Help victims of the Marawi Conflict

The Marawi conflict in the Philippines started at dawn of May 23, 2017 when armed Maute fighters held a hospital hostage, sent houses and buildings on fire, and attacked a military camp in Marawi City.  Evacuations ensued due to heavy fighting between government troops and the armed terrorists. Per recent counts there are approximately 170,000 displaced families over neighboring towns and cities, many of them in Iligan City. 

I am Karen Paghasian, born and raised in Iligan City but living in San Diego, CA.   I still consider Iligan City my home as I have family and close friends living there.  Military checkpoints, military presence and threats of insurgencies are not new to me.  There have been several spats of uprisings but they have always been appeased with talks between the government and the rebel groups.  This time it is very different as the fighting has been backed by foreign support and has dragged on for several weeks with no end in sight.
 
The prolonged fighting has displaced families to evacuation centers and they need our help.  Most of the evacuees are women and children who need canned goods, ready to eat meals, mattresses, blankets, children’s clothes, toys and school supplies.  In any armed conflict, it’s always women and children who suffer the greatest. 

I am a member of MSU-IIT IDS Batch94, a social civic group of former high school classmates, that raises money to support outreach programs. The funds donated will be transferred through my bank account here in the US to a local bank account in Iligan City care of Geish Leigh Reyes. Your generous donations will go a long way to help these Filipino families displaced amidst this conflict.  

We may have different ideologies and beliefs but we connect as human beings first.  

Thank you so much!