1,000 Muslim indigenous tribes receive relief

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — About a thousand Samal and Badjao families who were among the evacuees in the siege last year received relief packs from Governor Mujiv Hataman as part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao sadaqh or "voluntary charity" in the culminating observance of the Ramadan.

Hataman personally extended the relief at the evacuation camp site along the Cawa-Cawa Boulevard to hundreds of the indigenous Muslim tribe.

"This is part of ARMM sadaqh to reach out more than a thousand families of Samal and Badjao tribes and since many of the evacuees were also Badjao and Samal tribes we have included them the same charity," Hataman said.

He said the food packs will help the tribes to prepare food when they break their Ramadan fasting late in the afternoon.

Hataman also led the distribution of the charity packs to Badjao and Samal tribes in Basilan and later in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.