Over 600 displaced families in N. Cotabato get aid

MANILA, Philippines – At least 603 peasant families on Friday benefited from the North Cotabato provincial government’s relief mission for internally displaced folks from five areas in Pikit, North Cotabato which bandits thrice raided last week.

Vergilita Guillaran, provincial social welfare officer, said they have distributed rice, canned sardines, instant noodles and other non-relief items to the evacuees, procured with funds from the office of North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza.

The affected families were forced to abandon their homes in Pikit's adjoining Barangays Kabasalan, Bago Inged, Rajahmuda, Buliok, Barungis and Batulawan when marauding members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) attacked and plundered their villages last week.

BIFF gunmen had burned down more than a dozen huts of impoverished peasant families as they escaped following two days of clashes with Army combatants and militiamen dispatched to drive them away.

Guillaran said 10,664 villagers, mostly children and women, were displaced by the BIFF attacks.

Guillaran said Mendoza had also mobilized the personnel of the provincial health office to help attend to the needs of the evacuees.

Provincial health workers twice facilitated medical missions early this week for evacuees from Pikit’s conflict-stricken areas.

Mendoza earlier said her office, the local government unit of Pikit, the police and the military will cooperate in facilitating the return of the evacuees to their farming enclaves which BIFF bandits raided thrice last week.