BRAVE WOMAN. Since day one of the Marawi siege, Limba Luge, 57, decided not to abandon their house and store, saying that it’s still safe in their neighborhood situated near the army brigade and the provincial capitol. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
MARAWI CITY – It’s been 31 days since the ISIS-linked Maute Group attacked this city on May 23 and forced more than 200,000 residents to flee to nearby towns, cities, and provinces.
Residents who opted to remain in their villages ended up being trapped and ran out of food, water, and other necessities.
Some of those trapped were already rescued by the joint efforts of the local government, the military and volunteer groups – the latest count released by the Provincial Crisis Management Committee reached up to 1,645 as of Wednesday, June 21.
But the committee believed that more are still trapped in their houses as the ground operations and air assaults of the Armed Forces of the Philippines continue.
But it’s different for Limba Luge, 57, who, after 31 days of fighting, still refused to abandon her house and a little store.
Limba, when interviewed by davaotoday.com on Thursday, could not speak nor understand Tagalog or any dialect.
Thanks to Nabel Macaan Asi, a Maranao and the driver of the vehicle hired by davaotoday.com who stood as interpreter between this author and Limba.
“When the fighting broke out, I saw residents lining up in the street, all of them in a hurry to go out of Marawi,” Limba recalled.
She said even her family and children also decided to leave for fear.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Thirty-one days since the Marawi siege broke out, Limba Luge, 57 decided to stay in their house and open her store daily. She said there are instances that soldiers in the nearby brigade would come and buy canned goods, noodles, coffee and sugar from her store. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
“They convinced me to join them but I did not. No one will be left behind to look at our house and our store,” she said.
All of Limba’s family members are now in Iligan, and she is thankful to their relatives who openly welcomed them for temporary refuge.
In their neighborhood, she was informed by soldiers that only two other families decided to stay, the rest have left to the evacuation centers in Iligan and the nearby towns.
When asked what drove her to stay despite the fear that residents felt when the Maute members attacked Marawi, Limba said she felt safe because their house is situated near the two important government institutions and buildings – the Provincial Capitol and the Army Brigade.
“There are so many soldiers and policemen near our house. Why should I fear the Maute?” she pointed out.
Besides, she added, the Maute members are in distance from their neighborhood and she believed that it is impossible for them to reach the brigade and the capitol building.
“I just continue to open my store daily. Only a few people buy, sometimes there are days that no one would come to buy something,” she said.
Limba added that there are instances that soldiers posted near the gate of the brigade would come and buy canned goods, noodles, packs of coffee and sugar.
But she also told davaotoday.com that there were times that soldiers and policemen would stop by and ask some questions.
“They just leave after some questions because we could not understand each other. I cannot speak any other dialect nor understand them,” she stressed and smiled.
VISIT TO EVACUEES. Limba Luge, 57, a resident of Marawi visits the evacuation center at the Provincial Capitol compound after buying a tray of eggs from an open store in front of the main building on Thursday, June 22. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
She added that she is already accustomed to the daily explosions and burst of gunfires.
“There’s war. What else can I hear?” she added.
Three days after the fighting, some residents trapped in the center of the city managed to escape and asked her to allow them to stay in their house – to which she agreed.
She said two couples are staying in her house right now.
“It’s fine that they are here. I have some people to talk with,” she said.
Limba said she would also visit the evacuees at the Provincial Capitol because some of them are close to her family.
She and the two couples would also join the evacuees to line up for food supply.
“We are always questioned why we are still in our house. And it’s difficult to get a supply of food because they said we are not evacuees,” she complained.
It’s already 31 days since the Marawi siege erupted and Limba is firm not to leave her house and store.
“I hope and pray that this will end. I want my family back home. I already miss them,” Limba said. (davaotoday.com)
