500 IDP families get medical service in Redemptorist mission

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Families of IDPs from two lakeside municipalities of Lanao del Sur received medical services and gift-giving from Duyog Marawi on November 11, 2017. (Photo by Hudaifa S. Macapoli)

(LANAO DEL SUR, November 13, 2017) – Five Hundred families of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the two lakeside municipalities of Lanao del Sur received medical services over the weekend.

The IDPs of Barangay Lumbac, Kialdan of Marantao and Barangay Poblacion of Bacolod Kalawi were given medical services and gifts through the efforts of Duyog Marawi (DM).

In its “Medical Caravan and Gift Giving” program, DM fielded a medical team composed of 1 surgeon, 7 medical doctors, 1 ophthalmologist, 7 dentists and a team of naturopath healers.

The medical team was assisted by 130 Duyog Marawi Volunteers, Barangay health workers and RHU nurses and midwives.

Bacolod Kalawi Mayor Abdul Mohaimen L. Dipatuan welcomed the whole Duyog Marawi contingent with the medical team and volunteers that also conducted feeding to children.

“Panalamatan ami so mga doctor ago so Duyog Marawi sa kyab’gi niyan sa tabang sii ko mga IDPs sayasa Bacolod Kalawi” (We would like to thank the doctors and Duyog Marawi for helping the IDPs here in Bacolod Kalawi), said Mayor Dipatuan.

Dipatuan noted that the medical mission and gift-giving was the first initiative conducted in his town by a non-government organization after the Marawi crisis.

Simultaneous with the medical mission, psychosocial activities for women and peace education for children in Marantao were facilitated by Abdul Azis Dimasindil and Janimah Camama.

The mission is part of the Peace Corridor program of DM in partnership with the Redemptorist Missionaries of the Philippines, Caritas Philippines and Caritas Canada; and in collaboration with the Local Government Units and Rural Health Units of Lanao del Sur. (AM Acmad and JM Mauna / Duyog Marawi News)

www.duyogmarawi.org

MARAWI

The town of Marawi, on the Filipino island of Mindanao, in the south of the country, has been liberated on october 17: the regular army resumed full control over the entire territory which on May 23 had been occupied by Islamist militants, faithful to the Islamic State (Isis), who for five months fought, barricaded themselves in the buildings of the capital, while the soldiers besieged the city. The official confirmation of the liberation came from Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte who, in a visit to the city, thanked the soldiers engaged in the venture of freeing Marawi and has officially given the green light regarding the reconstruction phase. Unfortunately 148-day conflict caused over 1,000 victims: 163 soldiers, 822 militants and 47 civilians.

the Prelature of St. Mary’s in Marawi

The Prelature of St. Mary in Marawi is one with the people – particularly the Maranaos – in their loss and suffering. Our key personnel are still held under hostage, our Cathedral was reduced to rubbles after being looted and desecrated, and our own Christian community of 20,000 individuals are in diaspora. All our heritage, collections, church records, and structures were burned.

The Program

Most Rev. Edwin dela Peña, D.D. assembled a group of priests and lay missionaries from all over the country in partnership with the Redemptorist Missionaries to form a social action center to plan and implement a both short-term and long-term church-based response to this crisis.