Maranao woman revives sweet delicacies

MARANAO DELICACIES just like any other popular snacks in the country are just as tasty as it is, but they are not widely available outside the Maranao community. Many of these sweet treats are probably unheard of by many Filipinos. 

Kailangan wasakin ang Marawi: Duterte

INAMIN NI Pangulong Duterte ang pagwasak sa Marawi City sa kasagsagan ng labanan kontra mga teroristang grupo ang tanging paraang upang mapuksa ang mga ito.

100,000 Maranaos still have no homes 2 years after Marawi siege

MARAWI CITY - The deep scars left by the 2017 conflict in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province in southern Philippines continue to haunt over 100,000 people who still do not have a home to return to.

 

“Despite the numerous aid efforts that have truly helped those in need over the two years, the people of Marawi have grown tired and frustrated. They want to stand on their own feet again and stop depending on assistance,” said Martin Thalmann, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the Philippines.

 

Whether they have been living with relatives or are in evacuation centres and transition sites, the displaced people of Marawi struggle for access to potable water, viable livelihood opportunities and most importantly, permanent shelters, according to Thalmann, who noted that the authorities were trying to address complex issues so that the rehabilitation of the most affected area (MAA) could begin.

 

But the conflict has left more vulnerable groups, such as families of missing people and victims of violence, with invisible scars. “The wounds that do not bleed are the wounds that become scars. And these are the most painful because they will always leave something to look at. And it is something that will always bring back memories of what had happened. Nevertheless, it is still important because it is still a lesson,” recalled Mel, a 34-year-old resident who was severely traumatized by the Marawi conflict.

 

Launched in October 2018, the ICRC’s mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programme has reached close to 700 people. Among them, 47 people who were severely traumatized in the Marawi conflict—including “Mel”—have reported feeling “relieved, comfortable, safe and understood” after undergoing individual MHPSS sessions.

 

“They need sustained support to recover mentally from the trauma caused by the conflict that has affected their overall well-being,” Thalmann said.

 

He said ICRC would work on strengthening the capacity of the public health system in the area of psychosocial support to victims of violence. He said the ICRC, with its partner the Philippine Red Cross, has been supporting people affected since the onset of the Marawi conflict.

 

People who were injured during the fighting received ICRC support to cover the cost of their medical treatment. Those with physical disabilities as result of injuries were supported by ICRC to receive prosthesis and physiotherapy, Thalmann said.

 

The ICRC, he said, continues to help the displaced people by restoring sources of income and improving access to water and sanitation in various sites. It has also been working with families whose loved ones went missing due to the conflict.

 

“We have been filling the gaps in the recovery response in coordination with the authorities and other aid organizations. But we can only do so much. The authorities still have the primary responsibility of providing sustainable solutions to help the people of Marawi,” Thalmann said. (With a report from the Mindanao Examiner.)

 

 

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DOST launches project to preserve weaving skills of Maranaos

ILIGAN CITY – In an effort to revive the handloom weaving among Maranaos, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has provided technical and financial assistance to Maranaos displaced by the 2017 siege of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province.

The project – a collaborative efforts by DOST, the Mindanao State University Iligan Institute of Technology's Maranao Collectible and the local government - aims to preserve and strengthen the weaving industry as it represents culture and tradition of Mindanaons especially the Maranaos.

Keno Elumbaring, Project Assistant for DOST-Task Force Bangon Marawi Programs, said the project supports the rebuilding of Maranaos' livelihood. He said the beneficiaries include the home-based internally-displaced people who are currently staying within Iligan City, Cagayan De Oro and other areas of Lanao del Norte.

The target beneficiaries will undergo skills training on weaving and hands-on activities. A loom weaving equipment will be provided to the beneficiaries including the installation of loom weaving machines in the identified sites. "This is part of DOST's support to rebuilding and reorganizing the loom weavers affected by the conflict in Marawi City," Elumbaring said.

He said DOST will also help in the production and promotion of local hand-woven crafts. "DOST will monitor and assess the beneficiaries if they are able to improve and enhance their skills in handloom weaving," Elumbaring said.

