Marawi City

posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2018

I’ve witnessed enough destruction in years of covering disasters for 24 Oras in GMA 7...but the aftermath of what I personally saw in Marawi City’s ground zero was like nothing I’ve seen before.=(

After a cancelled remote coverage in Marawi in late 2017, I was beyond excited to take on the assignment of covering the May 23rd anniversary with our anchor, Mike Enriquez. I earnestly planned my stories and gathered enough info from contacts on the field days before our May 21 deployment. My crew and I arrived 2 days early so as to shoot the needed video materials for the news report scheduled to air on the anniv day itself.

Our first day on field was spent in Lanao del Sur, particularly in Saguiaran Evacuation Center. We were assisted by Ate Nancy, a volunteer from Ranao Rescue Team. She brought us to Saguiaran and introduced us to the evacuation center’s camp manager. The 92 families in the evacuation center lived in barangays included in the most affected area in the war-torn city. I was able to interview evacuees who said that they weren’t able to regularly receive relief goods from DSWD, which was supposed to be given weekly. A food box from DSWD costs almost P800 and should contain 6 kilos of rice, dried fish, mongo beans, coffee, cooking oil, turmeric, sugar and salt. Bai Zorahayda Taha, the Regional Director of DSWD Region 12, however, denied that evacuees aren't weekly supplied with food boxes. Taha cleared that they didn’t stop food distribution, “Kaya nila sinabi na tumigil cause from January, we also have some partners who are also distributing like the World Food (Program), like the DSWD-ARMM HEART.” The story didn’t air pre-anniv but at least the evacuees’ queries were answered.

Our shoot in Marawi city proper is scheduled for the second and third day. We arrived early in Amai Pakpak Medical Center to interview the hospital’s staff. It was the first establishment in the city that was attacked by the Maute-ISIS. Three Christians were killed during the assault. I was able to angle my story on how the Muslim staff helped their Christian co-workers to safely escape the hospital. I was also able to get CCTV footage of the terrorist's actual assault in the area.

The highlight of the shoot was our entry in Marawi's ground zero, where more than 1000 were killed in the war that lasted 5 long months. It was tragic to see Marawi’s business district brought down to ruins. I was haunted by what Ate Nancy said the previous day, “Hindi ko alam kung saan kami magsisimula.” I can just imagine other evacuees echoing the same sentiment.=( Ate Nancy, a Ranao Rescue Team volunteer, is an evacuee herself who also lived in one of the most affected barangays in the city.

After a successful remote coverage on the 23rd, I left Marawi with the thought that it may take years to restore the battle-scarred city...but with locals like the Amai Pakpak's hospital staff and Ate Nancy always willing to lend a hand, there is always hope for a new Marawi.