War in Mindanao

August 22: Asma Akmad, Provincial Vice-Governor's aide in charge of medical missions and relief operations in the province, made a plea to ACIM-Asia for assistance in the town of Maasim, where war had recently erupted.

August 23: Chief Capt. Jerwin Aguinaldo, representing the Apostles of Mary Catholic Youth League of the Philippines and ACIM Asia proceeded to Maasim with the Vice-Governor's relief team. He brought with him candies for children, cans of tuna, rosaries and prayer guides, and copies of the booklet "Fatima's Peace Plan from Heaven". As he distributed the Rosaries and the booklets, military people who were in the area also lined for their free supply.
While there, he assisted in the preliminary stress debriefing program for the children evacuees seeking refuge in the town gymnasium. He gave out candies as children shared their fears and anxieties, sang or cried out their confusions and pains, and eventually played games to find a sense of normalcy in the chaotic upheaval of their lives.

He saw the pitiful condition of the evacuees. There was a child who had sustained burns from scalding water that spilled on her as she rushed with her family to escape the gunfires ravaging their village.

He saw malnourished and sick children and himself echoed the plea for medical assistance among the victims of war, especially the children.

September 26: ACIM-ASIA will be assisting in the medical mission in Maasim using medicines left over from the Rosa Mystica Health Mission. Dra. Lagare will serve. The search for doctors willing to serve in the mission is still going on. Maasim is one of the poor Sarangani towns without a hospital. It is expected that chronic and acute diseases other than war-related illnesses will be seen. It will be a tough mission.

Mr. Jerwin Aguinaldo is collecting food and clothing from friends and benefactors in Manila. He is working to collect enough to feed 1000 children during the medical mission.

EVACUEES FLEEING THEIR VILLAGES, SEEKING REFUGE IN THE TOWN GYMNASIUM

Chief Jerwin with the armed bodyguards and the staff from the provincial government who went to Maasim to direct the evacuation relief operation