PIKIT, Philippines ?
A Japanese nongovernmental organization extended assistance
to flood victims in a Muslim rebel-controlled village
on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao over the weekend.
Tomo Matsui of the Mindanao Children's Library Foundation,
based in the island's central province of North Cotabato,
led the distribution of tarpaulins and
clothes to residents of Kabasalan,
a remote village of this town that has been submerged
in flood waters for almost a month now.
Out of the storm: Children displaced by floods
sleep at an evacuation shelter in Cotebato on
Mindanao Island in the Philippines on June 20.
KYODO PHOTO
Incessant rains caused by three storms
that hit the country this month have swelled
major rivers and tributaries in the region,
causing heavy flooding in low-lying towns and cities.
A major river system clooged by water
hyacinth was another contributing factor.
Several hundred thousand people
in central Mindanao
have been affected by the flooding,
with tens of thousands now sheltering
in evacuation centers.
"The Mindanao Children's Library Foundation
is mainly for children, but we help those who are in need,
regardless of the circumstances.
If we made them happy, then that's good,"
Matsui, 58, said,
speaking in the local Cebuano dialect.
With a population of a little over 3,000,
Kabasalan is an area
controlled by the secessionist
Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
"We are very grateful to Tomo-san for their help,
said village leader Teng Oba.
"These tarpaulins and clothes are
a big help to us already.
We use those tarpaulins to add cover to our roofs
during rainy season, or as cover
when we sail to catch fish,
or as drying mats for our corn
during the dry season," he said.
Last week, the foundation conducted similar missions
in six other rebel-controlled villages of Pikit
believed to be under the jurisdiction
of another rebel group,
the Moro National Liberation Front.
"Sometimes, if I think about it seriously,
I feel afraid a bit.
But knowing that there are many children there
and their situation is very pitiful, my fear dissipates,"
Matsui said.
MCLF President Asrie Sabil Hussain and
Pikit deputy social welfare head
Mary Grace Cadungog said
proper coordination with municipal leaders
ensures their safety against the rebels.
Aside from Cadungog, Naomi Ochiai,
Japanese representative to
the International Monitoring Team
of the ongoing peace process between the Philippine government
and the MILF, joined the MCLF's mission on Sunday.
