Marawi

i
LOOKING BEYOND THE MARAWI SIEGE NEWS COVERAGE:

NARRATIVES AND PERSPECTIVES OF MSU FRESHMEN
An Undergraduate Thesis
Presented to the
Department of Communication and Media Studies
College of Social Sciences and Humanities
Mindanao State University Marawi City
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Major in Journalism
By
SHAMIAH WINDYLYN Q. GARANGAN
December 2021
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover Page i
Approval Letter ii
Acknowledgement iii
Table of Contents iv
List of Tables v
List of Figures v
Abstract vi
Chapter I The Problem and its Scope 1
Introduction 1
Statement of the Problem 4
Objectives 5
Significance of the Study 6
Assumptions 7
Scope and Limitations of the Study 8
Chapter II Review of Related Literature 9
Related Literature 9
Theoretical Framework 28
Conceptual Framework 34
Definition of Terms 35
Chapter III Research Methodology 38
Research Design 38
Research Locale 40
Students 41
Sampling Procedure 41
Methods of Data Gathering 42
Research Instrument 42
Method of Data Analysis 42
Chapter IV Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data 43
Participant Profile 44
News Media Consumed by the Students during the Marawi SIEGE 47
Use of the Media by the Students 50
iii
Contributing Factors in Deciding to Reenrol to MSU - Marawi

Campus 58
Chapter V Summary, Conclusions, Implications and Recommendations 73
Summary of Findings 73
Conclusions 77
Implications 79
Recommendations 80
Bibliography 82
Appendices 94
Guide Questionnaire for the In-Depth Interview 95

Transcription of interviews 96
Documents and Memoranda 123
Curriculum Vitae 124
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Demographic and Background Summary 45
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Conceptual Framework Diagram 35

Figure 2 The Destruction Caused by the SIEGE of Marawi in 2017 48
- SEA OF DESTRUCTION
Figure 3 Airstrikes in Marawi SIEGE 2017 - Military brings longrange 61
artillery closer to Maute strongholds
Figure 4 Facebook Post - Mindanao State University Main Campus -
Marawi 72
1
Chapter I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
Introduction
Educational institutions play a major role in shaping the career of its students.
The more successful students are in their career the better the growth opportunities and
a great future which in turns proves out to be useful for the society, country they are
residing in one way or other. Hence, it is a prime role of the educational institutions to
guide the students on choosing a perfect field of study (Mortiz, 2016).
With the power the media holds in conveying and channeling messages of all
sorts, searching for and consuming information took a strong leap of progress. The
advancement of communication and technological innovation provided an array of
opportunities in helping its consumers make sound decisions within the comforts of
their homes. Media is becoming exceedingly essential in our day-to-day lives 一 from
choosing which products to buy, when to fill up your fuel tank, where vacations should
be spent, and even who to vote for during elections.
What happened in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur on May 23, 2017, obtained
copious amounts of media attention and coverage from local and national print as well
as broadcast media networks. Among those that had consistently reported the SIEGE
were ABS-CBN, GMA, TV5, and CNN Philippines. The five-month-long armed conflict
2
was also broadcasted to the world by international news media such as BBC, Al-Jazeera,
and Fox News, to name a few. The SIEGE, which forcibly displaced the majority of the
city’s population, has become the daily news that led to varying perspectives among the
people.
Anecdotal accounts existed prior to the SIEGE, citizens received text messages
urging them to flee as an upcoming armed conflict between the army and the
Mujahideen or Islamic guerillas will happen. Regrettably, the people did not take the
threats seriously. It was only when the SIEGE had started that they realized that it was
not a hoax. The ensuing hostilities lasted for five months. The destruction, mass
displacement, and chaos, in addition to the atrocities, committed caught the attention of
the national and international press. Social media also did not slack in covering the
events during the SIEGE, causing ‘netizens’ to follow the developments at a frenzied
pace. Suddenly, Marawi, a once quiet and simple charted city was known for a tragic
reason.
Tragedies of terrorism and war are profound accidents beyond normal human
experience which result in extreme physical and psychological damage (Saylor, 1993).
Unfortunately, the evolution of several factors such as the media, population growth,
industrialization of underdeveloped societies, globalization of communication and
commerce, political destabilization, and social and religious fragmentation created a
regularity and harshness of mass trauma not previously seen (Chrisman & Dougherty,
2014). Consequently, children and youth in the 21st century have unparalleled
3
exposure, both direct and indirect, to natural disasters and man-made tragedies (Hagan,
2009).
The Mindanao State University (MSU) - Marawi Campus witnessed the SIEGE
from the beginning to the end. Despite the SIEGE, it chose to continue its operations.
Students and faculty braved the airstrikes, gunfights, and bombings nearly five
kilometers away from the battle zone. This coverage also garnered media attention.
Four years after the SIEGE, the residents, the teachers, and the students are still trying
their best to build and rebuild what was lost and what was left, and finally move
forward.
Despite the SIEGE and its effects on the Marawi communities, on top of the
debatably “far-fetched” media portrayal of Marawi City and the SIEGE. The media
affected the students who enrolled in 2020-2021? What are the students’ narratives
concerning their reasons for re-enrolling at MSU - Marawi Campus? The situation is
relatable to the researcher as she chose to return to MSU - Marawi Campus to finish her
degree. It is also relevant to determine the role of the news media’s coverage of the
SIEGE of Marawi in 2017 in the decision of students 一 specifically those that are not
locals of Lanao del Sur 一 to be admitted to MSU- Marawi Campus.
For the above-mentioned reason, the researcher conducted this study on ten
students who are currently senior students and are not from Lanao del Sur, to collect
narratives concerning their reasons and outlook in admitting to MSU - Marawi Campus
despite the news highlighting the events of the 2017 Marawi SIEGE. More so, while
watching the news from different news media and media outlets is a good habit to
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make an informed choice, it is also important to make accounts on the significance of
verifying the credibility of the media being consumed thus satisfying the needs of its
audiences, which may specifically include their personal development, safety, and
security. This is in line to understand the post-conflict struggles experienced by learners
from outside Marawi City
Statement of the Problem
The researcher focused on the narratives and perspectives of the students at the
time of the Marawi SIEGE, and who are now seniors from different colleges of MSU -
Marawi Campus. These students do not come from Lanao del Sur. The researcher asked
them about their narratives during the media coverage of the Marawi SIEGE in 2017.
The researcher sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the students in terms of:
a) Age
b) Sex
c) Background
d) Province
e) Degree
2. What news media have the students been exposed to at the time the SIEGE
happened?
3. What are the students’ impressions of Marawi after going to and studying in
MSU - Marawi Campus?

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4. How do the students perceive the news media vis-à-vis their plans of
pursuing/finishing their studies in MSU - Marawi Campus?
Objectives of the Study
In conducting the study, the researcher’s goals are:
1. To determine the profile of the students such as age, sex, background,
hometown/province, degree pursued.
2. To identify how exposed are the students regarding the Marawi SIEGE when it
happened.
3. To determine the students’ impressions of Marawi based on the news they have
seen.
4. To know the students’ impression of Marawi after going to and studying in MSU
- Marawi Campus.
5. To assess the student’s perception towards the news media vis-à-vis their plans
of pursuing/finishing their studies in MSU - Marawi Campus.
Significance of the Study
Through this study, the researcher hoped to provide some insights as she
investigated stories about the students who still chose to study at MSU - Marawi
Campus despite what happened—especially those who did not come from Marawi
City, Lanao del Sur.
This study will add to the knowledge of:

6
Journalists. The result of this study would help journalists decide how to better
handle the details of their stories—encouraging them to improve their practice of
writing, take better responsibility in what they write, and practice impartiality. This
would also add to their existing knowledge about the Marawi SIEGE, as well as its
effect on students and its citizens. Furthermore, this would help them do proper
gatekeeping in the write-ups they produce.
Teachers. This study would serve as an additional reference for instructors
looking to further guide their students with their research and classes. It would also
help them gain a better understanding of how powerful media can be, as it can affect
the public and their opinions despite other factors.
Students and Future Media Practitioners. This study would help them
understand how media affects people and how powerful words can be. Moreover, this
would add some insight as to the differences between mainstream and alternative
media news reports.
Future Researchers. The result of this research may be used as a reference in
future studies of students in the field of communication or the media landscape—
offering a broader understanding of this topic.
Assumptions
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The researcher assumes that while it is true that media has the power to
influence, the audience are not passive consumers which means that they do not only
receive information, but also unconsciously attempt to make sense of the message in
their own context. Media consumers are actually active in selecting the media they
choose to consume to gratify specific wants and needs. As mentioned by Littlejohn
and Foss (2009), the key idea of the theory of Uses and Gratifications by Elihu Katz,
Jay Blumler, and Michael Gurevitch in the 1970s is that the uses that audiences make of
the media and the gratifications produced by those uses can be traced back to a
constellation of individual psychological and social needs.
Thus, in this study, the researcher assumes that the negative portrayal of
media during the height of SIEGE did not contribute to the decision-making of
students to enroll in the University.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
This study focused on the perception and the narratives of the senior students
who are residents from outside the province of Lanao del Sur .The researcher chose
ten (10) students for the study with in-depth interviews to further understand their
account on why they have chosen MSU - Marawi Campus.
Furthermore, this study focused on how the current senior students, who are
enrolled in MSU - Marawi Campus during the second semester of AY 2020-2021, used
media and how it has contributed to their thought process and decision-making.
Lastly, the researcher focused on the senior students in the AY 2020-2021, since
they are among the most inclined to use media.

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Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This section features books, journals, articles, and prior studies such as thesis,
dissertations, and conference proceedings that helped us better understand our
topic, problem, concepts, and their interrelationships.
Related Literature
Media in the Philippines
The newspaper plays a vital role in everyday life. It may not be as significant as
it once was in the digital age, but individuals who understand its significance continue
to purchase and read it (Sharma, 2017).
Indeed, the press has taken an apparent judicial role. As the society's
watchdog, the press serves as a check and balance and typically articulates.
Philippine journalism has grown since the Philippines gained independence, with the
years 1946 to 1972 being dubbed the "golden period of Philippine journalism" (Braid
& Tuazon, 1999).
. According to the 2010 Index, newspaper reading ranks third in the main island
groups, behind only television viewing and radio listening in terms of frequency.
What's more intriguing is that low earnings did not harm media consumption —
notably newspaper reading, which was particularly prevalent in the poverty-stricken

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Mindanao region. In addition to pass-on reading, the purchase of nationally and
locally produced tabloids, whose prices are less expensive than those of the
broadsheet, may contribute to this phenomenon. This is especially true in Mindanao
where the increasing number of middle-class families may have encouraged the use
of media such as newspapers and the Internet. This development bodes well for the
future of the community newspaper industry (Opiniano et al., Philippine Community
Journalism).
The truth is that news coverage of the most significant news events had the
highest median rating of 73 percent over the globe. With 87 percent approval,
Filipinos ranked third among Asians. Vietnam and the Philippines tied with 78
percent satisfaction, with 78 percent of Filipinos agreeing that the media covers all
sides fairly, albeit 20 percent disagree. South Korea (72 percent) and the United States
(52 percent) were the countries with the least satisfaction with balanced news
(BizAsia, 2018).
It is also beneficial to job searchers, who may read through the newspaper, as
well as to instructors. They may utilize the knowledge to guide their pupils, in the
case of the latter group (Sharma, 2017). According to the survey, the typical Filipino
social media user spends about 4 hours on numerous platforms every day, followed
by Brazilians and Indonesians, respectively. According to the research, as of January
2018, there were 4.021 billion internet users globally, accounting for more than half of
the world's population (53 percent). More than half of internet users (42 percent), or
around 3.2 billion people, are engaged on social media, with nine out of ten of those
individuals accessing their preferred sites using mobile devices (ABS- CBN, 2018).
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Effects of Media Content Consumption
In recent years, the media's ability to influence the public's choice has become
more powerful than it has ever been. Audience processing of mass media
communications and the impacts of mass communication on audiences are all
investigated in this field, which often draws upon theoretical frameworks to do so.
Mass communication is the transmission of information from one person or group of
individuals to a large number of people or markets via the use of a transmitting
instrument (a medium) (Shirley Biagi, 1999).
Thus, negative valence news broadcasts are likely to make individuals sadder
and more apprehensive, but they are also likely to increase people's concerns and
fears. While news articles depicting war, starvation, and poverty may cause viewers
to ponder on these subjects, the impact of negatively valenced news is far wider than
that; it can intensify a variety of personal worries unrelated to the program's content.
Thus, inundating individuals with 'sensationalized' negativity has serious and
tangible psychological consequences (Davey, 2012). With all the recent headlines
concerning the Marawi SIEGE, one must question why there are still freshman
students registered at Mindanao State University - Marawi Campus. Has their
perspective changed as a result of the news coverage or not? This will be covered in
more detail in subsequent chapters.
Social Media and its Effect

