Young refugees start
Faisal and Rasmiah with Jalil, Anifa, Bomhi and Aina. Second photo shows Anifa and Bomhit inside their classroom. thought he died during the May 23 attack in Marawi. “Maraming nabaril,nagtakbuhansila.Ang mamakohindikomakita.Yun palanasatanodsabarangay. Sobrangiyak,parangnamatayan [ People were shot, they were running. I could not find my mother. Then I found out that she was with a village watchman. She was crying hard, grieving.]”.” After staying in Cagayan de Oro for two days, Fayad said he, his mother and a sibling left for Manila, leaving an older sister behind who, they thought, was lost. He said his sister had called, saying she was still in Lanao del Sur but safe.
Fayad said he had to cope with the changes but is happy now that he had made new friends.
“Madaminaakongkaibigan, patimgapinsan,pinupuntahan nilaakosabahay. [I now have a lot of friends, and even my cousins visit me at home,]” he told the Times.
Not going back
Jonaidah, 12, is also a 5th grader. She wants to become a doctor to help Muslim communities.
Her mother had decided that they will not go back to Marawi and will pursue a new life in Manila. This sits well with Jonaidah, who has been traumatized by the guns and bombs. Jonaidah admitted that sometimes, she would question why fate seemed to be hard on Muslims. “Sanamatapos naanggulo,paramatahimikna angmga Muslim. Kawawanaman angmga Muslim... walangsisilungan,walangdamit [I hope the war will end so the Muslims will be at peace. I feel sad for Muslims, They have no home, no clothes.],” she said.
Mohammad, another 5th grader, said he misses his playmates in Marawi. “Sana makalaro ko sila ulit [I wish we can play again],” said Mohammad, who left Marawi with his family.
Reunited
When Faisal Samporna and Ras - ing in Marawi, Rasmiah called her mother to check on her children – Jalin, Anifa and Bomhit.
The two, who were working in Manila, immediately sent money, worried that the children and other members of their family lost all their belongings when the
But for lack of money, the couple only managed to buy a ticket for their first child Jalin. Jalin left Marawi hungry and with
“Napakaitim ng damit niya, madumi, napakadungis, payat, naka-tsinelas lang siya, gutom na was very dirty. He was thin and very hungry,] Rasmiah described Jalin when he arrived in Manila.
Now that he is safe, Jalin does not want to go back to Marawi.
“Ayokonapodoon,maymga Maute group... wasaknaangbahay namin [I don’t want to go back there anymore, there are Maute rebels. Our home was wrecked,] he told TheManilaTimes.
On Tuesday, Jalin was reunited with Anifa and Bomhit. The three children were joined by their cousin Aima, whose father remains trapped in Marawi.
Jalil, Anifa, Bomhit and Aima are enrolled at the Geronimo Santiago Elementary School. Jalil is in Grade 6, while Anifa, Bomhit and Aima are in Grade 1. The school offers the Madrasah program and has the highest number of students from Marawi with 46 transferees. It has an 80 percent Muslim population.
School principal Rodel Sam- pang said the school is working on a guidance counselling program for the transferees with the participation of the students’ guardians. “Nakikisalamuhanamansila. Malakingtulongna may local [Muslim] community to support them, lalonayung parents [They mingle with others. It’s a big help that there is a local Muslim community to support them, especially the parents,] he said. Based on the Division of City Schools in Manila, there are 107 children who transferred from Marawi. Wilfredo Cabral, the schools superintendent and Department of Education (DepEd)-National Capital Region (NCR) officer-incharge, said schools will be open for enrollment until the end of June to accommodate the transferees.
Cabral said officials will come up with a scheme to help late enrollees catch up on their lessons.
“We are still checking how they can make up. They can finish a module or have materials at home,” he said.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones had ordered schools to accept students from Marawi even if they fail to present their school credentials.
There are around 20,000 children displaced in Lanao del Sur as a result of the conflict.