Showing posts with label zamboanga crisis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zamboanga crisis. Show all posts

Friday, November 1, 2013

Faith or Fear?

by Riezyl Barbadillo

It was on one of my conversations with an old professor when I first heard of this question. At that time I thought I understood what he meant when he said this. But to my surprise, it took on a really different meaning during the three-week Zamboanga Crisis.

 “Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear puts us into hopelessness, while faith rejoices in its God. You choose Faith or fear?”


Not the usual thing I see everyday..



by Joanne Vargas

In my 22 years of existence, the Zamboanga Siege was the first war that I experienced for almost a month unlike the Cabatangan Siege in 2001 that lasted a week or less. The war that happened here in my hometown is very memorable to me and I will never forget it as long as I live because it started on a Monday of September 9, 2013, the day of my 22nd birthday.


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

September 9, 2013: A date all Zamboangeños will forever remember.

by Gerard Santos


September 9, 2013. A date all Zamboangeños will forever remember.

Thousands of evacuees from the affected areas crowd the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex in just a matter of days.
It was a time where the entire city stood still. Schools, offices, market places, restaurants, and even hospitals are forced to shut down. Terrified families all around the city watch the news at home and chills run through their spine with every “bang”...


Sunday, October 27, 2013

Reflections...

Reflections...


by Angel Barjose  

Ever since I started medschool, my Septembers and Octobers have changed. My life has adapted with the fact that we have to go to Denoman on October and September serves as a month of preparation. But Septmeber 9, 2013 was not something that I expected, nor did something like that ever crossed my mind. It should have been just like any other ordinary day in Zamboanga City with fellow Zamboanguenos doing their daily routine. But the gunshots and bomb explosions disturbed the city’s peaceful atmosphere. A war broke out.

Everyone was hopeful that the war won’t last long. One night had passed then more nights until it reached a month. In that month, many people became homeless, many people suffered and many lives were lost. The war was indeed more severe than a virus. So severe that it ruined the city and its people physically, emotionally and mentally making this city unhealthy. 


from Google images
They say that in every bad situation, we have to find something good in it. Even though this situation is in its worst scenario, good things still happened. Just like a viral infection that needs antiviral medications, many good souls helped the severely affected people. These good souls served as the soothing medicines that made the victims felt a little better. Many donations emerged. Many kind hearted people never hesitated to help. On the other side, the armed forces served as the city’s antibodies against the rebels. They worked day and night to protect the city. – This just showed that despite the tragedy, Zamboanga City has a strong sense of community and camaraderie.