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For news organizations, social media presents both possibilities and risks,
impacting their connections with their audiences and the geographical areas and
regions they have historically serviced. Social media platforms enable the creation and
expansion of audiences, the expansion of geographical reach, the ability to react more
swiftly than ever before to breaking news events and concerns, and the direct
interaction with news consumers (Bowd, 2018).
Indeed, audience fragmentation has started to emerge as viewers increasingly
engage with both online and traditional media (2013). Social media may exacerbate
this fragmentation by offering extra channels for news consumers to obtain and engage
with information, as well as with the information's suppliers. Investigating how
newspapers — particularly smaller newspapers, owing to their varying publication
frequencies and ownership patterns — interact with social media may provide some
insight into how news media and their audiences connect in a networked environment,
and how these connections are influenced by social media. It may also contribute to a
better understanding of the increasingly complicated interactions between news
organizations and their audiences, as well as the strategies used to negotiate these
relationships in response to social and technological change (Bowd, 2018).
Now, next to the discussion is to learn more about Marawi; wherein were the
SIEGE happened and its locals. This is an attempt to understand further and give
context to the researcher’s scope and limitation. And that is a narrative of how non-
residing students from Marawi had enrolled in MSU-Main Campus despite the Marawi
SIEGE News.
Marawi City and its Locals

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Marawi is located in the Lake Lanao area of Mindanao, in the Philippines'
northwestern region. Marawi (previously Dansalan), the capital of Lanao del Sur, is
the Maranaos commercial, cultural, and educational hub. Many Maranao are
adamantly opposed to a centralized government in the Philippines, with some
outright rebelling against it. They desire a federal system of governance with more
regional autonomy, or secession to unite with a Muslim country or establish
independence.
Marawi Siege
Marawi siege and the Marawi crisis, was a five-month-long armed conflict
between Philippine government security forces and militants affiliated with the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi
jihadist groups, in Marawi, Lanao del Sur. Additionally, the war marked the longest
urban conflict in the Philippines' modern history. (AFP, 2017). Troops invaded the
residence in search of Isnilon Hapilon but were greeted with a hail of gunfire
(Fonbuena, 2018).
Additionally, Raymund De Silva said in his piece that the Marawi Siege is
unusual and represents the most audacious armed assaults by Islamist extremists
since their creation in the early 1990s, in the case of Abu Sayyaf, and five years ago, in
the case of the Maute gang.
In 1961, the late Senator Domocao A. Alonto authored a senate bill establishing
Mindanao State University (MSU), which was one of the government's remedies to
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the so-called "Mindanao Problem." MSU was formed on September 1, 1961, under
Republic Act 1387, as amended. The university's initial mission statement focused on
three areas: education, research, and extension. The 1954 Congressional Committee
envisioned it as a social laboratory for national integration, and this was the
committee's vision. Students at Mindanao State University System (MSUS) benefit
from the dynamic environment of the institution campuses, which distinguishes it as
a unique university and a wonderful location to study. Also noteworthy is that it is
the only institution in the country that has been entrusted directly by the government
with advancing the cause of national unity and actively pursuing integration via
education.
Today, the MSU has a number of units located in key locations around the
Mindanao region. From a university with just one campus in Marawi City. In recent
years, MSU has developed into a multi-campus university with eight autonomous
campuses, which are as follows: MSU-Main in Marawi City, MSU-IIT in Iligan City,
MSU-TCTO in Tawi-Tawi, MSU-Naawan in Misamis Oriental, MSU-Maguindanao,
MSU-General Santos, MSU-Sulu in Jolo, and MSU Buug in Zamboanga.
MSU plays a significant role in the state and recovery of Marawi City.
According to Lucman, Marawi minus MSU would be like a human body reduced to a
skeleton. It is everything to the city; it pumps hard cash to the city, generates
employment, livelihood, businesses, etc, educates people in and out of the classroom,
promotes tourism, friendship, camaraderie, understanding, loyalty, and even love.
(Lucman, 2021). It can be debated that MSU is the reason why Marawi City is on the
global map.
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Theoretical Framework
When it comes to picking the media to consume to satisfy certain goals and
requirements, media consumers are genuinely active participants. According to
Littlejohn and Foss (2009), the central idea of the Theory of Uses and Gratifications
developed by Elihu Katz, Jay Blumler, and Michael Gurevitch in the 1970s is that the
uses that audiences make of the media and the gratifications that they receive as a
result of those uses can be traced back to a constellation of individual psychological
and social needs that are met by the media.
Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) derives from a body of work that
examines the interdependent ties that exist among media systems, the wider social
system, and the audiences that consume media content. In accordance with this
hypothesis, audiences depend on media to meet certain requirements, and media
consumption may have negative repercussions on their cognitive, emotional, and
behavioral functioning (Littlejohn and Foss, 2009). One of the core ideas of UGT is
that the uses of media that audiences make and the gratifications provided by those
uses can be traced back to a constellation of psychological and social demands that
are unique to each individual viewer. According to its three founding fathers, Elihu
Katz, Jay Bumler, and Michael Gurevitch, the theory's seven-point platform seeks to
explain how (1) the social and psychological origins of (2) needs generate (3)
expectations of (4) the mass media or other sources, which lead to (5) differential
patterns of exposure to the media, resulting in (6) need gratification and other
consequences, as well as (7) other consequences.
Additionally, media consumers, according to UGT researchers, are proactive in

16
selecting a medium to meet a certain need. If a user needs information, he or she may
read a newspaper, watch television, or listen to the radio—whichever media best
meets the user's demands. The implicit assumption is that we all possess functional
alternatives. If the user's need is for enjoyment, he or she may pick another medium.
These disparate media consumption habits may ultimately result in disparate patterns
of exposure and consequence (Littlejohn and Foss, 2009).
Littlejohn and Foss (2009) also added that the media-oriented needs were
typically described as the needs for information, relaxation, companionship,
diversion, and escape, and the gratifications were characterized in identical terms—a
practice that some uses-and-gratifications practitioners themselves acknowledge to be
somewhat circular. Among the basic assumptions of the theory was the idea that both
media and content choice are consciously and rationally made and directed toward
quite specific goals and satisfactions and that individual utility are more important
for media consumption than values springing from familial or peer group rituals.
In a related study, UGT researchers are examining the theory's predictive and
explanatory potential by correlating media consumption with individual variables.
There is a special fascination in the relationship between why people utilize media
and the enjoyment they experience. In general, UGT has been essential in refocusing
the discipline of mass media studies on the media user and their agency. (2017)
(David L., 2016)
Additionally, UGT is more relevant than ever as a means of comprehending
how we as humans interact with the technology that surrounds us. These
technologies include the Internet, video games, and mobile phones. According to a
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UGT study on mobile phone use, individuals use their phones for a variety of
purposes, including affection/sociability, entertainment, and mobility. As another
example of current technology, users may be driven to use social media by variables
such as the need to vent bad emotions, recognition, or cognitive demands. Animated
news and entertainment media are just two additional examples of media
technologies that UGT researchers continue to investigate, and despite existing
criticisms, UGT is more relevant and useful today than ever before, as media users
now have access to hundreds of TV channels, the internet, and a plethora of other
media entertainment options that help solidify the argument that individuals have
agency over their media consumption (David, 2016).
Leila Karimi et al. (2014) used UGT to explain what makes social networking
sites (SNSs), a new kind of media, so appealing, as well as what encouraged users to
join SNSs and the satisfaction they gain from continued usage (Karimi et al., 2014).
This research is an illustration of how the theory is now being used to comprehend
how individuals behave toward a certain medium. They were able to ascertain the
reason for utilizing SNSs and the satisfaction that the 320 students from four nations'
higher education students get from their usage via this research. According to the
study's findings, the primary motivations for joining SNSs were "a friend
recommended it," "everyone I know uses SNSs," and "staying in contact with people"
(Karimi et al., 2014). Additionally, the following reasons were given for joining SNSs:
"stay in contact with friends," "find classmates," "meet new people," "network in
general," "find course information," and "find others with common interests."
Additionally, the researchers noted that the result is consistent with Raacke and
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Bonds-(2008) Raacke's findings when examining Facebook and MySpace, which
indicated that the uses and gratifications for having either account included keeping
in touch with old friends, current friends, and making new friends or getting to know
more people (Karimi et al., 2014).
In simpler terms, UGT discusses the effects of media on people. It analyzes the
reasons why people are actively looking for media that satisfies their very needs.
People 一 more specifically, students, in this case 一 turn to the media for news, and
through that, their need to be informed is gratified. In a similar fashion, they turn to
the media to be entertained, and through that, their calls for an escape from reality
and to unwind are gratified.
In this study, the researcher applied the Theory of Uses and Gratification
following its description in a paper by Katz et al, (1973), On the Use of the Mass
Media for Important Things. This was done to determine how the news media and its
contents regarding the armed conflict have influenced students' decision-making
concerning their pursuit to study at MSU - Marawi Campus-Marawi, taking into
account their motivation for subscribing to a particular media outlet and the
frequency with which they are exposed to it.
In this study, we define ‘the need to verify information’, ‘the need to connect
with loved ones’, and ‘the need to decide on their readmission to MSU - Marawi
Campus considering the media coverage of the Marawi siege’ as the needs which
have to be fulfilled. At the end of the research, the proponent was able to determine
how the news media's portrayal of the Marawi siege influenced the students’ desires
to readmit at MSU - Marawi Campus after the siege.

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Conceptual Framework
According to the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), consumers utilize
media to satiate a cluster or a specific need. Additionally, it may provide insight into
the interaction between the media and the public. This hypothesis is composed of the
following components: need, media usage, incentive for media use, and pleasure.
Through an in-depth interview using a series of prepared questions, the
researcher examined how ten senior students from MSU - Marawi Campus who are
not locals of Lanao del Sur utilized the media to satiate their wanting to continue their
studies at the said institution.
The researcher examined the students’ perception of what was happening in
Marawi City, how the Mindanao State University was affected, as well as their
thoughts on readmitting to MSU - Marawi Campus. This aims to present the effects
that the media’s coverage of the Marawi siege had on the students who were
contemplating on returning to MSU - Marawi Campus or admitting to a different
university instead, in fear of their safety. The researcher examined how their media
consumption influenced their choice to return to MSU - Marawi Campus.
01
THE SIEGE
OF MARAWI
02
CONSUMPTION
OF MEDIA
(USES)
20
03
GRATIFICATION
OF STUDENT’S
NEED TO BE
INFORMED
The researcher sought to answer the

following questions:
1.1 Profile of the students
2. News media the students been
exposed to at the time the SIEGE.
3. Students’ impressions of Marawi
after going to and studying in MSU.
4. Students perceive the news media
vis-à-vis their plans of pursuing
their studies in MSU.
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework Diagram
The purpose of this study is to look beyond the marawi siege news coverage:
narratives and perspectives of MSU freshmen. The participants in this research were
undergraduate students from different colleges in Mindanao State University - Marawi
Campus. The researcher focused on the narratives and perspectives of the students at
the time of the Marawi SIEGE, and who are now seniors from different colleges of MSU
- Marawi Campus. Each participant, were asked about their brief profile, on what news
media have the students been exposed to at the time the SIEGE happened, their
impressions of Marawi after going to and studying in MSU - Marawi Campus, and how
do they perceive the news media vis-à-vis their plans of pursuing/finishing their
studies in MSU - Marawi Campus.

