S’BANG KA MARAWI Stories from Ranao
September 2018 Vol. 1 No. 2
Maranao mothers get back on their feet MIKHAELA DIMPAS
MARAWI CITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CENTER of trade for the province of Lanao del Sur and other neighboring areas. The Marawi Conflict, however, has dulled down the vibrance of the local merchants and businesses. The longest urban conflict has primarily resulted to lost livelihoods, which meant that people’s access to immediate needs such as food is cut down. A year since the firefight has ended, the lives of the internallydisplaced persons (IDPs) remain marred with issues on civil registration, shelter, sanitation, and damages to property. The mothers of Marawi, however, are now starting to get back on their feet. Losing livelihoods Losing their means to live is never easy, especially for Monera Candidato who has 13 children who she needs to feed, dress, and send to school. She used to have a small sari-sari store in Saduc
Proper in Marawi City while her husband worked as a tricycle driver in the area. Life before wasn’t easy, but they didn’t expect that it would get harder. She and her family survived on relief assistance for more than a year. “We lost everything in the war. I left my store and my husband left his tricycle. As much as we want to start another business here, we can’t because we don’t have the money for capital,” Candidato said. This changed when she received her own Inclusive and Affordable Financial Facilities for Resilient and Developed Filipinos (iAFFORD) Card. A total of 15, 000 IDPs received their cards from Financial Inclusion for Recovery of Marawi (FIRM) Project and 10,000 of them were then selected based on specific vulnerability criteria and became part of the targeted cash transfer program. Rise for their families When Candidato received the first cash grant, she immediately used it to start a business, provide a better
quality of life for her family, and ensure that her children continue their schooling. She acquired firewood from her husband’s brother with the P1,000 (25.90 AUD) she received. Candidato sells this firewood to her fellow IDPs in the Al Markazie Evacuation Center in Balo-i, Lanao del Sur. After all, they also have families to keep warm and prepare food for. “If my child doesn’t have milk anymore or if my child needs fare to go to school, I sell firewood. Without the money I used for capital, we won’t have anything to sell and we won’t have anything to sustain us,” she said. In the same evacuation center, Rakima Edris shared that she has started to appreciate the importance of saving money, especially after what happened after the Marawi Conflict. Edris used to be a fruit and fish vendor in Banggolo, Marawi City, while her husband worked as a construction CONTINUE TO PAGE 3
2 NEWS
S’BANG KA MARAWI
SEPTEMBER 2018 VOL. 1 NO. 2
NEWS BRIEF
DSWD relief ops budget questionable CHRIXY PAGUIRIGAN
Muling nabisita ni Samsodin Gariasa at ng kanyang pamilya ang negosyo nila sa Marawi. Mula sa guhong nadatnan, hinuhukay nila ang kahit anong kagamitan na maaari pang maisalba. | Photo by Brenda Grifon
Kambisita 2 muling ilulunsad para sa mga bakwit BRENDA GRIFON NANG UNANG MAKABALIK ANG BAKWIT NA SI Samsodin Gariasa sa Ground Zero, panlulumo at hinanakit ang unang sumalubong sa kanya, matapos madatnan ang pinsala ng kanyang kabuhayan. Isa lamang si Gariasa at ang kanyang mag-anak sa libu-libong pamilyang bumisita sa kanilang tahanan at negosyo sa ilalim ng programang ‘Kambisita.’ Pero tulad ng maraming bakwit, kawalan o piraso lamang ng ariarian ang kanilang naisalba. “Unang pagpasok ko dito, noong makita ko, napaiyak na talaga ako. Kasi doon ko na-confirm na wala na talaga,” sabi ni Gariasa habang nagubungkal sa gumuhong gusali na kinatatayuan niya. Inilarawan ng 34-anyos na negosyante ang huling alaala niya sa kanyang hanap-buhay bago magsimula ang Marawi conflict noong May 23, 2017, higit isang taon na rin ang nakalipas. “Napakaganda dati ng street na ito. Napakabibo, ang daming tao, bilihan, bentahan. Ito, shopping mall ito eh. Puro hilera ito ng gold at mga cellphone. Maganda ang buhay namin sa Marawi nung hindi pa ito nangyari,” aniya. Dalawang tindahan ng gold ang dating pag-aari ni Gariasa sa Shopping Mall. Sa tantiya niya, mahigit limang
milyong piso ang nawala sa kanya. “Nanlulumo ako, hindi ko alam kung ano ‘yung gagawin ko. Back to zero na kami,” dagdag pa niya habang maluha-luhang pinagmamasdan ang danyos sa paligid niya. Muling sisimulan ang ikalawang yugto ng ‘Kambisita’ ngayong Setyembre, upang mabisita ng mga Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) ang kanilang mga tirahan at isalba ang mga natitira nilang kagamitan. Pagkakataon rin ito para linawin ang mga nasasakupang lupa na teritoryo nila. Ang Kambisita ay proyekto ng Marawi City local government unit at ng Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) para sa mga bakwit na mula sa 24 barangays ng Most Affected Areas (MAA) sa Marawi City. Ayon sa TFBM, ang proyektong ito ay kinakailangan din para sa post conflict needs assessment-damages and losses assessment (PCNA-DALA) and human recovery needs assessment (HRNA) ng Marawi City. Una nang inilunsad ang Kambisita noong Abril at Mayo nitong taon at mahigit 77,000 IDPs na ang muling nakapunta sa kanilang lugar mula nang magsimula ang higit limang buwang giyera sa Marawi.
