Muslims defy poverty, give cash, goods for survivors

COTABATO CITY—Poverty did not deter Maranao Muslims in Marawi City to pitch in for a campaign to raise funds for victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in the Visayas.

Marawi City is part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which is always on top of the list of the country’s poorest regions.

While the fund drive might not have raised millions of pesos like other fund-raising activities elsewhere had, the amount that it was able to raise and the willingness of some of the poorest people in the country to donate showed that generosity comes not only from the rich, said Samira Gutoc, a Maranao civic leader.

“Imagine the drive gathering almost P100,000 in nine days, which we could already use to buy rice, Maggi (instant noodles) and tuna to be delivered to Visayas,” she said.

Touching

Gutoc, also former lawmaker of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said it was “very touching to see people from all levels of life share whatever they have for the typhoon victims.”

“Each one, they contributed, like passing the hat for someone in need,” said Gutoc.

“They came together in the spirit of oneness with the pain of Visayas calamity victims. Every mother or son, classmate or friend, teacher and student, tricycle driver or school superintendent personally passed by a drop-off point for Oplan Tabang Visayas,” Gutoc said in a statement.

Those who did not have cash, she said, handed over clothes and other basic necessities.

Volunteers also laid down prayer mats around the Marawi City public market to solicit contributions while others urged residents to pack their used clothes or excess food and send them to the typhoon victims.

“Bayanihan and the Islamic value of charity also manifested in this endeavor,” Gutoc said.

More goods

As this developed, ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman announced that a 10-vehicle convoy of food and nonfood items have left for Yolanda-devastated areas from this city on Tuesday.

“This is the second batch of the region’s relief mission to

areas badly hit by super storm Yolanda that left untold suffering, casualties, displaced and wrecked lives in areas where victims are mostly suffering from hunger and are without shelter,” Hataman said.

Last week, the ARMM government also sent a medical and relief team, led by Regional Health Secretary Kadil Sinolinding Jr.

Amir Mawallil, regional public information director, said at least five trucks had been loaded with various relief goods that include 3,500 food packs containing five kilograms of rice, sardines, corned beef, bottled water, noodles and coffee.

ARMM Social Welfare Secretary Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman Jr. said they also brought along 2,000 pairs of slippers, 4,600 boxes containing dried fish, water jugs, folding beds and flashlights. Edwin Fernandez and Charlie Señase, Inquirer Mindanao