IMPACT STORIES
Impact stories are advocacy narratives which aim to spotlight the upshots of non-profit projects, embolden initiatives for empowerment, and effectuate positive social impact. It serves as the documentation arm of the organization to cover its various legal projects and development programs.
Stories
Leading from the ground up
RIGHTS IN CRISIS AND EMERGENCIESOn the eve of her 37th birthday, Sittie Batalo was on her way to Cagayan de Oro City when she received a call from her father-in-law in Basak Malutlot, Marawi City. She could hear gunshots being fired. This was the start of the 5-month...
Changing cultural landscapes of disaster preparedness
RIGHTS IN CRISIS AND EMERGENCIESKapamagogopa is a Maranaw custom derived from the word ogop which directly translates to “help”. It refers to the practice of helping the needy as ordered by Allah. For the Maranaws, everyone has the duty to look out for one another and...
Of rotis and sandwiches: how a single mother feeds 14 family members
RIGHTS IN CRISIS AND EMERGENCIESThe “sandwich generation” refers to adults who have a living parent who are 65 years old or older and are either raising a child or supporting a grown child. These middle-aged adults are “sandwiched” between aging parents and kids who...
Assistance in a time of grief
RIGHTS IN CRISIS AND EMERGENCIES“I will leave it up to Allah if I will earn anything for the day,” Magondaya Torondaya, 63, said in tears. Magondaya sells palapa for a living. A staple sweet and spicy Maranao condiment, she makes the palapa herself and peddles it...
Sowing seeds, reaping resiliency
RIGHTS IN CRISIS AND EMERGENCIES“Isang taon naming hinintay ang isang libo” (We waited for an entire year for Php 1,000.00 or $ 20.00), Bedorie Mamailao recalls. Bedorie, 60, explained that ginger takes an entire year to harvest. The first time they did, Bedorie and...
Turning grief into courage: Joie Cruz and her continuing fight
HUMAN RIGHTS By Kristine Rebote Over a year after frontline healthcare worker Maria Theresa Cruz passed away from COVID-19, her daughter, Joie Cruz, translated her grief into a fight for justice. And to this day, she carries on. When her mother passed away, Joie was...
Fruits of labor: Rising costs, sinking profits dash hopes of ComVal banana farmers
ECONOMIC RIGHTS It’s been 44 years since she first stepped foot in Compostela Valley, but Angela Vicente, 65, still remembers her first day of work. Barely an adult at 21, Vicente was hungry for opportunities and decided to try her luck as a laborer in the banana...
Putting out wildfires: How local community patrollers address the infodemic
At the height of the community quarantines back in March 2020, many people from Lanao del Sur starts obeying health protocols in fear of contracting COVID-19. But as time passed, people started doubting if the virus is real or if it’s just a scam by the government and the media.
Local community patrollers defend their communities from COVID-19 rumors
Communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been experiencing continuous armed conflicts and natural disasters. On top of everyday worries on peace and security, people now have the pandemic added to their worries.
Lived experiences in the SPMS Box: COVID-19 and beyond
RIGHTS IN CRISIS AND EMERGENCIES By Datu Raid Salik We were greeted by bullet holes on the walls, shadows of what was once homes, and shattered glasses of Masjid the first time I entered the SPMS Box back in October 2020. Together with the community patrollers,...
Radio program bridges the language gap to deliver health information
RIGHTS IN CRISIS AND EMERGENCIES By Datu Raid Salik(Translation to English by Mikhaela Dimpas) Wahida Samsudin, 40, is one of the many who can only understand and fluently speak one language: Maguindanaon, the local language in Maguindanao. She isn’t that fond...
‘Here I am; I’ve changed’
Rosa – Graduate of the Diocese of Caloocan’s Salubong program