Singapore, PH provide more aid to Marawi IDPs

Flag of Singapore (Photo: Various – The drawing was based from http://app.www.sg/who/42/National-Flag.aspx. Colors from the book: (2001), Public Domain)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Aug. 9 – Relief goods have continued to arrive for the families displaced by the ongoing fighting in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said Wednesday.

The latest shipment of relief goods came from Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The Westmincom said the relief goods donated by the SAF for the Marawi City internally displaced persons (IDPs) arrived on Monday at the airport in Cagayan de Oro City.

Donated by the SAF were the following: 30 tents; 3,120 packets of field ration; three sets of medical supplies; 200 blankets; 1,080 bottles of water; 64 dynamo lights; and, three water filtration units.

The relief goods received by the Army’s 4th Infantry Division from Col. Lee, head of the delegates from Singapore.

The goods will eventually be turned over to the DSWD for distribution to the IDPs within this week.

The relief goods from the national government consisting of 600 sacks of rice and canned goods were distributed on Monday to the IDPs housed at the evacuation center in Buadiposo-Buntong, Lanao del Sur.

Soldiers and police escorted the convoy of vehicles of the DSWD and local government unit that transported the relief goods to the evacuation center.

The municipality of Buadipuso-Buntong is one of the inaccessible areas due to closure of the Rorog-Agos road although it is adjacent to the towns Ditsaan-Ramain and Bubong.

The Rorog-Agos road links the three lakeside towns to Marawi City. The road was closed after the Daesh-inspired Maute group attacked Marawi City almost three months ago.

“We are overjoyed to know that as rehabilitation and humanitarian efforts kick-off, more goods and aid are coming in for our Internally Displaced Persons and families,” Lt. Gen. Carlito Glavez Jr., Westmincom chief said on Wednesday.

“At our end, we will make sure that we have enough deployable soldiers for the evacuation centers who will be involved in humanitarian activities,” Galvez added.

“In fact, a company of female soldiers are arriving soonest for the purpose,” he further said. (Teofilo P. Garcia Jr./PNA)