TIPO-TIPO, Basilan — As the rattle of gunfire faded across the hills of Tipo-Tipo, families huddled in makeshift shelters, clutching what little they could carry. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday rushed to deliver food and relief supplies to residents forced to flee their homes after a clan conflict — known locally as rido — erupted earlier this week.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian ordered Field Office 9, which covers the Zamboanga Peninsula and Basilan, to be on full alert and ready to augment local relief operations.
“Tell the mayor of Tipo-Tipo and the governor of Basilan that the DSWD is ready to help them in case there are internally displaced persons,” Gatchalian said in a message to regional officials.
DSWD Sends Food Packs
At least 2,500 family food packs were sent to Basilan through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office. The packages — containing rice, canned goods, coffee, and other essentials — are part of the agency’s quick-response stockpile meant for emergencies in the conflict-prone island province.
Undersecretary Alan Tanjusay, who heads the DSWD’s Peace and Development Group, said their team of 14 social workers and project officers were safe in nearby Isabela City despite the unrest. “Our workers were preparing for a cash-for-work program with former MILF rebels when the armed conflict erupted,” he said.
The DSWD had earlier earmarked ₱277 million for the cash-for-work program intended to support decommissioned combatants under the peace process. But the renewed violence in Tipo-Tipo shifted priorities toward immediate humanitarian needs.
Suspension of Classes and Government Work
Local authorities suspended classes and government work as fighting flared between rival groups, reviving fears among residents still recovering from past clashes. Barangay officials reported that dozens of families sought refuge in schools and barangay halls, though the exact number of displaced people remains unclear.
For many in Basilan, such outbreaks of violence are a grim reminder that peace remains fragile. But amid uncertainty, government trucks rumbling down the dirt roads of Tipo-Tipo offered a small sign of hope — that help, however modest, still finds its way to those caught between conflict and survival.
(DSWD Photo)
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