Basilica sends aid to Marawi

CEBU, Philippines - The religious community of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño (BMSN) de Cebu has initially gathered over P300,000 for the survivors of the fighting between terrorists and the government troops in the Islamic city of Marawi.

The financial aid was personally turned over Thursday to Father Ramonito Torres, on behalf of the prelature of Marawi City, by Father Aladdin Luzon of the Order of Saint Augustine, designated head of BMSN socio-pastoral office.

The money was donated by tourists and devotees of the Señor Santo Niño. It will be used to purchase essential items like rice and hygiene kits for the displaced families there.

“This is our way of showing our [love] for those in misery, whether they are Christians or Muslims,” Luzon told The FREEMAN yesterday.

 “A good Christian makes a better citizen,” Luzon quoted one of the closing statements recited every after mass at the minor basilica.

The religious community earlier asked Cebuanos for donations to aid families affected by the ongoing armed clashes in Marawi.

He hopes they could already extend the second tranche of the cash aid next month.

Moreover, the religious sector is also eyeing at extending help to the affected families in earthquake-damaged localities in Leyte province.

“Basilica will also initiate fund sourcing for earthquake-hit northern Leyte… I'll be leaving tonight (last night) for Ormoc to explore ways we can extend our help,” said the Augustinian priest.

Meanwhile, the internally displaced persons (IDPs), who fled to Central Visayas from the war-torn city, underwent a debriefing yesterday.

At least 213 families comprising some 947 Marawi evacuees underwent debriefing conducted by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos in Central Visayas in partnership with Turkiye Diyanet Vakfi Foundation.

“We want to debrief the IDPs on why they become evacuees and explain to them that since they are staying in Cebu, they are now Cebuano’s by choice,” said Alexander Minalang, Settlement Division chief of NCMF-Visayas.

The debriefing aimed to welcome the evacuees, to assure them of their security, and to educate them on the importance of profiling as their proof of legitimacy.

Each of the evacuees also received relief goods, such as 10 kilos of rice, groceries (sugar, oil, coffee, and pasta, among others), medicines, and hygiene kits.

The NCMF-Visayas is now processing the IDPs’ certificate of tribal membership (CTM) that can be used for legal purposes.

The evacuees are currently staying with their relatives in the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu. (FREEMAN)