revisiting a

forgotten

crisis

Portraits of hope and community amid conflict, disasters, and climate change in Mindanao, Philippines

The crisis in Mindanao has lasted for decades, yet it remains largely invisible to much of the world. Still, its impact on daily life is deep and ongoing.

This story gallery brings together 14 portraits of people living through this reality. Their stories reflect strength, care, determination, and the everyday work of rebuilding.

With support from the European Union Humanitarian Aid, the ACCESS consortium worked with partners and communities to bring these voices forward. Together, they offer a closer look at what is happening in Mindanao, and what is possible.
WHERE THE RIVER SHAPES LIFE
Barangay Bagoenged, Pagalungan, Maguindanao Del Sur
Barangay Bagoenged in Pagalungan, Maguindanao del Sur is a low-lying, river-adjacent community of around 2,788 residents, sitting just 4-9 meters above sea level. Nestled along the Rio Grande de Mindanao and within the Ligawasan Marsh catchment, it is a flat floodplain interspersed with rice fields. 

The community is predominantly Maguindanaon-Muslim, with strong family ties, communal traditions, and livelihoods centered on agriculture and fishing. Seasonal hazards—recurring floods, periodic droughts, and occasional tensions—shape daily life and have prompted proactive disaster preparedness efforts.
MARIAM
A Lifetime of Care
Hadja Sittie Mariam Abes, 66, fondly called Babu Mariam, is a barangay health worker who makes sure her flood-prone community can access healthcare. Recurring floods devastated her village, destroying homes, crops, and health facilities. In July 2024, floodwaters rose above head height and lasted several days.
Babu Mariam has spent nearly four decades in service, first as a daycare worker, then as a barangay health worker, often without pay in her early years. 
Her commitment to health is rooted in personal loss: many years ago, she lost her child to diphtheria, a tragedy that drove her to ensure no other child would suffer the same fate. “I want them to survive, to grow healthy and have a good future.”
With support from ACCESS, a building was rehabilitated into a health facility, addressing a long-standing gap. Residents now come regularly for check-ups, immunization, and prenatal care. Mariam estimates around 80% of the barangay visits weekly.
Mariam also completed at least ten ACCESS trainings on disaster preparedness, early warning, and life-saving techniques, and contributed to their village's contingency planning.
I decided to serve my own people, my own community, because my father was a great leader in this place, and who is more ready to serve your own people if not you?
- Mariam
PEMBRAIDA
Leading with Courage
Pembraida “Pem” Andoy-Santiago, 29, grew up in Barangay Bagoenged where her father long served as chairman. She was once a daycare student of Babu Mariam; today, the two women are leaders in disaster preparedness.
Pem was elected Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson in 2007 and later served as a Violence Against Women and Children desk officer. She now plays an active role in the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Living in Bagoenged, a relatively secluded village, has its challenges, as public services from the municipality or province do not always reach the community.
“I want to be able to save myself, my loved ones, and our community if disaster strikes.” Through trainings organized by the ACCESS project, Pem contributed to risk reduction and anticipatory action plans. She also pushed for inclusive practices, such as using flaglets to alert people with hearing impairments. 
It is empowering to be involved in barangay affairs, especially in our culture where the system is still patriarchal. To young girls and aspiring leaders: trust yourself. People will not have confidence in you if you do not believe in yourself. Your only competition should be who you were yesterday. Be better today, and even more so tomorrow.
- Pem
ABDULLAH
Fisherfolk through Rising Waters
Abdullah Dawadi, 49, catches fish in rivers that go around and through his home barangay of Bagoenged. Recurring floods make life in his community more difficult than it already is, and though fishermen like him can catch more fish during those times, floods also damage homes and their means for livelihood, especially boats. 
On a good day, he earns around ₱150, sometimes reaching ₱500 if the catch is abundant. But income is uncertain, and the broken bridge and lack of transportation make it hard to sell fish or support his children studying outside the community.
Food was scarce during the flooding of 2024. The water first stayed for seven days, then returned and lasted almost a month, washing away belongings and leaving his children sick with diarrhea.
I had to leave my family to seek help. They didn’t have food. I prayed for their safety and waded through floodwaters.
- Abdullah
Abdullah joined disaster preparedness drills organized by ACCESS, which changed how his family responds to hazards. “We now understand the importance of early evacuation and have started moving things to safer places even before the floods come.”
Health care has also become more accessible since the Barangay Health Station was rehabilitated under the EU-funded ACCESS project. Now, families can regularly access vaccines, medicines, and check-ups closer to home, something that proved crucial during the flood when his children needed treatment.
A PATH BEYOND FLOODS AND CONFLICT
Kadayangan, BARMM Special Geographic Area (SGA)
MADRASAH ALIPOLO
Faith and Learning
Madrasah Alipolo, established in 2019, blends secular and religious learning. About 40 students on weekdays study English, Math, and Arabic, while some 140 on weekends focus on Islamic teachings. A recently launched youth program encourages more to continue their education.
Beyond learning, the madrasah also serves as a refuge for families during emergencies. With ACCESS support, new latrines were built, replacing the open fields once used as toilets. 
raida
Nourishing Hope
Raida Rayman, 43, cares for her family while her husband drives a pedicab. She once ran a sari-sari store but closed it when her youngest son, Nuryazan, now 3, fell ill.