THE PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE Journalism (PCIJ) probed the spending of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 12 for the relief operations in Marawi City since 2017. PCIJ found that the DSWD Field Office Region XII (DSWD-FO XII) favored three notable contractors in delivering relief goods and other interventions for people affected by the Marawi Conflict. Their findings showed that 13 of the 14 supply contracts were with Tacurong Fitmart, Ororama Supercenter, and Ace Centerpoint. The same study showed that the financial capacity of these malls and stored chains may not have been able to pull off such projects. “The big mystery is why DSWD-FO XII awarded contracts in the hundreds of millions of pesos to malls and store chains with medium-size assets and little or limited financing capacity,” PCIJ said. These three establishments were also significantly far from Marawi City and the negotiations cost a total of P1.09 B alone in government supply contracts variably for delivery of hygiene kits, family kits, kitchen kits, food packs, and groceries. The DSWD recently issued a clarification that those non-food items include Kitchen Kit, Hygiene Kit; Sleeping Kit; Family Kit; and collapsible water carrier and purifying tablet for more than 78K families affected by the conflict. DSWD 12 Regional Director Bai Zorahayda Taha assured that the 78,000 families have received these goods and services. “The goods and services procured have been delivered in schedule with only minimal delay, if any, those not delivered were designed to be so,” Taha explained. The DSWD affirmed the efforts of PCIJ for doing their task as watchdogs but did not offer further explanation as to why they favored the three supply contractors mentioned above.
NEWS BRIEF
Marawi kickstarted Peace Month 2018 MIKHAELA DIMPAS STAKEHOLDERS, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) vowed to strengthen peace-building efforts in Marawi City during the launching of the National Peace Consciousness Month on Sept. 6 at the Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol. “We are trying to highlight or work for peace and also to honor our stakeholders. But, peace consciousness should not only be practiced this month. It should be a daily work,” OPAPP Secretary Jesus Dureza said.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the implementation of the Social Healing and Peace Building Program was signed by OPAPP in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Marawi City Local Government. The parties agreed to implement the program based on the shared vision of the “Marawi Tomorrow” as the uniting factor for reconstruction and rehabilitation. The program also recognized the need to address the emotional and psychological damages of the Marawi Conflict, to highlight the role of Islam and Maranaw traditional values, and to establish a platform for people’s participation on recovery. OPAPP also highlighted the need for accountability CONTINUE TO PAGE 3
OPAPP, INGOs, CSOs and stakeholders signed for humanitarian peace partnership agreement and implementation of social healing and peace building program to help rebuild Marawi City and other conflict affected communities within the country. | Photo by Lady Jean Kabagani/PIA ICCC
3 NEWS S’BANG KA MARAWI “Islamic Finance” isinusulong para sa rehabilitasyon ng Marawi SEPTEMBER 2018 VOL. 1 NO. 2
HANNAH NERA NAGPAHAYAG ANG IBA’T IBANG PRIBADO AT pampublikong grupo ng suporta sa pagsulong ng Islamic Finance bilang isa sa mga pangunahing paraan para sa rehabilitasyon ng Marawi. Ang Islamic Finance ay isang sistemang pampinansyal na pinapatakbo ayon sa batas at patakaran ng Islam o Shari’ah. Tampok sa sistemang ito ang mga bangko, investment groups, at insurance companies. Bilang pagpapalawak sa kamalayan ukol dito, isang public forum ang isinagawa ng Oxfam sa Pilipinas, People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network (PDRRN), Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Legal Services, (IDEALS) Inc. at Al-Mujadillah Development Foundation (AMDF) noong ika-24 ng Mayo 2018. Ayon kay Maharlika Alonto, isang iskolar ng Islamic Finance at pangunahing tagapagsalita sa forum, maaaring ikategorya ang Islamic Law bilang ibadat (mga kaugaliang ipinagbabawal ng Shari’ah) at muamalat (mga kaugalian o transaksyong ipinahihintulot sa batas ng Islam). Ipinaliwanag ni Alonto na ang pagsasagawa ng Islamic Finance ay may layuning iwasan ang haram o puhunan mula sa mga illegal na gawain tulad ng sugal at illegal na droga. Isa rin daw itong epektibong paraan upang mahikayat ang mga Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) na mamuhunan sa mga Islamic banks tulad ng Al Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines (AAIIB), ang nag-iisang Islamic Bank sa bansa. Bukod sa pribadong sector, iginiit din ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno tulad ng Mindanao Development Authority FROM PAGE 1 MARANAO MOTHERS...