21
The Conceptual Framework Diagram seen in figure 1 of the study visualized the
organization of the research process. There are 10 people involved in the study. Each
MSU freshmen was randomly chosen to answer the questionnaire prepared.
Definition of Terms
The following terms related to the research are defined operationally for better
understanding:
Consumption. the act of using energy, food, or materials; the amount used (Oxford
Learner’s Dictionaries). This paper defines consumption as the students’ use of news
media that covers the events of the Marawi Siege in 2017.
Example: The consumption of media could affect a person’s mental health or in
decision making should they let it.
Gratification. Pleasure, especially when gained from the satisfaction of a desire
(Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries). The definition of this term is related to its use in the
Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), which in this paper, equates to the students’
desire to reenroll in MSU - Marawi Campus.
Example: Whenever the students use the media, they are gratified because they
were able to get the information that they wanted.
Mass Media. The means of communication that reach large numbers of people in a
short time, such as television, newspapers, magazines, and radio which were used by
the students to satiate their needs.
Example: He wanted to study mass media in society. To expose the deep flaws
22
in the current mass media.
Media Coverage. The reporting of a particularly important event or subject. In this
study, the term refers particularly to the news reports focusing on the Marawi Siege
in 2017.
Example: The media coverage of the Marawi Siege was heavily guarded by the
mass for the next five months after the Siege.
Need. To require something because it is essential or very important (Oxford
Learner’s Dictionaries). In this paper, the word need is defined as the necessity to
decide whether or not the students should readmit to MSU - Marawi Campus after
the Marawi siege.
Example: There is an urgent need to acquire more news to check if the
information was correct.
News. A report of recent events. In this study, this refers to news about the Marawi
siege.
Example: The news of the Marawi Siege was all over the world and not only
covered internationally.
News Media Exposure. The fact of experiencing something or being affected by the
news because of being in a particular situation. In this study, the ones being exposed
to the news are the citizens of the Philippines, more particularly students who are not
from Lanao del Sur.
Example. Not everyone were able to be privileged enough to be as exposed as
this generation to the news media. Because not everyone has the access to news. It is
fortunate that these students were able to access the news through different forms of
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mass media.
Uses. Refers to the act of using something; the state of being used (Oxford Learner’s
Dictionary). In this paper, the word refers to the consumption of media to satisfy or
gratify a need following the Uses & Gratification Theory (UGT).
Example: Students has admitted in this research that they use the media to
verify information and whatnot.

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Chapter III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the design and locale of the study, including the students
and sampling procedure. The methods of data gathering and data analysis are also
presented in this chapter.
Research Design
The researcher employed a qualitative research approach to observe and
determine how media exposure and experience with news media played into the
students’ narratives before reenrolling in Mindanao State University (MSU) - Marawi
Campus, after the armed conflict in Marawi. Initially, the researcher gave a permission
letter to the registrar for the list of students on August 2018-2019 for the second
semester. It was approximately 1,719 students at that academic year. But at that time, it
was not allowed to fully give the information of the students due to the privacy act.
Therefore, another letter was given to different colleges with different departments that
had the list of non-residing Marawi students who are not from Lanao del Sur. After
which, some of the department chairperson or the student leaders of the department,
were given with baseline questionnaires to be distributed to their students. There were
at least 350 students who were not from Lanao Del Sur, and only 120 students were able
to respond to the researcher.

25
Since this was initially a Focus group discussion, there were at least 45 students
who answered for a personal interview. But only a few were retained. During the
summer break of 2020-2021 from June-July, the panel allowed the researcher to have an
in-depth interview. From 45 students, there were only 10 students to fully interview.
The researcher conducted extensive interviews with each of the 10 participants

employing several messaging platforms 一 such as Gmail for emailing and Messenger
for chatting and calling 一 to determine how frequently the students were exposed to
media 一 particularly, media coverage of the Siege of Marawi City.
Research Locale
This study was done in the Islamic City of Marawi 一 the capital city of Lanao
del Sur and the only Islamic City in the Philippines 一 specifically in the Main
Campus of Mindanao State University. It is the only university in the Philippines with
a special mandate of integrating cultural communities, especially the Muslim
community, into the nation’s socio-cultural and political life by providing them with
opportunities for quality and relevant public education. (Ronquillo, 2012).
Students
The students of this study are all undergraduate students of Mindanao State
University - Marawi Campus, who are currently enrolled as seniors in MSU – Marawi
Campus for the Academic Year 2020-2021. The scope and limitation of this study are
students who are not from Lanao del Sur, who enrolled in MSU-Main Campus right
after the Marawi Siege. To clarify, when the 10 students for in-depth interview were
done, they were incoming fourth year students of 2021-2022, because they were
26
interviewed during the summer of 2020-2021 from June-July.
In addition to this, the participants are from outside of the province of Lanao
del Sur and have not experienced the armed conflict firsthand nor have they been
directly involved or affected by it. There were a total of 1,719 students residing
outside of Lanao del Sur at the time. The researcher used random sampling, when she
had the 350 baseline questionnaire, and only 120 students replied back. From there, 45
students were sampled randomly for a focus group discussion. And out of 45
students, only 10 were retained for an in-depth interview.
The proponent of the study proceeded to reach out to the 350 students and
provide them with baseline questionnaires which were supposed to be used to obtain
data. However, a Qualitative Approach was encouraged instead, prompting the
researcher to further select 10 students from different colleges to invite for an in-depth
interview.
Sampling Procedure
The researcher 一 through Random Sampling 一 selected one student
representative from each of the undergraduate colleges of MSU - Marawi Campus to
ensure fair inclusion of accounts from differing groups.
Methods of Data Gathering
The researcher sought assistance from the Office of the University Registrar
with regards to the list of enrolled students for the Academic Year, 2018-2019 second
semester. There was an extensive one-on-one interview on the summer break of

27
academic year 2020-2021 on June-July with each of the ten students to accurately
collect the necessary data for this study.
The researcher first asked the list from the Registrar from the academic year of
2018-2019 second semester, sent out the baseline questionnaires to different colleges
with different departments. Out of 1,719, only 350 were qualified to be part of the
study. Moreover, only 120 from the baseline questionnaire returned. Out of that, the
researcher did a random sampling, for a focus group discussion. On June-July 2020-
2021 summer break, the researcher was able to conduct an in-depth interview that
was approved by the panel.
The researcher first contacted the students via the number that was retained
from the 45 students who responded. The researcher called the students and
introduced herself via text message. The students then replied what was their social
media accounts, and their free time for an in-depth interview. In lieu with that, the
process happened for almost two months. The researcher then gave them another set
of questionnaires to be given to the students via email. So that the researcher could
have a guide questions for the students during the personal call via messenger.
The researcher gathered all of the ten students, who was originally 15 who
replied back, but two backed out, and only 13 remained. But there were only 10
students who were needed, so the other 3 was for a backup plan just in case the other
10 main students, if they would back out, would have an instantaneous replacement.
In continuation, the researcher screenshots all the transcription during the call
via the messenger, the researcher typed all the things and recorded it for better
accuracy and saved the file in the group chat. Those who were able to answer the
28
researcher, had an incentive of at least for their snack, and the money was sent via
their gcash or through palawan express.
Research Instrument
A self-made baseline questionnaire was created by the proponent of this study
for the in-depth interview which was validated by the experts in the field. An audio
recorder was also used to precisely record the narratives of the students along with
pens and paper for note-taking. Phone was also needed at that time, for screenshots of
personal interviews that came from the messenger, when the researcher had a one-on-
one interview with the student, then was sent to the group-chat for record purposes
and for a reminder for the researcher for accuracy. The call button from the
messenger was also used to ask the student, and so was the call and text of the phone
was utilized.
Method of Data Analysis
After the extensive interviews were completed, the researcher then transcribed
and compiled the interviewees’ inputs. The data recorded of screenshots, interviews,
transcriptions, emails of data were analyzed thoroughly and qualitatively.

29
Chapter IV
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This section prseents the results of the data gathered and discussed based on the
statement of the problem.
The experiences of the participants, as well as their thoughts and perspectives,
are presented in this chapter, as are the constructions that developed from the
material gathered via in-depth interviews with the students. In this study, ten
undergraduate students in Mindanao State University – Marawi Campus shared their
experiences throughout the duration of the Siege of Marawi which began in May of
2017, and how this affected their decision to re-enroll in the university. Since
Mindanao State University offers at least fifteen programs in their main campus
(Mindanao State University System, 2013), the institution is known to cater to
students that are not only Marawi locals but also those that are from different towns
and provinces outside Lanao del Sur. The study takes into account the narratives of
undergraduate students residing outside the province of Lanao del Sur and as a
result, have not first-handedly experienced the effects of the Marawi conflicts. The
interviews produced results in the form of personal experiences of the selected MSU -
Marawi Campus students and how their consumption of news media influenced their
decision to return to MSU - Marawi Campus after the siege.

30
Participant Profile
The participants in this research were undergraduate students from
different colleges in Mindanao State University - Marawi Campus. In a 15-20 minute
interview, each participant was asked to provide relevant information regarding their
personal, professional, and demographic backgrounds. This was followed by a short
biography of each participant, which is divided into categories depending on their age,
sex, birthplace, and the degree they were pursuing. Table 1 contains a summary of this
information.
Name Sex Hometown Degree Pursued

Jeco Galela Male Burgos, Cortes, Surigao del Sur BS Civil Engineering
Jhorelyn Punta Kawit 1, Dapa, Surigao del BSBA Marketing
Female
Virtudao Norte Management
Brigette
Female Camp 5, Tubod, Lanao del Norte BSEd Major in Filipino
Lumawas
Calolot, Tambulig, Zamboanga
Lyndon Daal Male BSEd Major in Sciences
del Sur
Raymark Molo Male Tubod, Lanao del Norte BSEd Major in Filipino
Jozyl Argana Female Butuan City, Agusan del Norte BS Social Work
Elmejean BSBA major in human
Female Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur
Simabajon resource Management
Berthylyn Calolot, Tambulig, Zamboanga BSEd Major in Social
Female
Navarez del Sur Studies
Joshua Ablin Male Butuan City, Agusan del Norte BS Civil Engineering
Del Carmen, Siargao Island,
Jona Mae Galtian Female BS Social Work
Surigao del Norte
31
Table 1
Demographics and Background Summary
a. Sex
Six female students participated in the research out of a total of 10 students. This
indicates that more female students volunteered to take part in the study.
b. Degree pursued
The participants of the study are pursuing different degrees. Some of the
degrees include Civil Engineering, Marketing Management, Education, Social Work,
and Human Resource Management among others. MSU - Marawi Campus boasts
fifteen colleges with a variety of programs indicating that MSU - Marawi Campus is a
dynamic institution that is open to students coming from different parts of Mindanao,
especially because Marawi Campus is the largest among all MSU branches (Mindanao
State University system, 2013).
Students’ News Consumption
To answer the second problem statement of this study, the participants were
asked to elaborate on the news media they have consumed or used during the Marawi
siege. All the participants shared their experiences with the consumption of various
news media to gain access to the ongoing siege in Marawi City. As shared by Galela,
32
“I consume mostly available media like the internet, television,

newspaper, and radio. This media is the primary source of our information
during that time since we are in the remote area.” (Galela)
(I consumed the available media like the internet, television,

newspaper, and radio. These media are the primary source of our
information during the time of crisis since we are in the remote area
of our province).
“TV, ABS-CBN, social media like shared post na news. Like Rappler,
GMA News. Nag-stick sa’kin na image is yung mga sira sirang
buildings, and usok na mga bomba po mga ganun. During sa siege.”
(Argana)
(Television, ABS-CBN, social media such as shared posts of news

on Rappler and GMA News. The images of destroyed buildings
and smoke of bombs had stuck in my mind during the siege).
This can be attributed to countless news articles detailing the destruction caused
by the siege within Ground Zero and neighboring affected areas. One of which titled
‘Stories from Under the Rubble: Inside the Battle of Marawi’ from ABS CBN News
noted that the conflict led to P11 Billion worth of damage in property.
33
Figure 2. The Destruction Caused by the Siege of Marawi in 2017 - SEA OF

DESTRUCTION (Rappler, 2018)
On the contrary, some of the students reside in remote areas and do not have
access to the internet or cable television, resulting in a scarcity of news resources; hence,
they depended on the available news media. As Simbajon, Lumawas and Galtian
recalled,
“Source of news are television, sa mga tao, not much sa social media kasi
wala kami pera nun.” (Simbajon)
(The sources of news are television, through other people, but not
as much from social media as we did not have funds for it at that
time).
34
“GMA ko po yun nakita, hindi po ako maka ABS-CBN kasi antena lang
po gamit namin, GMA lang po ang malinaw.” (Lumawas)
(I saw it [news] on GMA. I do not usually watch on ABS-CBN since

only GMA has a clear channel using our television antenna).
“I was not able to get information from the online news for the reason that
I had no mobile phone nor any technological device back then.” (Galtian)
(I was not able to get information online because I did not have a
mobile phone nor any gadgets during the siege).
In the interviews with the students, they revealed that the accessible media
during the siege came from many sources, including the internet, television,
newspapers, and radio stations, among others. The most often mentioned form of
media was broadcast media, notably television programs, owing to a lack of internet
connection or a device to use to access social media among the majority of students.
Due to a lack of access to alternative television channels, they are relying on news
programs shown by GMA and ABS-CBN. It is believed that Mindanao lags behind
Luzon and Visayas when it comes to internet speed and connection since the area has a
slower Internet speed in comparison to Metro Manila and other developed
regions Marcelo (2018). Mindanao's internet speed is significantly below the world
average, which is a significant hindrance to the growth of information and
communications technology in the country. The recorded speed in Marawi City was a
dismal 141 kbps, which is regarded to be very poor by modern standards.