Conflict and flooding repeatedly damage homes and livelihoods in their community, putting lives on hold. In June 2024, armed clashes forced Raida’s family to flee with nothing but her son’s medicine.
ACCESS reached them on the first day with food, cash, and sleeping kits, and later provided medical referral and regular monitoring in coordination with the rural health unit.
At one year old, Nuryazan weighed only 5–7 kilograms due to bacterial meningitis, malnutrition, and developmental delays. With ACCESS support — food, cash, medical referral, and dietary guidance — he grew healthier and more active, reaching 11 kilograms. Doctors praised his recovery, noting he had finally reached normal weight for his age.
We received not only food and medicine, but also hope and knowledge on how to care for my child. We are deeply grateful.
- Raida
ANTON
Steering through Uncertainty
Anton Sulayman, 43, supports his wife and two daughters by driving a tricycle, tending goats, and occasionally fishing. For years, the family relied mostly on fishing, until a motorcycle gifted by his brother offered an alternative income source. 
But like Raida and the rest of their village, Anton’s efforts are disrupted by floods and conflict. The June 2024 conflict trapped Anton’s family in the crossfire. They managed to escape only during a ceasefire and sought refuge in a nearby school.
Soon after came severe floods, which destroyed their home and belongings, followed by the El Niño dry spell, which led to a severe water shortage.
During displacement, ACCESS provided food, cash, and sleeping kits. The project also introduced an inclusive early warning system, with protection training and two-way radios, helping residents prepare for multiple threats, from natural hazards to armed conflict.
Despite hardships, Anton is determined to lift his family out of poverty. He hopes to work abroad to secure a better future for his daughters, one of whom dreams of becoming a nurse.
YASSER
Adapting and Rebuilding
Yasser Abdul, 43, is a farm laborer who proudly lives in a home toughened by lessons from past floods.
He and his wife Akrima raise eleven children through rice farming, fishing, and firewood gathering, while two of their older children working in another city send money and small comforts like bread and coffee.
Flooding once destroyed Yasser’s home and devastated farmlands, leaving farm workers like him without income.
Support from the ACCESS project — food packs, cash, water kits, and hygiene kits — sustained them through the following weeks as they searched for ways to rebuild.
My only wish is that my children grow up well, find decent work, and receive an education. I show them this by providing discipline and guidance.
- Yasser
BABY, TATA, RED
Standing with Communities
Redhyna, Norjaina, and Tarhata are humanitarian workers at Community Organizers Multiversity. Each carries memories of conflict and displacement, and finds meaning in serving people in crisis. What keeps them going are the small signs of hope: a family rebuilding, a child returning to school, a smile when help arrives.
Redhyna Angkong – Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Officer
Redhyna often listens to evacuees’ stories of loss and survival. She says it's difficult to hold back tears, but “Their hope gives me strength. Even if we can’t meet all their needs, we can lessen the burden.”
Norjaina Amino – Community Mobilizer
As a child, Norjaina fled conflict, riding in a cart with her family’s belongings and sleeping in camps. Today, as a Community Mobilizer, she works with people facing the same hardships. “My past taught me how cruel the world can be, but I’m still here, helping those affected. The love we receive from communities keeps me going.”
Tarhata Guiomla – Community Mobilizer
Tarhata’s village once hosted families displaced by conflict. When she joined COM as a Community Mobilizer, she found herself in the middle of armed clashes during assessments, even working while managing her own health struggles. “It’s fulfilling to see the smiles of people who finally receive the support they need,” she says.
REBUILDING AS THE WATERS RECEDE
Matanog, Maguindanao Del Sur
Sitio Sogod in Barangay Sapad, Matanog, Maguindanao Del Norte is a rural, coastal fishing community surrounded by dense vegetation. Located near a large river, which overflowed under heavy rains and caused massive floods in 2024. The community remains vulnerable to climate shocks, especially flooding, and many struggle with debt when floods damage livelihood tools.
ROWENA
A Mother and Leader
Rowena Saliba, 47, lost her home and her fishing boat, bought on a loan, when floods struck her coastal village in July 2024.
She and her children clung to a tree through the night to survive the rising waters before being brought to safety the next morning.
Despite her own loss, she volunteered as a hygiene promoter and protection monitor, helping families access safe water, practice good hygiene, and safeguard women and children. Even now that she has returned home, she continues guiding her peers, sharing health messages and encouragement.
After the flood, her family received support from the ACCESS project through food packs, cash, water kits, and hygiene kits that sustained them in the following weeks. Through sessions organized by the project, Rowena and other evacuees also learned about their rights as internally displaced persons.
When the floods came, many livelihoods were lost. Many lives were lost. Now we’re striving to stand again
- Rowena
EDUCATION CARRIES HOPE
Picong, Lanao Del Sur
Barangay Ilian in Picong, Lanao Del Sur is a lowland farming village surrounded by fields of corn and root crops. The area is situated between conflict-affected communities, where clashes force families to move between homes for safety. Despite these challenges, the community still values education and local farming, with strong maternal figures playing key roles in supporting children.
aina
Learning Against the Odds
Aina*, 13, walks three hours each day to attend school in Barangay Ilian. Her village is affected by sporadic incidents of conflict, disrupting classes and uprooting families.

