food items such as blankets and malong. Hygiene kits such as toothbrush/toothpaste, soap,
sanitary napkins, and tissue papers were also identified as needed. The National Commission on
Muslim Filipinos has also called for additional donations of long clothing and prayer clothes for
displaced Muslim women. Reports from community monitors have indicated that food and nonfood relief assistance in the evacuation camps are insufficient to cover the needs of all the
displaced persons.
At the start of June 2017, almost 70 percent (70%) of its 201,785 population 15 – a composition of
96 barangays – or 140,155 residents have fled to neighbouring towns and cities since the conflict
started and considerable damages specifically on properties were reported and monitored 16. By
the end of the month, there were 84,351 families or 389,366 persons displaced due to the
conflict. All of whom came from all the 96 barangays of Marawi, 20 municipalities in Lanao del
Sur, and 2 municipalities in Lanao de Norte (DSWD DROMIC). According to DSWD there were two
(2) categories of IDPs. The 3,437 families or 16,070 people who were settling in 77 evacuation
centers (see Appendix A). While the other are the “home-based” IDPS, who were 69,460 families
or 333,919 people that were staying in their relatives or friends in Regions VII, X, XI, XII, CARAGA,
ARMM, and in the Negros Island Region (NIR) (DSWD DROMIC). This situation have resulted to
inaccuracies in accounting the actual number of IDPs, reported health situation in evacuation
areas17, and various humanitarian and protection concerns.
Amidst the intense armed situation in Marawi, rapid increase of affected IDPs, and glooming
humanitarian crisis, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) scheduled an initial Joint Monitoring
Mission on 1 to 5 July 2017. Following its mandate to undertake the investigation of all human
rights violations; monitor the Philippine government’s compliance with international treaty
obligations on human rights; and request assistance of government agencies in the performance
of its functions, among other duties. This report is the culmination of the 5-day joint monitoring
mission of the team; which was comprised of representatives from CHR Center for Crisis, Conflict
and Humanitarian Protection (CHR-CCHP), CHR Child Rights Center (CHR-CRC), CHR-Gender and
Women Human Rights Center (CHR-GeWHRC), CHR Regions X and XII. This report seeks to
highlight the situation and conditions of the IDPs – specifically the children, women and LGBTs –
who were settling in five (5) key evacuation centers (ECs) located in Iligan City, Provinces of Lanao
del Sur, and Lanao del Norte. To do this, the team employed multi-method and multi-sectoral
form of research and inquiries to uncover the stories, struggles, anxieties, and grievances of the
IDPs. Finally, to elucidate the direct and indirect consequences of disaster – such as conflict and
displacement – the team used a combined framework of human-rights based approach and
intersectional analysis to come up with various solutions and recommendations that helped
alleviate burdens of the IDPs, particularly the most vulnerable group.
Human Rights Framework
As the national human rights institution which derived its international legal mandate from the
international instruments and the 1987 Philippine Constitution to promote and protect human
rights in the Philippines, the Commission on Human Rights is mandated to undertake the
investigation of all human rights violations; monitor the Philippine government’s compliance with
international treaty obligations on human rights; and request assistance of government agencies
in the performance of its functions, among other duties.
International Commitments
The Philippines, after the adaptation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of
1948, and the ratification of the seven (7) of the core treaties: International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR),
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), International Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, (ICRMW), and the Convention on
15 See: Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) - 2015 Philippine Census
16 See: Arguillas news article in MindaNews
17 See: ABS-CBN News on DOH responds to evacuees
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