Since the Marawi Conflict and since losing her husband to a fatal road crash, Rakima Edris from Saduc Proper, Marawi City has been selling women’s pajamas, clothes, and make-up to provide for her three children. / Photo by May Anne Caduyac
worker in the area. However, since the crisis broke out and since losing her husband to a fatal road crash, she needed to rise and stand as both a mother and father to her three children. Changing practices Now, Edris has started a small retail business through selling women’s clothing such as pajamas, shirts, and even make-up. She uses a portion of her profit to buy products to sell and another portion goes to her personal savings and repayment of debt. Edris has lost all her savings in the wake of the crisis and when her husband was hospitalized because of the road crash, she was left with no choice but to borrow
Tinatalakay ni Ricky Senoc ng People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network (PDRRN) ang ilang mga gamit at benepisyo ng pagkakaroon ng iAFFORD Card at kung paano ito naaayon sa mga prinsipyo ng Islamic Financing. | Photo by Mikhaela Dimpas
(MinDA) na pag-aralan ang gamit at benepisyo ng Sukuk, isang konsepto ng Islamic Finance, sa pagpondo ng mga malaking proyekto sa Mindanao. Ibinahagi rin ni Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III ang mahalagang kontribusyon ng Amanah Bank sa pagtulong sa mga IDPs sa pamamagitan ng pagbigay ng serbisyong pinasyal o micro-financing na Shari’ah compliant. Bagama’t simula pa lamang, nakikita na ang malaking potensyal nito sa pagtulong sa pagbangon ng Marawi
dahil na rin sa malaking suporta ng iba’t-ibang grupo sa usaping ito. Ayon kay Aleem Anwar Radiamoda, Direktor ng King Faisal Center for Islamic, Arabic, and Asian Studies ng Mindanao State University (MSU-KFCIAAS), plano ng MSU na magtatag ng mga kurso sa Islamic Economics kung saan kabilang ang pagtuturo ng Islamic Finance. Naniniwala silang isa ito sa mga paraan upang mapalaganap ang kaalaman sa Islamic Finance at untiunting maisagawa ng mga mamamayan ng Marawi.
money from other people. “I am more inspired now to save money because I know that my savings are secured. Instead of putting my money under my pillow, I can deposit it in my iAFFORD Card and I will be able to sleep more soundly,” she said. Culturally, Muslims would follow different set of practices when it comes to their finances. Islamic banking adheres to Shariah Doctrine where it prohibits charging and earning interests from their savings and employs a risk-sharing principles. This makes almost 93 per cent of cities and municipalities in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) unbanked, including Marawi City. They instead practice lugi or keeping their savings in a hidden part of their house. The sentiments of Candidato and Edris are just a few of the thousands of women and mothers whose lives have been drastically changed because of the crisis, but theirs are the hands that would help in the recovery and rebuilding of a more resilient Marawi. “What happened to us served as a difficult lesson. We lost everything there and nothing of value remained. I lost my husband too. But now, I have the means to stand up again,” Edris said. More than rebuilding lives, the new beginnings of the people of Marawi must also be built on empowerment, inclusion, and resilience.
NOTE: This article was originally written for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Australian as a case study for the Financial Inclusion for Recovery of Marawi Project (FIRM). FIRM is a targeted cash transfer program to 10,000 most vulnerable IDPs from Marawi City to help access basic needs and restore or diversify livelihood.
ANONG ISTORYA MO? We are looking for contributors for the third issue of the S’bang Ka Marawi Newsletter this October 2018. You may submit news, features, photos, or opinion pieces and get paid for every published material. Contact Keilah at 0917 579 0667 for more details or send a Facebook Message to S’bang Ka Marawi.
4 NEWS
S’BANG KA MARAWI
SEPTEMBER 2018 VOL. 1 NO. 2
A YEAR AFTER THE CRISIS
FROM PAGE 2 MARAWI KICKSTARTED...
