The Year has come

“TAROTOP a saragon a da ko kapakambalingan ko walay aken...” This is the statement that lingered in my mind. It means that it has been a year now that I was not able to go back home.

Until this very day, I am still one of the internally displaced individuals of the Marawi Crisis. It was on May 24, 2017, day after the siege, when I had to pull courage in my heart just to be in the Main battle area to rescue my children who were trapped in Raya Madaya. I was trembling and fearful on what could happen to me and my husband if we insist on getting through the Pumping bridge. We were stopped by three gunmen and asked us of our intentions. At first, I expressed my greetings of peace for I thought all of the men in black in that day were Muslims.

To my surprise, they did not respond to my greetings. Instead, they looked at us furiously. So there I change the greeting by using the Tagalog language. I asked if we can possibly get through just to get our children trapped inside. The men nodded and so we pursued. The rushing blood of fear and about to fall tears enveloped me coldly. I cannot resist the rush and I had to see my children at that very moment. When I got home my younger kids are waiting at the gate wanting to leave immediately. And the rest of the courageous moves to face the Maute-ISIS inspired group moved on until I was able to safely transport my children to Iligan that have been the sanctuary. It took us 13 hours on the road just to be in Iligan. It has become a world too far. It used to be forty-five-minute drive in the past.

The nightmare is still very clear in my mind. Does this mean that I have not moved on? Or is it because we are still displaced? How can I find the answers? My resiliency and my children’s fear of another siege became the lingering thoughts and discussions each day. We are trying to survive but the reality is keeping on knocking. We are still displaced and it has been a year now.

Did we choose this life? Did we have an option? For a mother of two young gentlemen, I cannot sacrifice the fear of losing them during the battle. Allegedly, on the first day, the terrorist group tried to forcibly abduct people and take young men to join their group. I cannot endure that as a mother. I had to make a choice. Now, can you still blame us?

Do we really deserve the devastations and the wrecks? Now that the ruins have made, livelihood of many have sunk, can we now be given a well-done rehabilitation plan? A transparent and participative at that for we deserve the best, don’t we?

I am afraid that what I currently know from what is popularized; the plan to rehabilitate Marawi (old Dansalan) is not clear and transparent until today. The ambitious plan that was created and presented to us has included a resort that will be built in a place that belongs to my ancestors.

In fact, the remains of my father and all of my great grandparents are buried in those sites.

We expected more from the future developers of Marawi, we could have been consulted. We could have been informed at the very least. How can we achieve the beauty of the future if we cannot consider the past and the present rights of the people of Marawi? May be, we need to revisit this plan. I challenge the planners to open the pipe line of communication. We are here, we are vocal and loud, yet, we don’t seem to count.

I am for the rehabilitation of the city that I have always loved. I am nurtured here by my ancestors who were respected families of Dansalan and Marawi. I cannot allow any single injustice as we rehabilitate the land. Further, we cannot allow disinformation to ruin the core of our being, again.

Let us be reminded that we do not just need buildings and roads, we need dignity and respect.

To my co-IDPs out there, continue being heard. Let us be united in reminding each other of what is good for us and for Marawi. We have to believe that we are capable and willing to rise from these ashes and rubbles. Let us not allow any single soul to destroy the tranquillity that we have already started to have.

May this 1st year of Marawi siege commemoration be an eye-opener to every IDP and may this year be a true beginning for a better Marawi, an enlightened Meranaw and a better Ummah.

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