Historically, Mindanao has earned a name in the Philippines as the “Land of promise”, due to the abundance of its natural resources. Since the early decades of the 20 century, it has been the magnet for in-migration of people from all over the archipelago in search of a better place to live, a place with promising economic opportunities. For this reason, many Christians have come to settle alongside the island’s original residents- the Lumad and the Moro people. Thus, the tri-people character of Mindanao was born.

This rich land has not only attracted the lowly inhabitants of other islands, but has also been a magnet for big fortune seekers who want to dominate and control its vast resources. It has been the economic target of foreign capital and investment due to its rich mineral resources, soil fertility, abundance of power supply and cheap labor.

This intrusion has met with continuous resistance from its local inhabitants, especially the Moro and the Lumad, hence, in the past decades, it has earned another famous name: “ Mindanao, the Bleeding Land”, referring to the history of resistance.

Recently, Mindanao has caught the attention of the national and international community. The on-going war in Mindanao between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has been the focus of attention. The sound of mortars, bombs from fighter planes and the staccato of bullets have become the order of the day. Death in both camps has been a reality of the struggle.

Thousands of civilians have been physically and economically displaced, and many innocent civilians have been killed in the crossfire. Evacuations have escalated, and throngs of people (especially the women, children and the elderly) along with their few working animals march to unprepared and inadequate evacuation centers to seek temporary refuge.

For the evacuees, life has been harder in the evacuation centers than the poor day-to-day living conditions they faced in their own communities. Lack of food or medical assistance, cramped shelter, unsanitary surroundings and constant fear and anxiety have made life miserable for these lowly victims of war.