IDPs fret over slow rehab
mechanisms in implementing the program. Nongovernment organizations, local civil society organizations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), academe, and international development partners will be contributing to monitor the program’s implementation. UNDP-Philippines Country Director Titan Mitra admired the strength of the Maranao Community and reminded the audience that more needs to be addressed in the wake of the conflict. “I think it’s very easy when you sit in Manila, in a highrise in Makati, that you really tend to forget and neglect what had happened here in Marawi. The destruction of houses, livelihoods, the thousands of families who have been displaced, the schools and health centers that are unable to fully function,” Mitra said. The theme of this year’s Peace Month is “Mithiing Kapayapaan: Sama-samang Isakatuparan” it calls for a unified action towards just, comprehensive, and enduring peace despite the differences in religion and culture.
LUISA CARLA GALICIA MORE THAN A YEAR HAS PASSED SINCE THE MARAWI Conflict but anxiety still grows as the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) await their return to their homes. Johary Lumna, one of the IDP leaders from the Sowara o Miyamagoyag or Voices of Marawi, said that government’s efforts in rebuilding their war-torn city felt like it was sketched from words alone. “Wala pa rin, ang tagal na, it should have started already,” Lumna said. According to him, the supposed ground breaking was stalled because too much time has been spent to consultations with various groups. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 353,921 families were displaced at the height of the Marawi siege. These include families from Marawi City and nearby towns. The Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) recently began its negotiations with a Chinese state-owned enterprise, Power Construction Corporation of China Ltd. (PowerChina) which was newly registered as a “domestic firm” PowerChina Corporation of the Philippines (PCPC). For Lumna, who has 6 family members to take care of, it has been a constant struggle to look for a stable source of livelihood that can provide for the needs of his family. Despite this, he was still hopeful for the healing and recovery of the people. “The resiliency of the people is obvious. They are finding ways to sustain their needs,” he added. During the National Conversation, representatives from Sowara o Miyamagoyag “Voices of Marawi” called for a comprehensive and people-centered relief efforts and rehabilitation plan in Marawi. The National Conversation is an activity held last April initiated by the People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network
and the Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) in partnership with Marawi-based civil society organizations (CSOs) and people’s organizations that aims to amplify the voices of Marawi to a national scale. Datu Meno Manabilang, leader of the group, presented their 6-point recommendation plan which demands (1) dignified support and assistance program and access to employment, (2) shelter units to Marawi IDPs and prioritize the most vulnerable, (3) support to livelihood recovery program and access to employment, (4) peace enabling sustainable rehabilitation and ensure transparency, accountability, just and honest implementation of the project as planned, (5) just reparation and compensation of damages, and (6) recognition of ancestral land ownership of the Maranao and enable peaceful resolution of land dispute. In behalf of the Task Force Bangon Marawi Secretariat, Asec Tolentino acknowledged the need for platforms to voice out the needs of IDPs, such as the National Conversation. He added that this activity was a stepping stone in strengthening local mobilization within Marawi. Assistant Secretary Felix Castro Jr., Field Office Manager of TFBM also supported partnerships with organizations who were willing to help. “Makipag-ugnayan sana sila sa amin para maguide namin sila sa mga interventions na kailangan ng beneficiary, para alam din nila kung sino ang dapat tulungan at ano ang dapat itulong base sa aming category,” he said. According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), at least 64,364 displaced families have returned to the city as of July 2018.
