Iloilo youth volunteers reach out to affected people in Marawi

LOILO CITY, Philippines  — Youth volunteers are currently organizing a donation campaign to help those affected by the armed conflict in Marawi City.

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Campaign leader Kyzel Dagdag, one of the top scouts in the country, has been in touch with student leaders from Mindanao State University– Marawi Campus.

They are just waiting for a go-signal to have the donations sent to them. The volunteers are also communicating with Child Fund International to assist them to have local partnership in delivering stress-debriefing to affected kids once the area is secured.

“As a scout, I was brought up to give back to the community. Peace is an unending issue in our country, and it is one of the issues I am really passionate about,” he said.

He added:“I have never been to a conflict area, where there are weapons drawn and bombs dropped. I can only imagine what the people are feeling, and seeing. I guess, I was uneasy just watching TV and seeing my brothers and sisters in Marawi, my fellow Filipino’s facing a great challenge in their Faith and in their life. I moved to action knowing I cannot just sit around and be passive. Knowing that every hour I waste, a person’s life is in danger of being taken away.”

Dagdag is in contact with close friends in Marawi to ask updates about their situation and see what help they could contribute to them.

Currently they are organizing the campaign here in Iloilo City called #BangonMarawi.

They have 16 partner organizations some of them are the Boy Scouts of the Philippines Iloilo Council, iLead Trainings, The Feast Iloilo, ASEAN Youth Leaders Association of the Philippines- Iloilo Chapter, and various student councils and organization in different schools such as Iloilo National High School (INHS), West Visayas State University – Integrated Laboratory School (WVSU-ILS), Assumption Iloilo, Ateneo De Iloilo, University of the Philippines Visayas – College of Management, Philippine Science High School – Western Visayas.

They are constantly communicating with other youth leaders and organizations in Davao City and South Cotabato to extend the reach of the campaign.

They have put up a public group on Facebook called “Kapit Bisig Pinas Volunteers” where people can become a member and extend help or become a volunteer as well. ( Alyssa A. Ilano – CPU OJT/PNA)