35
On the contrary, those participants who heavily depend on social media have
said that their primary source of knowledge is from Facebook postings that have been
shared by their friends who were residing in Marawi City at the time of the siege.
Given the fact that the number of Facebook users in the Philippines increased by more
than 61 million during the year of the Marawi siege, and has continued to grow until
the present year, 2021, this is not unexpected. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 24
years old make up the biggest user demographic on Facebook, accounting for 24 million
individuals, with the majority of them being female (Napoleon, 2020). The fact that the
majority of the participants are in the same age range and are mostly female may be a
contributing factor to this trend. Along with news from social media platforms, the
participants who had access to an internet connection also consumed news from
Rappler and GMA News, which were both published on their respective news websites
at the time of the siege because these were believed to be highly reliable and credible
sources.
Use of the Media by the Students
One of the most important issues that emerged from the study question was the
participants' motivations for utilizing the various media that they stated in their
responses. In their discussions, several of the participants discussed their personal
experiences in making decisions about which media they regard to be credible. Here are
some of the insights offered by the participants during the in-depth interview, as well as
some additional resources,

36
“To use the media to help me decide whether I will pursue my study at
MSU or not. I can also help spread the information that the people need to
know what is happening in the country.” (Galela)
(I use the media to help me decide whether to pursue my study at
MSU or not. Through this, I will be able to help spread information
to other people regarding what is happening in the country).
“I still rely on the media news, for verification. Sa television na may

assurance kung makukuha nandoon po media personnel sa field mismo.”
(Lumawas)
(I still rely on the media news, for verification. There is an
assurance on television [news] since the media personnel is
working in the field directly).
“So nagtatanong na po talaga kami kung saan ang source ng news para
ma-verify namin. Hindi lang hearsay. Mas maniniwala ako kung galing
sa legitimate news talaga.” (Argana)
(We make sure to ask the source of the news so we can verify, and
not just solely rely on hearsay. I tend to believe more if I know it is
from legitimate news).
“…to keep myself updated and informed about the situation in Marawi.
As a Filipino and a Mindanaon, I can't help myself worrying about those
who are innocent victims that are affected by the siege.” (Galtian)
(I used the said media to keep updated and informed about the
situation in Marawi. As a Filipino and a Mindaoan, I cannot help
myself but worry about the innocent victims affected by the siege).
According to the participants, the news media they pursue has a critical
influence in determining whether the information communicated to them through
hearsay and stories is accurate or misleading. Initially, the participants were
apprehensive about the possibility that the tragedy was taking place as a result of false
news. The key motives of the participants in utilizing the media that they depended on
37
during the siege were to get information about the current events in Mindanao as well
as to be informed regarding the tragedy and incident that occurred. Some participants
said that they used broadcast news media to verify the present situation in Marawi City
since news media professionals are directly witnessing the siege. When compared to
other media platforms, some people feel that news media is the sole source of reliable
information regarding current news when compared to other platforms (e.g., text
messages, social media posts, or even blog posts). When asked about their source of
information during the Marawi siege, six out of the ten interviewees stated that they
obtained their information from television news; this may be due to the belief that
television news provides credibility, as demonstrated by a study conducted by Mehrabi
and Ali (2009), which found that television is more credible than the internet when it
comes to news conveyance. In general, the concept that "seeing is believing" may be
used to describe the credibility of television. Although television is the most harmful
medium of entertainment, it is vital to differentiate between various types of
information provided via this medium if we are to determine the credibility of
television (Lu and Andrews, 2006).
On the other hand, they all responded that they like to keep up to date with the
situation in Marawi City through the media that they choose to consume. In particular,
since information spreads faster through social media than through any other source of
information, it is important to consider this. The timely updates provided by residents
of Marawi City who were suffering the assaults enabled other individuals in other
regions of the nation to be informed of the present situation in Maraw i. Additionally,

38
text messages were cited as a dependable source of news because of their timely nature
as well as the fact that the majority of the news in this area comes from friends and
family of the students, whom they consider to be trustworthy.
Moreover, students used social media platforms to share information about the
present situation in Marawi City during the siege period. As a result, the impact of
social media during the Marawi siege enabled them to get fast updates from individuals
who lived in the vicinity of the siege. According to the views of Argana and Simbajon.
“Kasi may mga shared post. May nakita akong mga bomba, like during
talaga sa war. Yung mga buildings sirang-sira na po.” (Argana)
(Because there were shared posts [on Facebook], I have seen bombs
during the war. The infrastructures were destructed).
“Mas accessible na sa akin ang news dahil sa social media, at kahit hindi
ko naman purpose ang magbasa ng news, binabasa ko nalang kasi
interesting ang headline.” (Simbajon)
(News is more accessible to me because of social media, and even
though I did not intend to read the news, I still read them because
their headlines seemed interesting).
Furthermore, one of the problems encountered by the students was the rampant
text messages they were receiving at the time. Some text messages state that there will
be a second siege while other messages say that the terrorist organization, ISIS, is back.
As Lumawas stated her experience,
“One time, na-recieve na text messages may ISIS na naman. Natakot

talaga kami during that time.” (Lumawas)
39
(One time, I received text messages indicating that ISIS is present

again. We got extremely scared during that time).
“Tapos may narereceive ako na messages na baka may second siege,

tatlong beses na ako naka-receive.” (Simbajon)
(I received messages indicating that a second siege may occur, I

have received such messages three times already).
With this, the participant has also mentioned that these types of sources may
only be spreading misinformation.
“Pero sa mga rumors sa social media at text message, hindi dapat

naniwala agad, kasi sometimes mali po sinasabi nila na ginaspread na
mga balita.” (Lumawas)
(One should not believe rumors on social media and text messages
right away as these sometimes spread false or fake news).
Therefore, a careful judgment on the consumption of news is highly needed
during the Marawi siege. As stated by Daal and Molo,
“…these news media [television] are the only trustworthy media. If I have
to go look for a media with relevant news, then I go straight for news
media.” (Daal)
(These news media [television programs] are the only trustworthy

media. If I have to look for media with relevant news, I prefer news
media).
“All the time dapat talaga lahat i-verify ang news, dapat talaga careful.
May media nakakadulot kasi minsan ng wrong information dahil hindi
naman pala ganun kalala sa Marawi.” (Molo)
40
(News should be verified at all times, one should be careful. Media

are generating wrong information, as the situation in Marawi was
not that severe).
Fake news is prevalent in the Philippines, notably during the Marawi siege,
which has exacerbated the problem. It was revealed by the participants that there are
several reports about the Marawi Siege being managed by the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS), a terrorist organization. This is due to the fact that the Marawi Siege news
did not cover the whole story resulting in some incorrect information being shared via
text messages. But in reality, the news, NBC News, to be specific did not explicitly label
the instigators of the siege to be the group, ISIS, itself, but they are actually a pro-ISIS or
ISIS-aligned rebel group.
The uncontrolled dissemination of false information has taken on a new
dimension in the digital age, posing a significant threat to democratic institutions and
the news media. Generally speaking, misinformation is described as information that is
"not backed up by unambiguous facts and expert judgment" (Balod and Hameleers,
2019). Disinformation may be characterized as the purposeful dissemination of
erroneous, false, or decontextualized information with the intention of increasing
polarization or public mistrust (Lewis, 2017).
The Philippines' large and influential online population makes it a susceptible
target for keyboard warriors or troll armies, who create misinformation in an attempt to
stifle dissident views on the internet. The systematic promotion of specific ideas via the
use of lies is a characteristic of disinformation, which may cause uncertainty, mistrust,

41
and paranoia among the general population (Jackson, 2018). The spread of
misinformation and disinformation may be particularly harmful to deliberative
democracy because it hinders the ability of citizens to participate in an honest and
thoughtful political conversation. Multiple fraudulent identities are used in the
Philippines to weaponize the Internet, as Ressa (2016) describes it, to spread
propaganda or influence public opinion. Because they are increasingly accused of
propagating disinformation themselves, or in popular parlance, Fake News, individual
journalists, and media organizations are likewise susceptible to misinformation. This is
one of the reasons why some of the participants chose to get their news from broadcast
media, such as those seen on television, rather than print media or those written ones.
Aside from fake news, some participants mentioned that there was a lack of
news updates on Marawi City’s recovery. This was probably because they felt that the
news regarding the recovery was heavily outnumbered by the news of the actual siege
itself. However, this could be caused by the lack of materials and media sources
accessible to the students. The following participant’s experiences were similar to the
previous one.
“Sa Marawi siege news, hindi po siya full coverage. Sa after, hindi rin po
binalita kung paano po pagbangon sa Marawi, na nakikita sa reality.
Grabe pagbabago before and after the siege.” (Lumawas)
(There was no full coverage of the Marawi siege news. For instance,
the aftermath was not reported, such as how Marawi recovered as
seen in reality. The changes were drastic before and after the siege).
42
Argana argued that non-verified news concerning the post-siege have been
escalating in their area, in which she had asserted,
“May mga news sa ngayon even after ng Marawi crisis. Noong nandoon
pa kami, may mga bali-balita na may plano nga po daw. ‘Di ko ma-
remember ang lugar, may mga Maute na nakatira. Naplano po nila
pasukin ang MSU.” (Argana)
(There was news lately even after the Marawi crisis. When we were
still there, rumors were circulating about the plans. I can’t
remember the exact location, but Maute groups were residing in
the area. They planned on breaking in MSU).
However, in the spirit of transparency, it is important to note the fact that the
entirety of Mindanao State University - Marawi Campus is not within Ground Zero,
itself. Rather, the institution is approximately 5 kilometers (km) away from Mapandi
Bridge; the point of entry to Ground Zero.
The mainstream media, according to Pobre (2019), has not been publishing
anything on the beneficial activities of the state, and it has been suggested that the
media may just be concealing the truth from the public. There is a paucity of knowledge
about how Marawi recovered after the siege, and the strong difference between the pre-
and-post-Marawi crises was not reported in the mainstream media, resulting in the
general public viewing Marawi City in a negative light despite starting to recover from
the siege. In light of the siege in 2017, the local authorities in Zamboanga City have
increased security even further following the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.
43
This is due to the city's history of violence, which has prompted the authorities to
increase security (International Republican Institute, 2018).
Contributing Factors in Deciding to enroll in MSU - Marawi Campus
By the participants' narratives, several variables influenced their choice to
reenroll at Mindanao State University (MSU) - Marawi Campus. A total of four main
reasons were identified based on the data collected during the interview. They present
as follows: (1) the news coverage of the Marawi Siege situation during and after the
crisis, (2) the undergraduate students' interpersonal relationships, even before the
siege’s occurrence, (3) their educational preferences, (4) and their financial stability.
Specifically, the elements of interest in the field, academic aptitude, familiarity with
campus, economic stability, and prominent individuals may all play a part in the
selection of students when selecting their institution, as mentioned by Mcglynn (2012).
The fear of a reoccurrence of the Marawi Siege, as well as anti-Muslim discrimination,
were among the impediments and challenges that the participants faced while
finalizing their decision to admit to MSU - Marawi Campus, in addition to those
already stated.
There were differing perspectives on how the armed confrontations in Marawi
City were depicted in the mainstream media. It was discovered that the representation
of the siege in the news broadcasts on television, radio, and social media platforms
caused panic among the locals in the towns nearby as a result of the news being
44
broadcast. Galela described his personal experience based on the news he had seen on
television, including a local news story, by stating,
“It was portrayed as a ghost town since no residents are left to the
mainstream of war. It was also said in the local media the term lupang
diniligan ng dugo.” (Galela)
(Marawi was portrayed as a ghost town since there were no

residents left during the war. It was also described as “blood-
drenched land” by the local media).
Other participants shared similar experiences regarding the news portrayal of
the siege,
“Everything was chaotic, full of misery and on the verge of destruction.”

