a group leader in Saguiaran. It seems that the children are already aware of these incidences as they would hide their slippers under the mat and sit on them during activities. It was just unfortunate that during our activity in Saguiaran, one of the participants lost his slippers after he left them outside the tent. Thanks to the help of his fellow evacuees, our group was able to find a new pair of slippers for the boy. It however concerns us that in such situation the camp manager and the other social workers on site are unable to extend help because they do not have extra supplies that they can readily dispense to those who are in need. c) Rest and Leisure “Maingay. Masikip. Mainit sa umaga. Malamig sa gabi.”, this is how the children described their living spaces in the evacuation centers. Based on our estimate, the sleeping area assigned to each family in the evacuation centers is more or less 30 square feet. This space may be too small for a Moslem family who have at least three children. On top of the cramped sleeping spaces, the lack of privacy and the noise from their surroundings keep children awake at night. In Maria Cristina and Balo-I, children are able to sleep early because the evacuees observe “no noise” policy at night. During the day, young children who are not in school spend most of their time playing with their fellow evacuees. In fact, a number of children who were interviewed enjoy their stay in the evacuation centers because they get to meet new friends and play with other children the whole day. Children are also encouraged to join in activities spearheaded by humanitarian organizations such as CFSI, Save the Children and UNICEF. Volunteers from nearby communities also visit the Evacuation Centers to conduct play and learning sessions for children. According to a Social Worker from Pantar, activities such as these help children overcome the fear and trauma brought about by their experiences from the armed conflict. It was however noted that there are no regular activities and programs for the children in Buruun and Balo-I. Television has also been useful in entertaining children in the evacuation centers. In Buru-un and Maria Cristina, a television set is available for public viewing. In Maria Cristina evacuees can watch until 10:00PM. The youth of Balo-I are requesting for a television set so that they can watch the daily news and catch-up on their favorite telenovelas. “Sa ngayon kasi nakikinood lang kami sa anak ni Chairman kaya lang minsan nakakahiya kasi naiistorbo na namin siya, baka po merong gustong magdonate ng lumang TV o radio?” asked a 19 year old boy from Balo-i. Teenage girls, on the other hand, prefer to stay in the family area to help prepare meals, wash dishes or look after their younger siblings. At times, especially when they are done with their chores, they get to hang-out with their friends or close relatives, “Wala kasing TV, o librong nababasa, buong araw, chika-chika lang kami, o tumutulong sa gawain o mag-hugas ng pinggan”, said a young lady from Balo-i. Child Friendly Spaces Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) exist in almost all Evacuation Centers except Balo-i. The tent-type spaces built by UNICEF are intended to support the rehabilitation of displaced children. CFS should be a place where children can come together and play to relieve them of their distress. During our visit, three of the Child Friendly Spaces (Buruun, Saguiaran and Sta. Elena) are not being utilized because the ground became sodden and murky after the heavy rains. It was noted that ground sheets (waterproof tarpaulin) were provided but they were not installed. The group was able to make use of the CFS in Pantar but we had to transfer the activity in the open area because the inside of the CFS is not wellventilated. In Maria Cristina, the Mother and Child Care Space also serves as CFS since there is no available vacant space near the evacuation center where the CFS may be installed. 68