The project implementation includes the setting-up of weaving center within selected areas in Marawi City and its neighboring communities, which were also affected by the siege. The DOST is a member agency of the Task Force Marawi's Subcommittee on Business and Livelihood. It targets to preserve the cultural and artistic value of the weaving industry among Marawi residents. (Lade Jean Kabagani)


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OPINION: BOL unconstitutional? By Macabangkit B. Lanto

THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT in Morolandia was rocked by a minor tremor. Its intensity reverberated from the shores of the Sulu Sea to the cramped evacuation shelters of Marawi City. One of its respected leaders questioned the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), a measure long marketed as the sum total of the decades-old aspirations of Moros before the Supreme Court (SC).

Abdusakur Tan II is one of the few Moro leaders held in high regard by his peers. His staying political dynastic power is a testament to a peculiar genre of leadership style reminiscent of obeisance accorded to a sultan. His popularity cuts across tribal differences. In fact, he almost scored an upset over the administration-anointed candidate for regional governor if not for the strong and well-oiled (translation: party fund) machinery of the immediate past administration.

Our friendship goes decades back and has weathered tribal differences and shifting party affiliation. He is one of the few principled Moro leaders I know who is uncompromising and puts his heart and mind on the principles he believes in.

His petition could hardly be understood by people who do not know him, especially those who are pro-BOL who see the measure as a way of freedom from the morass of political and social ails. It came on the heels of the announcement by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that it will launch an information campaign in the run-up to the January plebiscite-ratification of the newly minted BOL. Not that they did not expect somebody filing it in the SC but to come from a Moro leader who commands their respect befuddles them. Not a few call him a spoiler which he is not.
I was not the least surprised that he filed the petition. He is every inch the man I know and understand where he is coming from. He is just being honest and consistent, having opposed strongly the same measure way back when it was first filed and relentlessly pushed by the past administration not unlike what President Digong is doing now.

Moros fear that Sakur is unwittingly playing into the hands of retrogressive oppositors and unrepentant bigots.

Ambassador Rafael Seguis, a fellow Mindanaoan, asked me about my take on the issue. I said I have figuratively burned the midnight oil meticulously subjecting the law to a surgeon-like diagnostic scalpel, studying and researching its constitutionality and almost tempted to discuss my position. However, lest I will be cited for contempt, I will shy away from discussing it, being a sub judice issue now that it is before the SC.

Political theorists view the Constitution as a living instrument and sometimes by the imperatives of zeitgeist has to yield to the sway and vicissitudes of time and space. It is not an instrument engraved in granite that is immutable. Being conceived as an aid in the preservation and well-being of society, it must not stymie the search for peace, else it will forfeit its raison d’être.

For whatever reason, other than legal, the petition by the patriarch of the Tan political dynasty betrays the deep internecine fractiousness of the Moros. The major tribes claim Maharlika blood in their veins and one cannot stand being subservient to another. The Maranao, Maguindanaoan and Tausug, being proud elite tribes of nobility, disagreement among them is sometimes unavoidable. The petition speaks volume of these tribal differences, peace be damned. And the Tausugs have served notice that they will exercise the “opt-out” privilege granted by the BOL which will exclude them from the coverage of the new Bangsamoro region.

In one fell swoop the Sakur petition has shattered the fragile détente that the Digong presidency has been working on between and among the Moro leaders hoping for a united support for the ratification of the BOL. The Sakur petition while subtly wrapped as a constitutional test, unmasked the hard truth that not all is well among its target beneficiaries, the Moros.

This poses a challenge to the MILF which is the prime mover and favored beneficiary of the law. They must factor the likes of Sakur in their blueprint preparation for ratification campaign. It’s a wake-up call that the gauntlet towards ratification is strewn with hazards and hurdles.

But it is a sad spectacle to see brother Moros fight over something many consider as the Holy Grail that they hope will pave the way for substantive self-rule, if not merdeka. (This opinion piece is published on The Daily Tribune.)


Link: http://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2018/11/11/bol-unconstitutional/?fbclid=IwAR3cihiRZLk4qr4BDXXNpcLbOJujZ3z9SogPkBtB4mq9Z8sYYefY7y5QM4g