MGA MUKHA NG PAGBANGON
MULING PAGBANGON. Isa si Alican Hassan, IDP mula sa Al-Markazie Evacuation, sa nakatanggap ng iAFFORD Card mula sa Financial Inclusion for Recovery of Marawi Project. Ginamit ni Hassan ang pera na laman ng card upang makapagsimula ng maliit na sari-sari store at makabili ng mga relo na kanyang ibinebenta. Ayon sa kanya, malaki ang tulong ng FIRM upang muli silang makabangon ng kanyang pamilya. | Photo by Mikhaela Dimpas
MAA clearing ops to end in September BRENDA GRIFON THE GOVERNMENT EYED THE COMPLETION OF clearing operations by the end of September, according to the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM). Assistant Secretary Felix Castro Jr., Field Office Manager of TFBM assured that the rehabilitation plan was still on track despite some slowdown. “May kaunting delay sa simula, pero maghahabol tayo para maabot natin ang target date ng completion ng rehab by the 1st quarter of 2022,” Castro said in a phone interview. He also claimed that disputes in land and title ownership somehow delayed the plans for rehabilitation of the Most Affected Area (MAA) in Marawi City. Settling the land ownership has become one of the greatest challenges in the reconstruction of the city since most IDPs do not have official land titles while some overlap with others’ properties. Moreover, the local maps of the government was not reliable. To help resolve the land disputes, the government set up the Land Resource Management Committee (LRMC) while the Marawi City government organized the local Land Dispute Arbitration Committee (LDAC). As of the moment, the task force is still revving up initial interventions on ground including relocation of over Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that were still in evacuation centers. “Ang tantiya naming before this year ends, enough na ang mga temporary shelters para mailipat na ang mga IDPs sa temporary shelters,” Castro said. According to the post-conflict initial assessment, the Marawi conflict has ravaged the 250- hectare city and at P49.8 billion is needed for rehabilitation work. Through consistent workshops and seminar with CONTINUE TO PAGE 5
5 NEWS
S’BANG KA MARAWI
SEPTEMBER 2018 VOL. 1 NO. 2
Higit isang libong IDPs nakatanggap ng tulong pinansyal mula sa FIRM HANNAH NERA
Masaya ang isang IDP nang kanyang matanggap ang iAFFORD Card noong nakaraang distribusyon sa Bubong, Lanao Del Sur. Ayon sa kanya, gagamitin niya daw bilang kapital sa maliit na negosyo ang pera na laman ng card at ipambibili ng pangangailangan ng kanyang pamilya. | Photo by Brenda Grifon
MAHIGIT SA ISANG LIBONG INTERNALLY DISPLACED persons (IDPs) ang nabigyan ng bagong tyansa na makapagtayo muli ng kanilang mga nasirang kabuhayan at makabili ng mga pangunahing pangangailangan ng kanilang pamilya sa tulong ng Financial Inclusion for Recovery of Marawi (FIRM) Project. Ang proyekto ay namigay ng Inclusive and Affordable Financial Facilities for Resilient and Developed Filipinos (iAFFORD) prepaid card at tinuruan ang mga IDPs sa paggamit ng digital financial services na kalangkap nito. Pinamunuan ng People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network (PDRRN) ang distribusyon ng iAFFORD cards noong Setyembre 4 hanggang 6 sa Ditsa-an Ramain at Setyember 10 hanggang 12 sa Bubong. 468 na mga benepisyaryo mula sa Ditsa-an Ramain at 643 mula sa Bubong ang nakatanggap ng PHP 2000 cash-for-food assistance mula sa FIRM kung saan 65 na porsyento ay mula sa mga kababaihan samantalang 35 na porsyento ang lalaki. Ang pangkalahatang layunin ng proyektong FIRM ay makatulong sa mga internally displaced persons (IDPs) na makatungon sa kanilang batayang pangangailangan sa pagkain, kalusugan, kabuhayan at proteksyon habang ang IDPs ay bumabalik sa kanilang lugar tirahan. Kabilang sa mga samahang nagtutulungan sa pagpapatupad ng FIRM ay ang Oxfam sa Pilipinas, People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network, Inc (PDRRN), Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services, Inc. (IDEALS), Mindanao State University (MSU), Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation, Inc., PayMaya Philippines at Smart Padala Center mula sa suporta ng United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Upang makapagbigay ng serbisyo sa lahat ay binisita din ng mga kawani ng PDRRN ang ilang mga benepisyaryo na bagong panganak at wala pang sapat na kakayahan upang makadalo sa distribusyon. Ilan din sa mga benepisyaryo mula sa Ditsa-an Ramain ang nakatanggap ng punla sa pagtatanim ng mais at palay mula sa United Nations - Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO), at bigas mula sa United Nations - World Food Programme (UN-WFP). Ito ay kabilang sa Livelihood Convergence Program na kinabibilangan ng mga miyembrong ahensya ng Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) at internation non-government organizations (INGO) kung saan kabilang ang FIRM. Ang FIRM ay inaasahan na makapagbibigay serbisyo sa 10,000 IDPs na lubhang apektado ng Marawi siege at matulungan silang makaahon sa pamamagitan ng iba’t ibang cash assistance tulad ng cash for food, cash for work, cash for care work, at cash for asset recovery. Patuloy din ang pamimigay ng iAFFORD cards sa FIRM Project participants ng Bubong at Marawi City sa mga susunod na linggo.
