noodles,” said Minor who used to sell ice cream in Moncado Kadingilan in Marawi before the troubles.

He said he was very grateful for the help he and his fellow evacuees have been getting, but the food had become very monotonous for him and the 1,149 others at the shelter.

“I don’t have money so I can’t buy fresh fish or chicken or beef so I’ve learned to trade with vendors selling vegetables and other fresh food stuff outside the gym,” he said.

Minor said he and his fellow evacuees learned to trade relief goods for vegetables so they and their families can get the proper nutrition.

Vegetable vendor Remedios Generalao said she doesn’t barter sardines and noodles but would give her produce on credit.

“It’s OK with other vendors [but] I just don’t eat sardines and noodles so I can’t accept those items,” she said.

“It’s really difficult if you just rely on the ration,” she said.

Volunteers manning the Maria Cristina gymnasium evacuation center said they were aware of the ongoing barter trade but simply looked the other way.

“What’s prohibited is the selling of the rations that they get,” said one volunteer who asked not to be identified. “They won’t get the proper nutrition they need from just sardines and noodles.”