to obtain a cash advance of PhP500 from her employer as they had little cash with them. Mahid regretted not bringing anything with her, she said had she known that the conflict would last this long, she should have brought clothes with her and she should have grabbed her piggy bank. In the evacuation center, Mahid shared her worries, including that of locating a missing relative and of taking care of her senior citizen father. She said it is difficult to take care of an elderly in the EC, when it rains, and it often does, the drizzle would get in and it would be very cold and damp. His father often suffered from coughs and colds. She shared that her father is 7 years old and they had to rush him twice to the hospital. In the end, she requested a relative to take care of her father so that he would not suffer more in the ECs. Like others before her, Mahid reiterated the need for cash for the needs inside the ECs, and supported what Hasana earlier mentioned on the need for tents, she said it id very difficult for women to change clothes in the EC as there is no privacy at all.They also needed electric fans, even small ones. When asked if she communicates their needs to their camp coordinator, Mahid says they were asked of their needs but often she’s embarrassed to ask and afraid that she will be scolded instead. One of the striking stories shared by Mahid is the story of her minor nephew who was initially accused of harassing a minor woman. The nephew and the girl were seen by other IDPs lying together and so the girl was asked by the IDPs and the police if something happened and if she was abused, the girl said she was not and was even willing to undergo medical check up to prove that nothing happened. While the matter was eventually dismissed, her nephew was beaten up by IDPs over because of the incident. Mahid explains “ nabugbog sya ng mga taga ditto, kasi alam mo naman ang patakaran sa mga Maranao…..alam mo naman sa ano, hindi tulad sa anon na normal lang yung boy friend-girlfriend, sa amin very sentitive.” She added that while her nephew was beaten, they no longer made a fuss, afraid of complicating things further. As to her message for the government, Mahid said she was very angry with Durterte, because she heard that he is the reason that Marawi was bombed. “Galit ako sa kanya nugn sinabi nila na kaya daw nagka martial law kasi dahil sa kanya, nagkagulo daw dahil sa kanya at dahil sa kanya din kaya nawala yung bahay naming.” All her anger however faded away when she saw the President when he visited Buruun EC. She said she cried and cried while listening to the President and resented the time she was angry with him. She said, “maganda pala ang gusto nya gawin, labag pala sa kalooban nya ang nangyayari.” In the end, she wishes for the conflict to end and that she’s looking forward to the government’s help in rebuilding their lives. She says even if life is difficult in Marawi, it is still better than life in ECs. “Kung matatapos man ito, sana may maibigay na tulong na galing sa kay pangulong Duterte, kung may maibigay man sya sa mga nawalang ng bahay o pabahay, itatayo uli naming ang bahay name nat kung may extra man itataya naming yung kahit na simple lang na tindahan…” Tarhata Mustari, Buruun Tarhata is 25 years old, married and with five young children. Her eldest is five years old and her youngest is but a little more than one month old. During the interview, Tarhata introduced her new born, a boy she jokingly nick named as Martial Law. Tarhata explained that she gave birth on the 23rd of May, around six in the evening, and a little more than four hours since the firefight started in Marawi. She also named her Martial Law in reference to the President’s immediate declaration of Martial Law. Tarhata is a housewife, and her husband works in a construction as a painter. When the firefight started, the husband rushed home and 51