A youth volunteer enjoy warm hugs and smiles from Manobo children who left Saturday morning to return to Loreto, Agusan del Sur after negotiations with their mayor assured them that soldiers are pulled out from their villages. The Manobos stayed in Bankerohan Gym for 18 days with support from church and other groups. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
A Manobo toddler plays with a new pair of slippers given by support groups and the City Government as ‘parting gifts’ to the 500 Manobos who finally returned home to Loreto, Agusan del Sur after an agreement with their mayor that troops will be pulled out from their villages. The support groups provided food, health and other needs for the Manobos in Davao for the past 18 days. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
The Manobos will return to Loreto, Agusan del Sur carrying seedlings and farm tools from Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who helped facilitate a dialogue with their Mayor Dario Otaza to guarantee the pullout of troops and their safe return. The Lumads received seedlings of corn, mango, peanuts, mangosteen and Cacao, and farm tools. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
Manobo youths wave to support groups who helped them during their 18-day stay in Bankerohan Gym, as the Manobos finally returned home Saturday morning to Loreto, Agusan del Sur when they clinched an agreement with their mayor to pull out troops in their villages and to provide them with seedlings and farm tools. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
These Manobo children enjoy a moment in Bankerohan Gym, happy that they will be going home to Loreto, Agusan del Sur and at the same time happy that they were treated by concerned citizens to the beach in Toril. Their families are guaranteed safety to return home after an agreement brokered by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with Loreto Mayor Dario Otaza assured the pullout of troops and cease of military operations. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
This elderly Manobo couple look serious even with the good news that they will finally return home to Loreto, Agusan del Sur after an agreement was signed with Mayor Dario Otaza to pull out the troops from their village and rehabilitate their farms. Some 500 Manobos stayed in Bankerohan Gym for 18 days since August 7 in protest of military operations in their village. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
This cultural activist is all smiles as she sings for the Manobo evacuees in a solidarity activity Friday at the evacuation gym in Bankerohan Gym. Some 500 Manobos will finally return to their villages in Loreto, Agusan del Sur after their mayor Dario Otaza signed an agreement to stop military operations and help rehabilitations of their farms. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
Dr. Chito Medina of farmers support network MASIPAG (left) and Atty. Lee Aurelo of Third World Network (center) call for local and national laws to stop genetic-modified crops in the country for its negative effects on health, income and organic crops. They were resource persons in a forum last Thursday at Lispher Inn with City Councilors to discuss the banning of GMOs. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
Loreto, Agusan del Sur Mayor Dario Otaza (in white shirt) finally showed up in a dialogue Thursday at Men Seng Hotel with the Manobo evacuees and concerned groups including Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte (left) to reach an agreement to pullout military and paramilitary troops in their communities so they can return. The Manobos also demanded seedlings from Otaza to make up for the planting season they lost due to their evacuation. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)
Firefighters from 911 had difficulty putting out the fire that razed 200 houses for nearly three hours in a crowded and narrow settlement in Sasa Km 11 last Thursday. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)