*not her real name
Still, Aina excels in school. A natural leader and at the top of her class, she is loved by classmates, who often gather to hear her stories.
ACCESS helped ensure learning continues for students like Aina even during emergencies by providing school kits and motivation sessions.
Their school sits along a river, where students and teachers once used makeshift toilets due to the absence of proper facilities. The project built new latrines, which significantly improved hygiene for children and teachers alike.
Iyah
A Teacher's Dedication
Omaiyah, nicknamed Iyah, 29, is a volunteer teacher and facilitator of Return-to-Learning sessions at Aina's school. These sessions help young children resume learning and regain a sense of normalcy after their schooling is disrupted by conflict.
Each day, she rises before dawn to prepare lessons for her Grade 3 students and for children aged 4–6. Even when gunfire is heard in nearby towns, she still goes to school if she knows learners have arrived, saying teachers feel responsible for their safety as well as their education.
She also teaches social and emotional learning to help children cope with the effects of violence.
With support from ACCESS, including learning kits, a new water source, and a comfort room, more children are returning to class. Iyah continues to guide them with patience and faith, believing education must go on even in the face of crisis.
Forging futures
Jabonga, Agusan Del Norte
Agusan del Norte is home to many Indigenous Peoples groups. In Jabonga, some families from the Mamanwa tribe live along the Bangonay River, surrounded by steep hills prone to floods and landslides. For decades, they have also faced the strain of conflict. Some members of the community are displaced families from more isolated areas, who had to move due to clashes.
Jelson and Mylene
Hope in a Piece of Paper
Jelson and Mylene Camporedondo, 46 and 42, are Mamanwa parents of five children. Jelson works as a barangay tanod, earning about P1,000 a month, while Mylene manages the household and cares for their children.
Over the years, they have faced floods, landslides, and the trauma of armed conflict. One of the most meaningful forms of assistance they received through ACCESS was help securing birth certificates for their children, documents they could not afford on their own.
This was the greatest help we received. Without a birth certificate, you can’t even enroll your child in school.
- Jelson and Mylene
Alongside civil registration, their family also received food kits, school supplies, shelter repair materials, hygiene kits, a latrine, and health and mental health support. “There was aid that really brought joy into our lives, and none of it was political. The joy we felt, it’s priceless.”
For Indigenous families like theirs, civil registration secures recognition and opens the path to dignity and opportunity.
Alona
Lighting a Path for Others
Alona Olmo, 32, is a Grade 1 teacher and the first college graduate among her ten siblings. A member of the Mamanwa tribe, she grew up in poverty but was inspired by a teacher to persevere.  
Today, she teaches mostly Indigenous students in Tagbuaya, many of whom arrive hungry, cross rivers to get to school, or miss class when their families have no food. Alona often buys meals for her students from her own pocket, remembering what it was like to sit in class with an empty stomach.
As an indigenous person myself, I want to be an example: that even if we face many challenges, we can still dream and finish school.
- Alona
For Alona, education is both a personal victory and a promise to her community.
Buenavista, Agusan del Norte
Noynoy
Healing and Community
Noynoy Mansartihan, 42, of the Higaonon tribe, once carried the weight of his family. He worked hard and helped send his siblings to school. After falling ill with malaria, his health spiraled and he was later diagnosed with a mental health condition. The breadwinner became the one who needed care.
Community-based mental health sessions held by ACCESS helped Noynoy and those around him understand what he was going through.
His niece Geli explains, “We now know how to support him when he struggles. It has made our family stronger.”
For nurse Jackie, who regularly visits their village, awareness is as vital as treatment: “When people understand, stigma lessens, and care becomes possible.”
Noynoy still faces challenges, but with the care of his family and the support of his community, he is no longer defined by illness. His story reminds us that mental health care, grounded in compassion, can bring back hope.
This story gallery is presented by the EU Humanitarian Aid–funded ACCESS Project.

ACCESS works to reduce the suffering, uphold the dignity, and address the urgent humanitarian needs of communities affected by conflict, natural hazards, and other emergencies across the Philippines. To date, the project has supported over 200,000 individuals nationwide, providing assistance in food security and livelihoods; shelter; water, sanitation, and hygiene; education; health; protection (including civil registration), and disaster preparedness.

Photos by Martin San Diego.