Displaced Marawi schoolchildren suffering from trauma

MANILA, Philippines — A fortress with a tower where he would put a sniper who will shoot down enemies.

 

For many children, this is a fantasy that comes from movies, television shows or videogames that they encounter as they are growing up.

 

But for one boy displaced from Marawi City, this is a reality that he wants to prevent a repeat of the harrowing experience of fleeing the clashes that have overrun their city.

 

“It struck me. I was never an evacuee so I never experienced what these children are experiencing,” Education Assistant Secretary G.H. Ambat told The STAR in a phone interview Tuesday.

 

Ambat said she met the child during a visit to an evacuation center in Iligan City where some of those who fled Marawi City are being housed in makeshift tents.

 

During the visit, she saw drawings made by children during recreation activities organized by volunteers and the local disaster risk reduction and management councils.

 

“Many drew houses or villages where they came from,” said Ambat.

 

One drawing, however, caught her attention. A castle-like fortress with a high gate and an even higher tower.

 

“Gusto ko ganyan ang bahay ko, may mataas na gate at maraming bantay para safe,” Ambat recalled the child as saying.

 

When asked what the tower is for, he responded: “Diyan ko ilalagay ang sniper ko.”

 

According to Ambat, the encounter made her realize the magnitude of emotional and psychological trauma that the children are experiencing.

Based on data from the Department of Education (DepEd), around 22,000 students from Marawi City are facing uncertainty after they fled from the historic Islamic City.

 

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the number of children affected by the ongoing clashes may reach as high as 50,000.

 

“While the exact scale of emotional and psychological trauma is too early to determine, DepEd is endeavoring to restore routine in the lives of the displaced learners by expediting the delivery of education,” the aid agency said.

 

DepEd said its personnel are currently undergoing training to provide psychosocial support for teachers and learners in evacuation centers.

 

“The provision of psychosocial support is a clear need, based on testimonies of volunteers at the evacuation centers during the visit… to affected areas,” added the agency.

During the visits, DepEd also learned that some children do not intend to study due to lack of school materials.

 

“There are some who do not want to study because they do not have clothes, bags,” said DepEd Region IX Director Isabelita Borres.

 

Region IX, which covers Zamboanga Peninsula, is where some of the evacuees from Marawi City fled.

 

Through the country, little more than 3,600 students from Marawi City have enrolled in other schools for the current school year.

 

The figures are way below the estimated 22,000 who were displaced by the clashes.

 

According to DepEd, most of those displaced are in schools near Marawi City, particularly in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.

 

DepEd has already identified a total of 88 accommodating schools in Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Iligan City.

 

DepEd called for volunteers who can provide augmentation to learner kits that will be provided to students.

 

Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier urged DepEd personnel and the students to welcome those who transferred from Marawi City.

 

She also appealed to those concerned to treat schools as zones of peace.

 

“The loss and damages may be immeasurable but one thing remains to be their beacon to stability and a sense of normalcy amid and beyond conflict – quality education,” said DepEd.

 

“With challenges and concerns within and beyond the department’s purview, DepEd’s foremost priority is the establishment of a safe, secure, and nurturing learning environment where children are enabled to develop their capacities, improve their well-being, and rebuild their lives,” it added.