Binisita ng PDRRN ang ilang mga benepisyaryo ng FIRM na wala pang kakayahan na dumalo sa distribusyon tulad ng isang ina na kailangang magpagaling matapos ipanganak ang kanyang sanggol. | Photo by PDRRN
6 EDITORIAL
S’BANG KA MARAWI
SEPTEMBER 2018 VOL. 1 NO. 2
WRITING OUR COLLECTIVE TRUTH
MARAWI HAS BEEN WHISPERING, IF NOT SILENT, about its struggle to recover more than a year after the siege. In the time of increasing attacks against the media and a growing culture of misinformation and disinformation, the already narrow spaces for the voices of Marawi has grown even narrower. How many of their stories have seen the light of day? A few, if none, and fewer listened. Telling these stories and ensuring that the people are informed are the primary roles of media. The core of being a journalist is in gathering the truths on the ground and ensuring that these truths find their audiences. They are storytellers, they are watchdogs. But the truth of the people from Marawi needs so much more than journalists parachuting on ground. It requires rigorous research, extensive knowledge, and time spent with the community. According to the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), most of the news from Marawi focused on the conduct of war, aid and support for afflicted communities, and Martial Law in Mindanao. News from local media about the siege and rehabilitation, however, was scarce. However, outsiders need not be the only storytellers. A step forward is empowering the locals to be able to tell their stories and speak their own truths. It is understandable that amidst armed conflict and rehabilitation efforts, empowering communicators might not be a priority. However, the
role of participative and sustainable interventions is necessary. By creating a conducive environment for people to convene and establish a local media entity run by Maranaos themselves and disseminated to their own community, press freedom will not only be powerful in helping Marawi recover but for the entire country as well. People will be encouraged to listen if they
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Without resources, it would be difficult to counter misinformation and disinformation, but a community determined to deliver truthful news that represents their collective truth is a step towards victory.
know they are being well-represented, and equal representation means stories emerging from the grassroots level. Local media like S’bang Ka Marawi is paving the way to nourishing local press freedom, but the road to reliving a strong and active journalistic culture in Marawi is a collective effort. Words have the power to attack and defend. In the onset of the firefights in Marawi, there was severe destabilization in all public services. The very channels of information were disrupted and there thrived disinformation and misinformation. These
made rescue operations difficult. With an empowered local media operating during those times, people would have been well informed about where and how to evacuate safely and mass panic and confusion in the middle of constant battles between military and armed groups would have been avoided. An unbent local media correspondence, no matter how small, could have lessened more than a thousand people dead from the siege. A strong local media will empower citizens to act on any issue faced by the community. They will have access not just to general information, but will highlight the very news that are relevant to their needs and sensibilities. Words have the power and words written by people who truly represent their interests will draw the community into action. After all, this is an organization that they helped mold and that they are dutybound to protect. Without resources, it would be difficult to counter misinformation and disinformation, but a community determined to deliver truthful news that represents their collective truth is a step towards victory. The Philippines may be today’s deadliest country for journalists, but freedom thrives amidst struggle. Marawi, in its plight to recover, is under a dire struggle. The city sits on a raw yet passionate pool of local journalists that need to be woken up and be provided with an avenue to air their voices to. Let press freedom thrive and let the people tell their own stories of Marawi rising from the ashes.
6 FEATURES
SEPTEMBER 2018 VOL. 1 NO. 2
The Meranaw Cultural Mapping
S’BANG KA MARAWI
SORHAILA LATIP-YUSOPH
“Panaguntaman para ko kalumbayan…”
these words are the inspiring thoughts that we have to inculcate in our hearts and minds every time we start to feel hopelessness. This statement means, “Striving efforts for the youth of Lanao.” We are indebted to the works of our ancestors in preserving Meranaw culture but we have not preserved it for the next generation. How can this be done now? Culture, the totality consisting of the belief system, core principles and values, worldview, knowledge or accumulated wisdom, skills and practices of a people or community constitutes that people’s identity. It is a distillation of their choices from the vast “arc of possibilities” of what they wish to emphasize, thus a testament to what they value or treasure. Culture defines a people and their place in the world. It is what they are. Meranaw culture now counts among subjects of discourses of endangerment. It is under threat. Intergenerational cultural transmission is practically ill. With what happened to the Marawi properties and structures after the Marawi siege, the Meranaw people who have lived harmoniously with its cultural assets for centuries now have become a past that cannot be reconstructed in just a snap. This tragic phenomenon meant the loss of a wealth of knowledge and accumulated