(Virtudazo)
(Everything was chaotic, miserable, and destroyed).
“’Yung airstrikes, maraming building binomba and actual na bakbakan

ng mga sundalo, pinapakita sa television po ‘yun at tsaka mga tao
nagsilikas during that time.” (Lumawas)
(There were airstrikes, bombed buildings, and actual combats

shown on the television; hence, people started evacuating that
time).
Marked with terror, Molo and Galtian shared their stories based on the
information they have derived from media,
“Grabe ang brutality, nakakatrauma and mga putok, nakakapanindig

balahibo. Syempre pag makita mo yun sa balita, matatakot ka rin.” (Molo)
45
(I felt traumatized by the brutality, the gunshots, and bomb

explosions. I am certain that if you would see it on the news, you
would be terrified as well).
“Unexpected Bloody War – this is how the news media portrayed the
armed conflict in Marawi.” (Galtian)
(The news media portrayed the armed conflict in Marawi as an

unexpectedly bloody war).
The participants mentioned having watched news and seen posts of how the
town had been entirely devastated, that there had been a large number of deaths, and
that there had been a continuous conflict between Maute and the Philippine Army.
Airstrikes, bombings, and combat, as recounted by the participants, were clearly shown
on television screens as well various news articles as depicted in the figure below.
46
Figure 3
Airstrikes in Marawi Siege 2017 - Military brings long-range artillery closer to Maute
strongholds (GMA News Online, 2017)
Considering the warfare taking place in Ground Zero, the citizens of the
surrounding region began to flee their homes. This conforms with international news
reports stating that the civilian population of Marawi has suffered tremendously as a
result of one of the most extensive military operations the Philippines has undertaken in
decades. Thousands of people who had been displaced en masse when the war started
in May are now returning to a city that has been entirely wrecked in certain areas,
where civilians have been massacred by terrorists, and where both sides have
committed crimes against one another (Hassan, 2021).
While acknowledging this, several of the participants said that the television
news broadcasts during the siege were exaggerated and depicted a one-sided situation.
Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Marvic Leonen believes that the violence sowed
by the Maute terror group in Marawi City was exaggerated by the government, calling
the official narrative "far-fetched, when it could be nothing but fake news." (Buan, 2017).
According to Leonen, there is also a considerable ideological dispute amongst the
terrorist organizations operating in Mindanao, which makes it impossible to think that
the terrorists' objective in Marawi City is to topple the government. Moreover, there is a
substantial ideological divide amongst the terrorist organizations operating in
Mindanao, making it impossible to think that the terrorists' goal in Marawi City is to
47
topple the government. The exaggerated counter-terror reaction by the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) and their partner US forces, in addition to the inflated crisis, has
exacerbated the predicament of Marawi inhabitants and their villages, according to
foreign news reports (Sambalud, 2017).
Furthermore, the students stated that they felt that the media wrongfully
depicted the whole Islamic State to be a dangerous place, which only served to
exacerbate hatred towards Muslims throughout and even after the siege. In response to
the news, illogical stereotyping of Muslims, notably Maranaos, as terrorists in Marawi
took hold among the public. Christians were not seen in the vicinity since they were
assumed to be the intended targets of the assaults and were killed as a result of their
suspicions. The negative aspects of Marawi have received the majority of media
attention, and the town and its people, particularly its Muslim residents, have received
a skewed portrayal. Due to the spread of false information on social media, along with a
one-sided news presentation of the armed conflict, many individuals had the
preconceived assumption that the perpetrators of the assaults were mainly Muslims. As
a result, the stigma associated with terrorist actions done in the name of the Islamic
State grew as a result of this. According to one of the Lumawas,
“Iba mindset ng Christian towards Muslim dahil sa news dati, especially

sa Maranaos.” (Lumawas)
(Christians perceived Muslims, specifically Maranaos, differently

before because of the news).
48
“Tapos hindi na rin ako masyado nag-friends kasi wala na akong

mapagkatiwalaan.” (Simbajon)
(I did not socialize as much because I felt as though I cannot trust

anyone anymore).
The participants were hesitant at first, but their perceptions changed when they
started experiencing Marawi firsthand and befriended Muslim people. Lumawas and
Simbajon had stated,
“Hindi pala ganun ka scary and horrible. Yung mga tao dun is
namamansin talaga, and iba pananaw nila sa Christians na katulad ko.”
(Lumawas)
(When in reality, it was not that scary and horrible. People in

Marawi seemed friendly to Christians like me).
“Pero ilang years na ako doon, nag-iba na ang pag-iisip ko doon. Nawala
na rin ang stigma ko sa mga Muslim. Nawala na mga pag-isip ko sa mga
tao and lugar, iba po kasi talaga sa news.” (Simbajon)
(My mindset has changed throughout the years. The stigma I had
on Muslims was diminished as the people and the place was
depicted differently on the news).
Other students exclaimed similar thoughts about the subject.
“Actually, pagdating ko sa MSU, iba talaga nafefeeel ko, grabe rin ang
kampante ko na security dahil sa mga comfort ng mga Maranao friends
ko. Hindi namin pababayaan ang mga Maranao friends naming” (Molo)
(I felt different when I arrived at MSU, I was contented with the

security and comfort my Maranao friends made me feel).
49
“Hindi ako naka-adjust sa environment, nakihalubilo na ako ng Maranao.

Parang normal lang pala. Ang kakaiba lang pala is ang pananamit.”
(Navarez)
(I did not need to readjust with the environment since everything

was normal, and the only difference between Maranao and me was
our clothing).
Even though the siege has ended, Mivaldi (2017) reported on how discrimination
against the Islamic State has continued, with Kadtuntaya Foundation (KF) director Alim
seeing the people in Metro as a means of projecting prejudices about how the Moros
cannot be trusted and that the Moros are at the root of the problem. All of this
unjustified apprehension stems from the fact that they have always seen the
Bangsamoro as an adversary; nevertheless, what the media has failed to portray is the
true nature of these communities' history. Prejudice, bigotry, and injustice against
Muslims have been around for a long time, and during the Marawi Siege, these
inhumane sentiments against a religious group of people were brought to light despite
the absence of any tangible evidence or rationale to support them.
It was discovered that the accounts of the participants' friends who were first-
hand witnesses to the armed conflict were the foundation of the participants' terror of
the armed conflict. Some have even said that traveling to Marawi was a suicide mission
and that the resumption of classes by the Mindanao State University seemed like an
impetuous decision by the university. Some of them, however, expressed concern that
the news was lacking in data and information, and that it was unable to show the full
50
scale and limitations of the situation, such as the photographs of the MSU - Marawi
Campus. After the siege ended, despite the dire news, Marawi still seemed like a secure
place to visit; similarly, the students' confidence in the security of their school was
restored after the siege. The mainstream media said that the whole city of Marawi had
been destroyed, but in reality, only a fraction of it had been, and that area is now known
as Ground Zero (Dalabajan, 2021).
It is essential for journalists to present facts without regard to their own opinions
to maintain objectivity in their reporting. Objective reporting is designed to convey
topics and occurrences objectively and unbiasedly, without regard to the writer's own
ideas or viewpoints, and to present them in an impartial way. The participants, on the
other hand, expressed concern about the influence of skewed news coverage of Marawi
City on their perspectives both during and after the siege.
“Sa news, mas worst sinasabi nila grabe talaga nangyari, pero pagdating
dun peaceful naman sya. Hindi naman sya ganun ka affected.”
(Lumawas)
(The news described the siege worse, but when I arrived at Marawi,
it seemed peaceful and not that affected).
“Hindi rin kasi nasabi sa news, hindi naman sinabi yung scope ang
limitation. Hindi napakita ang loob ng MSU, the difference is maganda
pala talaga ang MSU. Safe naman.” (Argana)
(The scope and limitations were not mentioned in the news. There
was no footage filming the MSU Campus, the difference was the
campus was nice and safe).
51
As agreed by other participants,
“Doon ko na-realize na totoo pala talaga yun sa TV. Pero hindi lahat,
parang short clip lang is to describe na magulo ang Marawi. Pero marami
palang good side, hindi pala nacocover ng media and yung nababasa ko sa
Facebook.” (Navarez)
(I realized that what was shown on TV was real, though not the
entirety of it. There were just short clips describing how chaotic
Marawi was. Nevertheless, several good sides were not covered by
the media nor shared on Facebook).
Since most students believed that the news portrayal of the post-siege was
exaggerated, the atmosphere at MSU - Marawi Campus following the Marawi siege
influenced the participants' decision to continue their studies at the university. The
news media coverage has been repeatedly demonstrated to be biased in favor of the
town's negative aspects. Several of their realizations included the following:
“As I set my foot in the university, I question myself that the media is
biased somehow. They portrayed it as a place not suitable for home but it
is the place where I can build my home.” (Galela)
(I questioned if the media was somehow biased when I arrived at

the university. MSU was depicted in a negative light although it
was not).
Contrary to the media portrayal of Muslims' hostility toward Christians, the
majority of participants noted how dissimilar the situation depicted in the news as to
what they observed directly.

52
“Hindi pala ganun ka-scary and horrible. Yung mga tao dun is
namamansin talaga, and iba pananaw nila sa Christians na katulad ko.”
(Lumawas)
(The situation was not that scary and horrible. The people were
friendly and they perceived Christians differently, myself
included).
Navarez even emphasized the government's role in ensuring the area's security.
Similarly, Ablin recognized this security by relating his experience,
“I’m just confident that the government will not allow the university to
resume the classes if it’s still unsafe.” (Navarez)
(I was convinced that the government would refuse to permit the

university to restart classes if the situation remained unsafe).
“Kita ko rin ang effort sa tighten sa security, sa news lang. Nung nandito
na ako, nando’n na rin ang military sa camp.” (Ablin)
(I witnessed MSU's efforts to increase security, both on the news

and personally. I noticed military camps had been established near
the school).
One of the challenges cited by the participants is the fear of a recurrence of the
Marawi attack. The majority of the participants who are now enrolled at MSU - Marawi
Campus expressed concern about the possibility of the siege reoccurring. The students
were concerned about their choice to return to Marawi to finish their studies at
Mindanao State University, not just because of the fake news that was spreading via
text messages and social media platforms, but also because of the extreme news
depiction of the Marawi siege. Molo shared his insight,

53
“Of course, natakot, ‘nung first day ko sa MSU. Lagi kong pinakinggan
ang balita if ever na baka umatake po ulit ang ISIS.” (Molo)
(I felt agitated on my first day in MSU. I always listen to the news

in case ISIS may attack again).
Furthermore, other participants elaborated their perceptions on studying in MSU
- Marawi Campus but were hindered by the possibility of the Marawi siege happening
again. As they said,
“Even when gustong gusto ko na mag-aral sa Marawi. Natatakot pa rin

ako. Pero nung pumunta kami dun, na-remember ko ‘yung mga nakita sa
TV na baka ma-ambush kami.” (Navarez)
(I certainly wanted to study in Marawi, but I felt afraid to do so.

The moment we arrived in the area, I remembered the scenes I saw
on TV, thinking how we might get ambushed).
“I was fueled with fear, anxiety, and doubt that if I am going to study at
MSU, there's a possibility that the siege might happen again.” (Galtian)
(I was afraid, anxious, and doubtful about studying at MSU as

there is a chance of the siege reoccurring).
On the other hand, one of them had a contrasting belief as she elaborated,
“Hindi na masyadong takot kasi ilang years na rin ang Marawi crisis
bago ako nagpa-enroll.” (Simbajon)
(I do not feel frightened as much as I did because the crisis had

happened a long time before I enrolled).
54
Rumors began to circulate throughout Marawi and its surrounding towns that a
second siege was about to take place. As a result, the students were more vigilant and
began preparing for a possible assault or ambush. There have been several
text messages sent to locals, adding to their panic and tension. Although it was never
officially refuted by the authorities, some students' estimated the likelihood of a second
siege to a minimum since a few years have already passed since the conflict.
Following alleged intelligence failures on the side of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Marawi siege
happened, according to a news story published in an international journal, The
Diplomat. Armed militants from nearby Indonesia and Malaysia crossed the Sulu and
Celebes Seas to join forces with the Maute (Muslim Brotherhood) and Abu Sayyaf in the
southern Philippines, but the security forces were unable to identify the depth of the
jihadi infiltration in western Mindanao. The authorities are keen to prevent anything
like this from happening in the future. Furthermore, despite the apparent desire of ISIS-
aligned organizations to increase recruitment and recover from their recent setbacks, a
recurrence of the Marawi siege looks to be exceedingly improbable in the present
context of increased vigilance (Hart, 2018). This implies that the participant's decision to
reapply for admission to MSU - Marawi Campus is extremely unlikely to be
compromised in any way.
Other factors that contributed to the students' admittance to MSU - Marawi
Campus were based on their own choices, which may not only be impacted by the news
media, but also by other variables like the student's background and the university's
55
reputation as a whole. These factors include the students' interpersonal interactions,
their financial state, and their educational choices. As a consequence of the unclear
press coverage of the siege, widespread prejudice towards Muslims has resulted. One of
the things that affected the participants' choice to study at MSU - Marawi Campus was
their contact with a fellow student who belonged to the Muslim community.
“May friend din ako na taga sa’min, tapos nagsabi siya sa’min na safely
guarded ang school kaya nakampante ako.” (Argana)
(My friend informed us that the school was well-guarded, which

put me at ease).
As Simbajon added,
“Nawala na mga pag-isip ko sa mga tao and lugar, iba po kasi talaga sa
news. If mababait ang mga tao, eh marami akong friends na Muslim.”
(Simbajon)
(In contrast to the news, I altered my perspective on the people and

the location. Once you get to know someone, they become more
pleasant; in fact, I now have a few Muslim friends).
As previously stated, when their fellow schoolmates told them about the security
measures employed by MSU - Marawi Campus, the students felt safer about returning
一 therefore causing them to start viewing Marawi City in a more positive light than
before. This good news also helped the students in convincing their parents. The fact
that MSU was also the alma mater of some of the students’ parents also added to their
decision to ultimately allow the students to enroll in MSU - Marawi Campus after the
siege. The students' indigency also motivated them to pursue their studies at MSU -
Marawi Campus despite the terror they have witnessed through the media. The
56
students’ financial status encourages them to lean towards readmitting to MSU -
Marawi Campus considering that the university offers free tuition based on the
Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute's (DOST-SEI) List
of Universities and Colleges with free tuition starting 2018. Another matter they had to
take into consideration is that
Finally, the high standards of the university exceeded any concerns that parents
had about allowing their children to attend the institution. The military conflict did not
prevent MSU from providing high-quality education; the university's recognized
reputation only served to increase in popularity during this period.

