RELIEF operation in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) is in full swing to help alleviate the plight of the thousands of residents affected by the ongoing military offensive against the Maute terror group in Butig, Lanao del Sur.
Haroud Al-Rashid Lucman Jr., Armm vice governor and concurrent Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) chief, is spearheading the conduct of the relief operations that started Wednesday, November 30, together with Armm’s Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team (Heart).
The Municipal Government of Butig, along with the village officials, is assisting them in the distribution of the relief goods to the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The DSWD-Soccsksargen office placed the number of IDPs at 12,250. Most of them sought refuge with their relatives while the others at the evacuation centers.
“Classes, for one, have been suspended because the schools are currently not functioning,” Lucman said as he noted how the conflict has affected the lives of the people in Butig.
“People have lost much of their property, especially in barangays such as Bayabao Poblacion where houses were razed to the ground by members of the Maute group,” Lucman added citing “some of the people have nothing left aside from the clothes on their backs.”
Military operations are still ongoing in the municipality of Butig, Lanao del Sur.
Lucman noted “the sound of bombs going off can be heard from afar while our relief operations are ongoing.”
He said it is relatively difficult to conduct relief operations in Lanao del Sur because most of the IDPs stay with their relatives and not in evacuation centers.
“Almost everybody chose to evacuate. Some went to nearby barangays, while residents of the same nearby barangays also chose to leave,” Abdul Pansar, Butig municipal planning and development coordinator, said.
Pansar emphasized the need for support in “recovery” efforts when asked about further needs of the Butig residents.
Pansar said the local and regional government are still monitoring the whereabouts of all the displaced people since only about 2,000 evacuees are staying in the three evacuation centers.
He also noted the crops in the area awaiting harvest.
He said there is really a need to focus on recovery as they prepare to assist residents of Butig when they return home.
“Some of them still have rice and coffee left idle in the fields, especially coffee since it’s scheduled for harvest,” he added.
The military offensive started when the Maute terror group occupied an unused municipal hall of Butig, Lanao del Sur few days ago.