wisdom, arts and crafts, and a people’s (the Meranaws’) originality and creativity which is preserved in the culture. Safeguarding and preserving this irreplaceable treasure hoard, and wresting it from oblivion takes on an urgency that cannot be ignored. This is the reason why the Mindanao State University has prioritized among its projects for 2018 to propose and hopefully implement the cultural mapping of Marawi and its neighboring towns in order to preserve and salvage what is left. Through the insistence of the University President, Dr. Habib Watamama Macaayong, he commissioned the expertise of the Meranaw senior faculty members of the campus, Prof. Sorhaila L. Yusoph, Dr. Rebekah M. Alawi and Dr. Minang Sharief through the efforts of Dr. Fema Abamo, MSU Research director and Dr. Alma E. Berowa, the Vice President for academic Affairs, to conceptualize
S’BANG KA MARAWI EDITORIAL BOARD
and submit a proposal to the senate led by Sen. Loren Legarda to prioritize the cultural mapping of the lost heritage of the Meranaws in the siege. Further, the MSU President issued a Special Order last April 2018 which has paved the way for the cultural researchers of the Mindanao State UniversityMarawi Campus to start its research journey. The program was entitled “Meranaw then and now program for the cultural mapping of t h e Meranaw culture” which included a reconstruction of a Torogan (ancient house) in the campus and the display of minatures and replica of the ancient artifacts. In order for the University to equip its cultural mapping researchers, the program proponent and team leader, Prof. Sorhaila Latip-Yusoph has been sent by the university to the National Commission on Culture and the Arts in Intramuros Manila to train as cultural mapping facilitator. The said training was cascaded in the university-sponsored Research seminar where all members of the mapping team were trained. The said training showed the MSU-Marawi researchers the ways and basics of cultural mapping and preservation. Basics in gathering data for the cultural mapping research were given emphasis especially in describing the artefacts both tangible and intangible ones in the field. Ethics in researching and how to deal with Meranaw respondents were given enlightenment by the speakers in order to safeguard the data to be collected. After the training, the researchers had entry protocol visits which was started last June 21, 2018 at the Marawi
City office of the Mayor, Municipal Mayors’ Offices of Saguiaran and Marantao. In these visits, the team has witnessed the value of preserving one’s culture. They have spoken and arranged schedules with the Mayors of different municipalities in Lanao del Sur to cooperate and play active role in this endeavor. One of the Mayors confirmed that both tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Meranaws are still well observed, practiced and preserved in their community. The challenge now is to preserve them for the next generation. This endeavor, yet to start as soon as the budget is released to the Mindanao State University, will be a legacy to be presented to the next generation of Meranaws and for the people of this country to appreciate the original cultural practices and artefacts of the Meranaw culture. For now, we have exerted all our efforts and we are waiting for the time to start.
Toba diwan so ranon na sarta pibitakan…
IDEALS MEDIA TEAM Mikhaela Dimpas, Brenda Grifon, Hannah Francisca Nera, May Anne Caduyac, Luisa Carla Galicia, Amanda Lingao, Christine Anne Paguirigan CONTRIBUTORS Johary Lumna, Sorhaila Latip-Yusoph PHOTOS Brenda Grifon, May Anne Caduyac, People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network, Lady Jean Kabagani of Philippine Information Agency GRAPHICS Christine Anne Paguirigan, Mikhaela Dimpas LAYOUT Mikhaela Dimpas
8 OPINION / NEWS
S’BANG KA MARAWI
SEPTEMBER 2018 VOL. 1 NO. 2
Mahigit 3,000 estudyante sa Marawi makatatanggap ng libreng ID MIKHAELA DIMPAS TINATAYANG 3,000 NA ESTUDYANTE MULA SA 10 national high schools sa Marawi City ang makatatanggap ng libreng school IDs mula sa isang non-government organization. Upang mabigyan ng sariling legal identification ang mga kabataan, magbibigay ang Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Services (IDEALS) Inc., sa tulong ng Department of Education ng Marawi City, ng mga school IDs sa mga estudyante mula Grade 1 hanggang Senior High School. “Nakita ng organisasyon namin kung gaano kahalaga ang pagkakaroon ng legal identity, lalo na sa panahon ng mga krisis at kalamidad,” ani May Anne Caduyac, local coordinator ng IDEALS, Inc. Ang IDEALS, Inc. ay isang legal-focused na nongovernment organization. Kabilang sa kanilang proyekto
Isa si Janifa Jamel sa mga estudyante ng Lanao Lake National High School na nakatanggap ng libreng school ID. Sampung eskwelahan sa Marawi ang pupuntahan ng ID Caravan ng IDEALS sa tulong ng Department of Education – Marawi. | Photo by Brenda Grifon
ay ang pagbibigay ng mga serbisyong legal sa mga Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) ng Marawi. Bilang tugon sa krisis dulot ng giyera, nagsagawa ang grupo ng legal missions sa Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, at Cagayan de Oro upang mai-dokumento ang mga isyung legal ng mga IDPs. Nakita na ang pangunahing pangangailangan nila ay tungkol sa kanilang legal identity, civil documents, at mga nasirang kagamitan at ari-arian. “Noong pumutok ang giyera sa Marawi, nahirapan ang mga IDPs na dumaan sa mga checkpoints dahil wala o hindi nila nadala ang kanilang mga legal documents at mga ID,” paliwanag ni Caduyac. Unang napuntahan ng nasabing ID Caravan ay ang Lake Lanao National High School (LLNHS) kung saan may 479 na kabataan ang kasalukuyang naka-enroll.
