Author Archives: ACE R. MORANDANTE

FREE WATER. Residents who lost their houses to the fire at Quezon Boulevard last April 4 avail of free water at their community at Barangay 23-C to bathe and wash clothes. (Ace Morandante/davaotoday.com)

Talaingod Manobo children at the UCCP compound in Davao fly kites with calls to stop military operations in their villages written on the kites. The activity was dubbed as “Tabanog sa Kalinaw” and organized by groups supporting the 1,300 Manobos who fled from their militarized villages in Davao del Norte.

“We believe that Art should not be for Art’s sake. It should mirror the dreams and aspirations for the women’s struggle for emancipation,”Ilagan said.

The April 4 fire that left 3,000 families homeless along Quezon Boulevard included 200 families belonging to the indigenous people called Badjaos.

ABORTED CLASSES. Teody Mansimuy-at, a Manobo literacy-numeracy teacher in Barangay Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte said they were forced to cancel plans of summer school because of alleged threats and abuses of Army troops present in their communities. Mansimuy-at is one of the 1300 plus Talaingod Manobos, mostly women and children, now in Davao City who fled Talaingod for the safety of Davao City.

The Childrens Rehabilitation Center Southern Mindanao conducted psychosocial release activities with more than 500 children yesterday. Activities like storytelling help children spend productive time.

Residents pick-up materials they can use to repair their homes after a big fire engulfed around 3000 houses in Barangays 23-C, 21 and 22 in Davao City Friday night. A total of 2,245 families were affected and are temporarily staying at nearby schools, according to the City Social Services and Development Office.

Some 1,500 Ata Manobos left their villages last April 1 in the hinterlands of Talaingod, Davao del Norte after what they said were harassments brought by military troops occupying their communities for weeks.