57
Figure 4
Facebook Post - Mindanao State University Main Campus - Marawi
Chapter V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the discussion of the results of the study as well as the
conclusions and the implication for future research which are anchored on the results of
the investigation.
Summary of Findings
The Mindanao State University - Marawi Campus witnessed the siege from start
to finish. Despite the siege, it opted to operate. Students and instructors endured
airstrikes, gunfights, and explosions approximately 5 km distant which gained media
attention. Four years after the siege, neighboring towns, instructors, and students are
still striving to rebuild what was destroyed and move ahead. This study determined the
influence and role of news media on the undergraduate students’ intent to continue
their studies and readmit to MSU - Marawi Campus.
Six out of ten participants were female, showing that more female students
volunteered to participate. Dowthwaite (2018) claims that women are more inclined
than males to discuss their experiences. Undergraduate students from outside Marawi
City were included in this research to better understand what variables affected their
58
choice to enroll at MSU - Marawi Campus despite the danger portrayed by the media
while describing the Marawi siege. Participants hail from Burgos Cortes, Punta Kawit,
Butuan City, Tambulig, and Siargao Island. In addition, several of these cities and
villages are near Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. Northern Mindanao, which contains the
Mindanao State University Main Campus in Lanao del Sur, is located in Region IX
(Zamboanga Peninsula), whereas Region XIII (CARAGA) is located in Region XIII
(CARAGA) (Phil Atlas, 1903). The participants' degrees or studies varied following the
Marawi Siege. Education, Social Work, Marketing Management, and Human Resource
Management are among their degrees.
Regarding the news consumed by the students during the Marawi siege, the
students stated that the available media included the internet, television, newspapers,
and radio stations. Because most students did not have access to the internet or own
devices to access social media, broadcast media was most often stated. They watch
GMA and ABS-CBN news since they don't have access to other stations. Mindanao is
said to lag behind Luzon and Visayas in terms of internet access and speed compared to
Metro Manila and other industrialized areas Marcelo (2018).
Regarding the students’ impression of Marawi City, the interviews highlighted
the fear they felt during the siege and the uncertainty they were battling concerning
possibly being readmitted to the university.
Among the obstacles and problems that the participants experienced regarding
the choice to apply to MSU - Marawi Campus was the fear of anti-Muslim
59
discrimination and that the conflict will be repeated and they will be subjected to the
horrors of the siege.
Overall, the researcher accepted the first assumption which states that the media
has the power to influence, and instill fear in our students which could dissuade them
from studying in MSU - Marawi Campus. In addition, the researcher agreed that the
students are not passive consumers of the news media covering the events during the
Marawi siege. They are also evidently aware of their reasons for selecting different
media options, such as actively seeking out credible sources and reliable materials
including Television News Reports and news articles among others. This asserts that
the students consume selected media choices that will gratify their need, which in this
case is the need to obtain information regarding the siege to help them decide whether
they should go back to MSU - Marawi Campus or not.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the participants of
this study, which mainly comprised of 10 undergraduate students enrolled in
Mindanao State University – Marawi, were aged 20-22 years old, 6 were female and the
rest were male, and the came from hometowns outside Marawi City which belong in
the provinces of Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and
Zamboanga del Norte, and Lanao del Norte.
These students from different colleges of MSU - Marawi Campus stated that the
news media they have consumed during the siege include online and broadcasting
60
media, coming from television, radio, and social media. It was specifically highlighted
that some relied on the application, Facebook, given that it is openly available for
everyone and gives a timely update from the residents of Marawi City who were
experiencing the siege.
In terms of their motives in using certain media, the majority of the students
mentioned that their intent is to be informed, and to verify the news circulating through
text messages, and hearsays, to prevent themselves from consuming and believing fake
news. This is congruent with the principle of the study, which claims that people make
decisions based on their preferences and moods and that the medium that is used to
communicate with them addresses the needs of the person. Students could gratify their
need to use media for personal purposes, such as connections with friends and family,
and to justify their usage by providing trustworthy information. Another motive of the
participants was that the news media they have consumed is the only media available
and accessible to them at that time due to lack of internet connection and gadgets to use.
The news media during the Marawi siege, numerous factors contributed to their
decision to reenroll at Mindanao State University (MSU) Marawi. Four major reasons
were identified: news coverage of the Marawi Siege situation during and after the crisis,
undergraduate students' interpersonal relationships even before the crisis's occurrence,
their educational preferences, and their financial stability. Terror of the Marawi Siege
recurrence, as well as discrimination against Muslims, were among the impediments
that participants encountered while applying to MSU - Marawi Campus. Those
students who relied on the news media on the television found that the new portrayal
61
was exaggerated, one-sided, and lacking, as the situation in Marawi was not as bad as it
was shown by the media and news and that the city was safe because of the protection
from the military, police, and the university itself. This was realized by the students
shortly after they returned and enrolled in the Mindanao State University in Marawi
City.
Lastly, for the student’s impression with the Marawi SIEGE aftermath. The
Marawi refugees have experienced fear, trauma and emotional distresses because of
terrorism. The research participants chose education, and to still pursue their dremas.
As of the moment, they are struggling to communicate and to interact to their
environment. A majority of the participants are suffering financial problems and
struggling with their physical environment. In line with their struggles, they have been
coping through devotional prayers and studying the Qur'an. Furthermore, they
emphasized that socialization is a significant mechanism to cope with their traumatic
experiences and struggles
Implications
In light of the findings, it can be implied that this research was successful in
determining the function of news media representation of the Marawi siege as the main
influence in their choice to enroll in Mindanao State University – Marawi after the siege.
It is also possible to conclude how the research addressed false news distributed
by non-credible sources during the siege since this is a major aspect that has had a
62
significant impact on students' impressions of Marawi City, as well as the attitudes of
Muslim inhabitants of the city.
Apart from those mentioned, it can be implied towards the journalism industry
that biased reporting on incidents like the Marawi siege may cause panic and anxiety
among those who are going to read the publication, as well as it may provoke those
who are directly involved in the narrative, especially when it is one-sided.
Recommendations
Based on the conclusion, the researcher came up with several recommendations:
For media professionals and journalists to remain unbiased, especially when the
subject matter is about terrorism, attacks, fatality, or any other negative form of
inhumane acts, that may or may not be related to religion, as this promulgates
discrimination and prejudice against a specific group or community that may not be
involved in the incident.
For the municipalities within the area to promote the use of newspapers as a
medium of news updates as this is widely known to be the most credible source of
news.
For the undergraduate students of Mindanao State University – Marawi Campus
to improve their level of news comprehension along with better evaluating the
credibility of their sources to avoid acting based on false information which could lead
to harm.
63
For future researchers to further use a sampling method that will result in a more
accurate representation of the sample population in the future.
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
Guide Questionnaire for the In-Depth Interview
Name:
Age:
Sex:
Hometown:
Degree pursued:
1. What news media have you been consuming during the Marawi siege?
a. What are your motives for using certain media?
2. In what ways can you describe your experiences with news media during the
Marawi Siege, contributing to their admission to MSU - Marawi Campus?
a. How was Marawi City portrayed during the armed conflict based on the
news you have consumed?
b. What are your impressions of Marawi, Lanao del Sur based on the news,
stories, or reports you have consumed?
c. How did you feel about studying in MSU - Marawi Campus after the news
and/or after learning about what happened during the Marawi Siege from
the news?
d. What made you decide to pursue your studies at MSU - Marawi Campus?
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APPENDIX B
Transcription of interviews
STUDENT 1
Name: Jecco Galela
Age: 21
Sex: Male
Hometown: Burgos, Cortes, Surigao del Sur
Degree pursued: Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
Since I was in the province at the time when the Marawi siege happened way
back on May 23, 2017. I consume mostly the available media like the internet,
television, newspaper, and radio. This media is the primary source of our
information during that time since we are in the remote area of our province.
My main point in using certain media is first to gain knowledge of what
is happening around Mindanao since rumors are all around saying that
Marawi is on the siege by a certain terrorist group ISIS. I also use the
media to help me decide whether I will pursue my study at MSU or
not. Also, as far as I can remember, I keep on sharing a post for updates
of the happenings in Marawi City. In that way, I can also help spread
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the information that the people need to know what is happening in the
country.
It continued a lot for me in deciding whether I will push myself to Marawi or
will find other schools that are preferable for me. It came to the point that my
parents keep discouraging MSU-Marawi since they said that it is scary to
study in such a place with the present war.
a. How was Marawi City portrayed during the armed conflict based on
the news you have consumed?
It was portrayed as a tragic place, a place called no man’s land. All the
infrastructure is destroyed by war; it was portrayed as a ghost town
since no residents are left to the mainstream of war. It was also said in
the local media the term “lupang dinilig ang dugo”.
b. What are your impressions of Marawi, Lanao del Sur based on the
news, stories, or reports you have consumed?
My first impression when hearing about MSU-Marawi Lanao del Sur is
that it is a dangerous place to go. A dangerous place to stay, and

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unsafe to study. These are my thoughts after hearing, viewing, and
reading the news about Marawi City.
c. How did you feel about studying in MSU - Marawi Campus after the
news and/or after learning about what happened during the Marawi
Siege from the news?
When I was deciding that I will study in Marawi, I felt scared for my
security and my safety since my thought all along was that war will
emerge again. When I fully decide to take the chance and grab the
opportunity even though it is risky because of the news that I’ve
heard, there is this tiny spark in my mind that makes me feel unsafe.
Well, that was my perspective before, yes I am anxious about my
safety since it is my first time studying far across from a region I had to
adapt to the environment to secure my safety.
d. What made you decide to pursue your studies at MSU - Marawi
Campus?
After a long month of deciding whether I will grab the chance and take
the risk, I have decided to pursue my tertiary study in the Dakilang
Pamantasan ng Mindanao. The thoughts that had helped me pursue
my undergraduate study at MSU is that my parents kept on pushing
me to study in that certain university way back when I was still in my
elementary days, for a reason that this prestigious institution will help
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me mold to the man I want to become. Also, MSU-Marawi has had its
standard since it was established now. As I set my foot in the
university, I question myself that the media is biased somehow. They
portrayed it as a place not suitable for home but it is the place where I
can build my home. I was glad that I made the right decision, studying
in this prestigious institution is one of my greatest achievements and I
will forever cherish it till the last breath of my life.
STUDENT 2
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Name: Jhorelyn Pobe Virtudazo
Age: 21
Sex: Female
Hometown: Punta Kawit 1, Dapa, Surigao del Norte
Degree pursued: BSBA Marketing Management
There is no other motive but to be informed about the said tragedy or event.
Everything was chaotic, full of miseries, and on the verge of destruction.
Out of the news that consumed me I felt like something was missing. -lack
of data and information. Marawi City was portrayed as a dangerous place
but my perspective changed when I got there.

