By YVONNE T. CHUA
CAGAYAN DE ORO.—The monthlong Muslim rite of Ramadan or Puasa begins Friday. But Babu Siti, an elderly Maguindanao woman, fears she would be observing the fasting period for the second straight year not at home but at an evacuation center in Datu Piang, Maguindanao.
She and 300,000 other civilians have been staying at the center for more than a year now—since Aug. 7 last year in her case—because of the fighting between the military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
“Mahinto na ang away para makauwi na kami (I hope the fighting will stop so we can go home),” said Babu Siti, who was a special guest at the closing on Sunday of the two-day 5th Mindanao Media Summit held here. (Listen to Babu Siti’s plea.)
A mother of three and grandmother of several school-age children, she said mortar fire coming from different directions has prevented them from returning to their homes and resuming normal lives.
Babu Siti is no stranger to evacuations, but this is the first time her family and many others like hers have stayed in a refugee camp for more than a year.
As a consequence, children have stopped schooling and are growing accustomed to the life of a “bakwit” or evacuee, she said.
They are also getting sick. Babu Siti’s own grandchild died at the center, a victim of malaria.
And there is not enough food to go around. Evacuees have sold their carabaos and used the money they earned to buy their own food, said this elderly woman.
The World Food Program, International Committee of the Red Cross and the Mindanao Tulong Bakwit are among the groups that have been giving relief to the evacuees.
Malacanang has ordered a suspension of offensive and military operation (SOMO) against the MILF, and the MILF in turn a suspension of military actions (SOMA), but violations take place.
As Ramadan nears, no special issuance is really needed for a ceasefire to enable Babu Siti and the other evacuees to leave the Datu Piang camp for home, said Mindanews editor Carolyn Arguillas. It all boils down to honoring the SOMO and SOMA for now, and eventually ending the war.