b) Clothing and other non-food items Most children were not able to bring anything aside from the clothes that they were wearing when they fled their homes in Marawi. Having left with no money, their families relied on the government to provide for their basic needs. Aside from food, each registered family is given a pack of clothes and set of beddings (mat/blankets) when they arrived at the evacuation center. In Buruun, Maria Cristina and Sta. Elena, one foldable bed is also provided to each family. Girls from Saguiaran and Maria Cristina also received two pieces of malong (tube skirt) from DSWD. Since donated clothes were already pre-packed, the evacuees were not able to choose the kind of clothes that were handed to them. In Buru-un, IDP girl-children received clothes that are not culturally appropriate. Maranao girls have no choice but to wear short sleeve blouses that do not cover their arms. As shared by a Muslim girl from Buru-un, “’ung ibang damit na binibigay sa amin ‘nde po namin magamit kasi bawal naman po sa amin ‘yun, ayaw din po sa aming ipasuot nila mama. Ung ibang ukay binibigay nalang namin sa mga Christians para magamit.” Also a concern for most Moslem girls is their lack of ‘hijab’ (veil), as they are required to wear this piece of clothing when in the presence of men outside their immediate family. A number of Maranao girls interviewed have one ‘hijab’, the one they wore when they left Marawi City. One evacuee mentioned that she received a ‘hijab’ when representatives from OPAPP visited their evacuation center. It was observed that most Moslem girls in the evacuation centers have gotten used to being seen without ‘hijab’. Still, some would look for ways to cover their faces with towelletes or scarves. Moreover, there was one girl who declined to be interviewed because she felt embarrassed for not wearing her ‘hijab’. In Buruun, a girl refused to step-out of her sleeping area because she is not wearing a ‘hijab’. Prayer clothes are also required for women and girls to participate in mosque services. In Pantar, IDP girls who do not have the traditional clothing of Maranao women are not allowed to enter the mosque to pray. In Balo-I, girls attend mosque services wearing prayer clothes borrowed from families living near the evacuation center. Aside from the lack of clothes that are appropriate to cultural and religious practices, there is also a need for baby clothes and undergarments. A young mother from Saguiaran worries that she has not yet received clothes that would fit her new born baby. Moreover, she mentioned that some of the donated clothes were used as dusters (basahan) because they are too worn-out to be worn. As for the undergarments, children confirmed that undergarments (brief, panty and brassieres) are provided to all evacuees only that some are not sized accordingly, and the quantity provided is not enough for daily use. Footwear, such as slippers, should also be provided to all children in the evacuation centers to replace worn-out or lost slippers. Although, it was observed that, slippers are often not lost but are intentionally taken from the children. “Madalas ang nakawan ng tsinelas dito, ‘nde rin maiiwasan kasi kulang talaga ang tsinelas nang mga bata,” says 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 68