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the news?
MSU-Main is my dream school. I was anxious, nervous, and excited when I
got there because of the rumors and the news that was flashed on
television. Marawi City became my safe place and it became my comfort
corner now.
MSU-Main is a giant school for us who live on a small island. MSU-Main is
my dream school. At first, my parents didn’t allow me to study in Marawi
because of the siege but there is something that urged me to go there that is
why I book a ticket not even asking permission from my parents and I
didn’t regret it and it became a blessing because MSU helped me and
molded me for who I am today. I join various competitions – local and
nationals and it makes my parents proud (which is also my dream).
STUDENT 3
Name: Brigette Kim Lumawas

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Age: 21
Sex: female
Hometown: Tubod, Lanao Del Norte
Degree pursued: Bachelor of Secondary Elementary major in Filipino
Sa Marawi siege news, hindi po siya full coverage. Sa after hindi rin po
binalita kung paano po pagbangon sa Marawi, na nakikita sa reality, grabe
pagbabago before and after the siege… ano tawag dito… Sa mga news,
kinakaylangan isure po mga naririnig natin, mostly sa social media, kaya
dapat maverify talaga sa news. I still rely on the media news, for verification.
Sa television na may assurance kung makukuha andun po media personal sa
field mismo. Yung real na pangyayari sa Marawi City po. Pero sa mga
rumors sa social media at text message, hindi dapat naniwala agad, kasi
sometimes mali po sinasabi nila na ginaspread na mga balita.

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Vacation po ng grade 11, tapos maraming pinapatay at bakbakan ng ISIS and
sundalo. Yung airstrikes, maraming building binomba and actual na
bakbakan ng mga sundalo, pinapakita sa teevision po yun at tsaka mga tao
nagsilikas during that time. GMA ko po yun nakita, hindi po ako maka ABS-
CBN kasi antena lang po gamit naming, GMA lang po ang malinaw.
At first natakot po ako maraming pinapatay, mostly Christians pa, magtakot
akong naramdaman pero para sa pangarap ko. Yung kilala ko po kasi taga
Marawi lang na friend ko, nagtratrabaho sa restaurants sa MSU and relatives
na nag-aaral sa MSU. Sa news, mas worst sinasabi nila grabe talaga nangyari,
pero pagdating dun peaceful naman sya. Hindi naman sya ganun ka affected
the news?
During the time na pagdating naming one year na rin nakalipas. Yung mama
ko takot ako mag-aral sa MSU kasi during sa Marawi siege, kasi Christians
ang pinapatay. Pero father ko po talaga may gusto, and maganda talaga
quality ng school. Pero kahit natakot mama ko, hinatid niya po ako sa first
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time pagpunta ko sa Marawi. Iba na po pananaw ko sa MSU, ibang iba sa
balita. Iba mindset ng Christian towards Muslim dahil sa news dati,
especially sa Maranaos. Hindi pala ganun ka scary and horrible. Yung mga
tao dun is namamansin talaga, and iba pananaw nila sa Christians na katulad
ko. One time nareceive na text messages may ISIS na naman natakor talaga
kami during that time, kas inga po uuwi kami. Tinawagan ko po parents ko,
kung anong gagawin namin. Gabi nun, hindi po talaga kami makatulog. Kasi
balita na aataki na naman daw ang ISIS, so kinabukasan umuwi na lang po
kami. Tapos malapit namna rin kasi area namin, 3 hours lang po ang biyahe.
STUDENT 4
Name: Lyndon Vanriel Y. Daal
Age: 21
Hometown: Calolot Tambuling, Zamboanga del Sur
Degree pursued: BSEd Major in Sciences

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To me at that time, these news media are the only trustworthy media. If I
have to go look for media with relevant news then I go straight for news
media, rather than any other media platforms.
Chaotic and in a crisis, like everything was on the verge of destruction.
It felt like something was missing, based on the news and stories that I have
consumed, Marawi is a dangerous place. But I don’t believe it, because I’ve
been to Marawi when I was a kid and it wasn’t dangerous at all.

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the news?
It didn’t affect my will at all. Studying and graduating from MSU-Main
Marawi has been a lifetime goal. And even under any circumstances, I will
achieve my goal.
Aside from less financial problems and free tuition, studying in MSU-Main
Marawi, a Globally competitive university is a must for a person like me who
hungers in achieving my goal to become a professional someday, and I
believed that I would be better equipped if I were to study at MSU - Marawi
Campus.
STUDENT 5
Name: Raymark Molo
Age: 21
Sex: Male
Hometown:
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Degree pursued: Major in Filipino
All the time dapat talaga lahat iverify ang news, dapat talaga careful and
media nakakadulot kasi minsan ng wrong information dahil hindi naman
pala ganun kalala sa Marawi. Para iwas wrong information, dapat talaga
magcheck and verify your media news outlet
Nakakatawa nga po yung mga sinesend ang mga group chats about mag-
ingat sa social media. Nakakatakot talaga, naghahanda na kami, minsan nasa
suot na kami ng mga panlakad para lang if ever na anytime sugurin ulit ang
MSU, and maconfirm sa balita then maka alis kami agad.
Grabe and brutality, nakakatrauma and mga putok, nakakapanindig
balahibo. Syempre pag makita mo yun sa balita, matatakot ka rin. Ofc
natakot, nung first day ko sa MSU, lagi kong pinakinggan ang balita if ever
nab aka umatake po ulit ang ISIS.

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Actually pagdating ko sa MSU, iba talaga nafefeel ko, grabe rin ang
kampante ko na security dahil sa mga comfort ng mga narano friends ko,
“hindi naming pababayaan ang mga maranao friends naming.” Pero I always
bear in mind to be safe pa rin always.
the news?
During that time, sinasaad ng balita, GMA kasi samin dito. Marami daw ang
namamatay. Tapos mga daw pinuntirya ng mga ISIS. Nakakatakot siya, pero
hindi ko po hinayaan para maging hindrance ko para mag-aral. Marawi City
is a beautiful place, dapat hindi masyado expose ng media na ganun ang
Marawi na nakakatakot siya puntahan. Dapat mapromote nila nang Mabuti.
Hindi puro pangit po na balita. Kasi marawi is such a beautiful place po.
Of course that time, nung nag Marawi siege, nag graduate na ko sa senior
high. Destiny ko siguro talaga ito, and kagandahan na maiduot sakin ng

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MSU. Nawala sakin ang MSU, na isip ko hindi pala talaga nakakatakot ang
Marawi.
STUDENT 6
Name: Jozyl Argana
Age: 21
Sex: Female
Hometown: Butuan City
Degree pursued: Social Work

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Nasa Butuan city po ako ngayon. 21 na po ako. Online class, ang plan ko sana is
magpracticum na sana kami, wala pang final na sinabi pero may plano parin ako
bumalik kahit may mga balita pa na dumating ang Maute ulit.
Television and online, facebook mostly po. Kasi may mga shared post. May
Nakita akong mga bomba, like during talaga sa war. Yug mga buildings sirang
sira na po. Yun po na remember ko. TV, ABS-CBN, social media like shared post
na news. Like Rapper, GMA News. Nagstick sakin na image is yung mga sira
sirang buildings, and usok na mga bomba po mga ganun. During sa siege.
May mga news sa ngayon even after MSU. Nung andun pa kami, may mga
balita balita na may plano nga po daw. Di ko maremember ang lugar, may
mga maute na nakatira. Naplano po nila pasukin ang MSU. Yun ang mga
sabi sabi. Pero nagdoubt na kami kasi minsan hindi naman totoo. So
nagtatanong na po talaga kami kung saan ang source ng news para maverify
naming. Hindi lan hearsay. Mas maniniwala ako kung galing sa legitimate
news talaga.

87
Actually yung close friend ko, nagsend ng picture sa social media, tapos na
shock ako na may mga bahay. Tapos na shock ako may jeep, may
community. Like ang laki talaga niya. Akala ko kasi na students lang, tapos
nagandahan rin po ako.
Hindi rin kasi nasabi sa news, hindi naman sinabi yung scope ang limitation.
Hindi napakita ang loob ng MSU, the difference is maganda pala talaga ang
MSU. Safe naman.
the news?
Honestly, hindi pa rin nagbago isipan ko, it’s really my dream to go to MSU,
kahit nakakatakot kasi baka maulit. Iniisip ko nab aka safe naman sa campus.
Sa news akala ko talaga buong MSU, or buong Marawi siege like malapit sa
school. Pero nung pumunta ako dun, iba talaga sa news. Malayo pala. Hindi
pala talaga napasok ang school.

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Sa labas lang pala, akala ko talaga malapit sa school na may nadamay na
estudyante, may friend din ako na taga samin, tapos nagsabi siya samin na
safely guarded ang school kaya nakampante ako. Na walang mangyari
masama sa MSU, kasi guarded naman ng military. Halos lahat ng entrance
dun.
Mother ko nalang yung andito. Kasi separated parents ko, alam niya gusto ko
mag MSU. Di ba magpili ng campus, gusto ng mother ko is IIT. Pero gusto ko
talaga mag MSU. But nung nagdecide na mag social work ako, so wala na
pong choice kundi mag MSU ako.
STUDENT 7
Name: Elmejean Khler Simbajon
Age: 22
Sex: Female
Hometown: Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur
Degree pursued: BSBA major in Human Resource Management

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CBP rin kasi ako. Before ako naka-enroll for two months. Before ako na-admit
sa MSU. 1 year tsaka ako naka-akyat sa MSU. After makuha namin result sa
SASE.
Source of news are television, sa mga tao, not much sa social media kasi wala
kami pera po nun. Tsaka nung malaman ko yun nangyari, natakot ako sa tao. Eh
hindi pa po ako nakapunta sa Marawi, so may image na rin ako sa mga Muslim
dati na masasama and pumapatay dahil sa news.
I just heard it
Hindi na masyadong takot kasi ilang years na rin ang Marawi crisis bago ako
nagpa-enroll
Horrible. Noong una pa lang, kada uwi naming, ang mga tao, yun daw sabi
nila na baka maging Maute na kami. Tapos may narereceive ako na messages
nab aka may second siege, tatlong beses na ako naka-receive. Ang reaction ko
90
was natakot ako, tapos nasa isip ko lang is aral and dorm. Tapos hindi na rin
ako masyado nag-friends kasi wala na akong mapagkatiwalaan.
My first impression was it was dangerous. Natakot, kasi senior high pa ako
noon. Pagka-college ko, kahit alam ko ang nangyari sa Marawi siege, ang
motive ko makapunta sa MSU, kasi wala kaming pera. Mas mura ang
gagastusin, kahit nakakatakot. Bahala na si Batman.
the news?
I was enrolled in MSU a year after the Marawi siege. At first, I was scared but
when I started to have Muslim friends, I’m not scared anymore. ‘Yung
pagdating ko sa MSU, sabia ko, ah baka may mangyari sa akin. Pero ilang
years na ako doon, nag-iba na ang pag-iisip ko doon. Nawala na rin ang
stigma ko sa mga Muslim. Nawala na mga pag-isip ko sa mga tao and lugar,
iba po kasi talaga sa news. If mababait ang mga tao, eh marami akong friends
na Muslim. Eh dati wala pa akong cellphone, tapos umuwi yung kasama ko
na may cellphone. 1 week sya Nawala. Hindi pa kami naka-one month,
umuwi na siya. Nahadlok ko basin nay mahitabo.

91
The less expense and the quality of education. Naka-push talaga sa’kin mag-
MSU is ang kawalan ng pera. Kahit ganon ang SASE result, kahit matagal pa
ako maka-enroll. Ang kahirpan talaga ang nag-trigger sa’kin, pero mayroon
pa rin takot kahit sa pagpunta ko sa MSU dahil sa mga balita. Ang quality of
education talaga ang nagpa-stay sa akin. Ngayon, nadagdag na ang social
media for news since may cellphone na ako. Nakakatulong sya for news, sa
facebook or youtube. ABS-CBN page or GMA or CNN page, Rappler. Mas
accessible na sa akin ang news dahil sa social media, at kahit hindi ko naman
purpose ang magbasa ng news, binabasa ko nalang kasi interesting ang
headline.
STUDENT 8
Name: Berthylyn Navarez
Age: 22
Sex: Female
Hometown: Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur
Degree pursued: BSBA Major in Human Resource Management
Before ABS-CBN, Facebook, social media.

92
Exaggerated I can say. I can still remember when I was in my last year in high
school, my neighbors would always warn me not to study at MSU-Marawi
because of how dangerous it was since the university is already destroyed
and such based on what they watched on the television and assumptions of
other people. Kasi one-sided ang scenario ang makikita sa television. Nung
grade 12 ako, maraming neighbors na nanuod sa news ana sila “tana-wa, ana
sila. Sira na lahat ng infrastructures” dayun bakit pa ako pupunta dun. Yun
effect pag clip lang, kaya yung ga tao nakaka conclude ng short assumptions
jie. Ano jie, ang media, I am not saying, factor lahat ng media na lahat ng
news kasi it's better mas better siguro hindi lang sa time na yan, holistic
bitaw. Na hindi one sided ang story jie.
Very unsafe place and full of terrorists. Going there basically means killing
yourself. Studying at MSU will be “gara-gara lang” which means a very
careless, shallow, and impulsive action.