OPINION
Youth: Tomorrow’s hope or despair? JOHARY LUMNA Knowledge is said to be the key factor for a peaceful and progressive community. Learning begins at home, then in school and in community. We develop ourselves through the knowledge and experiences we gain. This is why every parent strives to send their children to school. This learning space serves as crucial foundation especially to the youth. Youth are universally believed to be the hope of tomorrow. But in what sense? To study very hard, earn lots of degree and money. But sometimes, the purpose of this knowledge is forgotten. Sometimes, the intellect becomes the weapon to neglect or even destroy the people and the city. The youth, recognized as catalyst for change, is always confronted by the call of their generation and society. The youth of this age are indeed preparing. They are preparing for their own tomorrow. But how noble it is to prepare not only for oneself but for the community as a whole. It should be remembered that change starts now.This era has been waiting for change and hope, for the sake of the future generation. But future generation will only change through the action of the people, especially the youth, by the will of Allah. It should be considered that no change will ever happen until no action will take place. The action of the youth is now as before undeniably
vital in changing today to a better tomorrow, for the traditional sickness and diseases of the society has now elevated into dangerous ones. New contagious enemy of progress and peace is touching and destroying us-the today, as of the tomorrow. That’s why the people and the City were inflected with its virus. The actors of war devastated us. Indeed we are in great danger. The only hope we have to save the future are the younger generation. It should be remembered that rehabilitation starts from the people not from the structure. Action has to take place or else violent extremist as one of actors of war will continue to destroy the future. We need to combat our enemy. We need to be united or else we will not able to stand again. We will not be able to stand stronger who are ready to face the hurricane of the unknown ideology that keep on destroying and corrupting our religion and young individuals. We need to act immediately to suppress this virus of age. Rehabilitation has to start within ourselves. Rehabilitation does not start from structure but it from the people. We must start rehabilitating the devastated state of today by being at the frontline in taking action and creating change. We must defeat our common enemy—violence. In our hands, the tomorrow lies.
“Kapag nasa checkpoint kami, tinatanong nila kung may ID kami. Tapos, sinasabi nalang namin, wala, dahil wala pa kaming ID. Nahihirapan kami dahil tinatanong nila kung sino kami,” kwento ni Janifa Jamel, isa mga estudyante sa LLNHS na nakatanggap ng libreng school ID. Ayon kay Caduyac, ang gagamiting basehan ng mga school IDs ay ang Unique Learner Reference Number (LRN) ng mga estudyante. “Kulang ang budget namin kaya hindi kami makapagprovide ng mga upuan at blackboards. Kaya hindi rin kami makapagbigay ng libreng ID para sa mga estudyante,” ani Akima Natangco Falindong, Faculty Coordinator ng nasabing paaralan. “May mga bata pong di talaga makaafford ng ID, napakahirap na po para sa kanila ng Php 5.00 o Php 10.00.” Maliban sa school IDs ay nakapamigay rin ang IDEALS sa tulong ng Cagayan de Oro City Government ng 6,380 na temporary IDs. Sinuportahan rin ng Local Civil Registrar – Marawi at Commission on Elections – Marawi ang pamimigay ng 5,541 birth certificates, 2,347 voter’s certifications, at 205 marriage certificates sa mga IDPs. FROM PAGE 4 MAA CLEARING OPS TFBM Chairman, Castro also said that they will be prioritizing the livelihood programs for the IDPs next to their search for developer bidders that will lead the construction on ground. Meanwhile, TFBM chair Eduardo del Rosario guaranteed the people that they will keep up to their plans. “I would like to assure our Maranao brothers and sisters that TFBM is doing its best, and we would like to assure them that we are here on a long hold. We ask for your patience but definitely the government is looking after them and we are doing our best to fast track all interventions,” Del Rosario stated in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency.
The S’bang Ka Marawi Newsletter is produced by IDEALS Inc. as part of the Financial Inclusion for Recovery of Marawi (FIRM) Project. FIRM is led by the People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network (PDRRN), Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS), Al-Majudilah Development Foundation (AMDF), PayMaya, Smart Padala, Oxfam Philippines with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).