Return to normalcy

MANILA, Philippines - Good news according to Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral, a total of 20,735 families displaced by fighting in Lanao del Norte have returned to their homes. Families have settled down and gone back to their routine work in planting farmlands with assorted vegetables.

But there are still a large number of Internally Displaced Persons or IDPs who fled their homes for fear they might be caught between the crossfire of the government troops and the rebels, others have been forced to live away from their homes for many years, or even decades due to the fierce attacks of the Moro rebels. The conflicts that caused their displacement remained unsolved, the rebels are still free and continuing their rampage against the military and even for us, defenseless civilians. Most of the IDPs are traumatized by the abusive power of the rebels dominating most areas in Mindanao.

As I lived in Maguindanao for several weeks as a civilian volunteer, I had observed that the people there are exposed to violence and other human violations, often they have no or only very limited access to food, employment, education, and health care. And some of my co-volunteers also experienced violence from the rebel groups. This is a call   not only to our government but also to the Filipinos especially to the people living in Mindanao to be more vigilant and always on guard. And to the leaders of the Moro rebel groups to spare us civilians because we are the most affected in this struggle.

Many of the affected population are women and children and we must be concerned for their wellbeing. We hope for peace so that these families can return to their homes! – Eulanda A. Tapay, Mintal, Davao