93
Parang mag short clip jie na binomba ang Marawi City. But because of that
yun talaga ang reason nagkashort assumption kami. Iba naintidihan naming.
Yan na conclude naming because of that lacking information. Walang diyaryo
rito. Pag my project lang. As hindi sanay, na hindi sanay sa malayong lugar.
Na remember ko kasama ko si jie elmejean. Palagi kaming alert, kaya natakot
ako. Iba ang suot ng mga muslim people. Wala rin akong nakitang Christian,
kung ano narinig ko sa television and facebook, kasi yan talaga ginagamit
samin. Tapos nadagdagan yung kwento kasi, nadagdagan ang fear naming
asi sa napapanuod naming sa tv. Yung exaggerated is sa social media. Short
conclusion lang sa amin mga nanuod sa tv. Sobra na takot naming, first time
ako nakakita ng ganun. Even when gustong gusto ko na mag-aral sa Marawi.
Natatakot pa rin ako. Pero nung pumunta kami dun, na remember ko yung
mga Nakita sa tv na baka maambush kami.
the news?
At that time, I was not heavily affected by the news since I have set my mind
to experience a whole different thing on my own.
Yes. May nagsabi kasi na sabi nila before ramadan na magkakasiege na
naman ulit. Tapos sabi nung friend ko sa news na yun, nasa iligan na siya sa
sobrang takot niya. So para lang makapante ang mother ko and friend ko,
94
pinauwi muna ako. Kaso yun ang natutunan ko rin nung nasa MSU ako, na
hindi lahat ng marinig mo sa MSU, dapat hindi ko ishare sa parents. Kahit
hindi naman ako takot, may mga news. Tapos sa landlord friend ko, na may
connection daw sa munisipyo na baka dumating na. kaya nakakatakot for
me. Tapos sabi nila na “hindi mo pala alam na may issue na ganyan” tapos
everyone knows na pala may ganun. Tapos ang siege daw before was before
Ramadan. Yung katiting na nakita mo sa iba, na news is nothing sa nakuha
ko na good memories and growth and experience sa napagdaanan ko.
Tsaka sa time ng nanay ko normal daw dun ang redu. Dun ko narealize
nakakatakot nga talaga. Before enrollment, maliit lang tao kasi summer.
Hindi ako nakaadjust sa environment, nakihalubilo na ako ng Maranao.
Parang normal lang pala. Ang kakaiba lang pala is ang pananamit. Dun ko
narealize na totoo pala talaga yun sa tv. Pero hindi lahat, parang short clip
lang is to describe na magulo ang Marawi. Pero marami palang good side,
hindi pala nacocover ng media and yung nababasa ko sa Facebook.
I had my personal decision to stay away from my hometown and I’m just
confident that the government will not allow the university to resume the
classes if it’s still unsafe. I have my full trust in the government at that time
and I want to experience what my mom experienced when she was studying
95
there. Based on her stories, it’s a different culture and system so that excites
me.
STUDENT 9
Name: Joshua Rodrigo C. Ablin
Age: 21
Sex: Male
Hometown: Butuan City, Agusan del Norte
Degree pursued: BS Civil Engineering

96
Honestly po talaga is medyo hindi po talaga ako natakot. In a sense. Kasi
meron ako, kasi meron po akong kompyansa na kaya po yan isettle down
nung na balita ko yan. I am more concerned sa mga taong naapektuhan dun.
May ilan din akong naririnig na naman part 2, honestly nacoconcern ako sa
safety ko dun. But more likely I’m still confident sa security ng paaralan
natin. Marami rin nagtaka knowing na nangyayari na ang Marawi Siege.
Talaga may concern sila sakin. Nung last rumors, since di naman talaga yun
na clarify yung news. Yes, yung mga relatives ko na may baka siege part 2.
the news?
Nung nakapunta na ako sa Marawi, the emotion of being excites ang
nagpalabaw- or nanaig. I was like, amazed thinking na yes nangyari ang
siege sa Marawi. But as what I see, it still do strive to give the best education
to its students
Nung last ko na narinig sa news, grabeng bomba. Tapos almost wala nang
makain. Pero ewan ko po sa sarili ko ate, I still pursued MSU. Since bata po
97
kasi ako, I really do target MSU. Yun nagging fuel ko, despite sa tragic,
thinking that I know that people would really learn to that lesson sa news. Eh
kita ko rin ang effort sa tighten sa security, una sa news lang. nung nandito
na rin ako, andun na rin ang military sa camp.
STUDENT 10
Name: Jona Mae C. Gultian
Age: 20
Sex: Female
Hometown: Del Carmen, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte
Degree pursued: BS Social Work
1. What news media have you been consuming during the Marawi SIEGE?
As far as I remember, it was from GMA channel 7 where I was able to know the
situation during the Marawi SIEGE. In addition, radio broadcast news was my
other source in getting updates on what was happening in Marawi then. I was
not able to get information from the online news for the reason that I had no
mobile phone nor any technological device back then. So, those two above-
mentioned news media were my source of information during the tragic event
that happened in Marawi.

98
My motives in using those particular news media are; Firstly, to keep myself
updated and informed about the situation in Marawi. As a Filipino and a
Mindanaon, I can't help myself worrying about those who are innocent
victims that are affected by the SIEGE. Secondly, those two news media were
the only available as I have no access to the online internet because apart
from having no phone or laptop back then, the Internet connection was bad.
Lastly, by using those two news media, I was able to share with others the
information I had gathered for them to be updated too.
Marawi SIEGE, contributing to their admission to MSU - Marawi Campus?
It was a traumatic experience, in all honesty. Even though I was not directly
affected by the SIEGE, I can feel the devastation of the people of Marawi and I
can hear their cries which keep me awake almost every night because I felt guilty
for having a comfortable life here in my hometown while others are fighting for
their own life. That experience of mine led me to almost not apply for admission
for MSU - Marawi because I was terrified.

99
"Unexpected Bloody War". This is how the news media portrayed the armed
conflict in Marawi. It is a fight between Philippine Government forces and an
alliance of IS-aligned militants in Marawi. According to the news, it started
when the Philippine Army tried to capture the head of a militant group that
pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The Maute group then joined forces
with the militant group, making the battle even longer and deadlier. For the
record, the war lasted for about five months which put Marawi City in
destruction.
b. What are your impressions regarding Marawi, Lanao del Sur based on the
news, stories, or reports you have consumed?
The news about the SIEGE left me with many impressions. This includes the
thought of mine that the whole Marawi City was in full destruction. But in
reality, there was only a portion of the city where the firefight or the SIEGE
happened. It is now called or known as Ground Zero.
and/or after learning about what happened during the Marawi SIEGE from
the news?
At first, I was hesitant in applying for my Bachelor's Degree at MSU. After
knowing from the news about what happened to Marawi City, I had this
thought at the back of my mind that maybe I'll just continue my studies in
100
other universities. I had almost given up hope to study at MSU because of the
crisis. Back then, I was fueled with fear, anxiety, and doubt that if I am going
to study at MSU, there's a possibility that the SIEGE might happen again.
Determination. This one word made me decide to pursue my studies at MSU
despite the emotions and feelings I had with me throughout the whole
SIEGE. MSU has been my dream school ever since and I think I will live my
life in regret if I did consider pursuing my studies at other universities. Yes, I
may sound cringey and over-acting but that is the way it is. I'm glad that I
threw away those negative feelings before.

101
APPENDIX C
Documents and memoranda
(this will be attached upon approval)

102
APPENDIX E
Curriculum Vitae
SHAMIAH WINDYLYN QUIETA GARANGAN

MSU-MAIN CAMPUS, MARAWI CITY
09172467497
shamspsyche@gmail.com
PERSONAL DATA
Date of birth: June 1, 1994

Place of birth: Cebu, Lapu-Lapu city
Name of mother: Rosalinda D. Quieta
Name of father: Alexandro Naga Garangan
Height: 5’2
Weight: 75kg
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
College
School: Mindanao State University
Course: Communication Media Studies, Major in Journalism
Year: Present
High School
School: Dansalan College Foundation Incorporated
Year: 2008-2009
School: St. Michael’s College
Year: 2011-2012
103
Elementary:
School: Philippines International English School (Preparatory)
School: Kuwait Philippines International English School (Grade1)
School: Jabriyah Indian English School (Grade 2-4)
School: Manuel L. Quezon University (Grade 5-6)
Affiliations and Achievements

Highschool:
Champion in Essay Writing Contest
2008-2009
DCFI, Marawi City
Short stories and Novel writer (Username: Untroubledsoul)

Wattpad:
● Unbridled: unbridled saga (part 1)
● Deception: unbridled saga (part 2)
● Childhood Crush series (1-3)
● Short Stories
2008- Until present
Senior Writer in the DCFI Collegian

2008-2009
Marawi City
Assistant Secretary in the Supreme Student Government

2009-2010
Feature Writer in BIDLISIW in St. Michael's College

5th Runner up out of 25 Schools in the DSPC Writing Contest
104
2011-2012
Iligan City
Graduated with Journalism Award

Bibliophile Award for 2 years
College:
President of the Eyoner’s Club
2018-2019
Volunteer Writer of Omega Team Philippines
2018-2019
Trained for one week in Global News Network, One Media
2019
Director, scriptwriter, and producer of “Hindi Pwede” (Short Film)
Available in YouTube (username: _untroubled soul)
September 2019
Actress for Egypa Balindong’s channel (2019-until present)
● MSU Serye
● Acting Game
● On Second Thoughts
Previous Work (Part-time and full-time):

JR Cupcakes: Cashier and baker
2015-2016 – two months – part-time
Kantina Restaurant: Cashier
2016-2017 – Six months – part-time
RDRRAC: Media Team, writer
Summer of 2017 – part-time
Concentrix: Technical team and customer service
2017-2018 - One year – Full time – Blink Department
105
2019 – 10 months – Grab Department

One Media Inc., Mindanao: TV Anchor, host, researcher, trainer of the volunteers
2019- until present
Department of Trade and Industry
2019 – 6 months – Assistant Monitoring and Head of Media Department
YouTube: Short Filmmaker and Vlogger
2019- until present
Teleperformance – Customer Care Service
2020-2021
Business Owner of Fully-customized Jewelry, Supplier of Ayatul Kursi in the
Philippines
2020-present
Organized:
Science and Mathematics Quiz Show
2015-2019
Spelling Bee Quiz Show
2015-2017
I-Connect Institute (Islamic Seminar)
2014
Media Law Ethics Seminar
2016, 1st Semester
Debate Seminar
May 7, 2017
Marawi City
TEDx Talk Show

May 7, 2017
Organized Community Outreach Program in Banga and Ranaranao
106
2018-2019
Campaigned for Anti-catcalling
2018-2019
Documented for PAILIG for 3 days: Youth Summit & Bangsamoro Normalization
July 2019
Facilitated and documented for JHPIEGO Activity for 5 days: Sexual Health
Empowerment
August 2019
Trainer for TV Anchor, writer, social media handler, and researcher of the volunteers
of One Media Mindanao
September 2019
Stray Feeding Programme CDO
Volunteer
October 26, 2020 – until present
Does donation drive
From 2018 until present
Owns an online shop – Soleil
Starting from February 14, 2020, up to present
(Facebook Page: Soleil Official, Instagram: _soleilph)
SKILLS
Proficiency in writing
Proficiency in typing
Good in researching
Good in scriptwriting
Good at organizing events
Good in sales
Good in boxing and muay thai
Excellent communication skills
Good in leadership
107
Business skills
Acting

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LOOKING BEYOND THE MARAWI SIEGE NEWS COVERAGE:

Mindanao State University Marawi City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

SHAMIAH WINDYLYN Q. GARANGAN

Chapter I The Problem and its Scope 1

Chapter II Review of Related Literature 9

Chapter III Research Methodology 38

Chapter IV Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data 43

Contributing Factors in Deciding to Reenrol to MSU - Marawi

Chapter V Summary, Conclusions, Implications and Recommendations 73

Guide Questionnaire for the In-Depth Interview 95

Table 1 Demographic and Background Summary 45

Figure 1 Conceptual Framework Diagram 35

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

guide the students on choosing a perfect field of study (Mortiz, 2016).

advancement of communication and technological innovation provided an array of

be spent, and even who to vote for during elections.

industrialization of underdeveloped societies, globalization of communication and

commerce, political destabilization, and social and religious fragmentation created a

locals of Lanao del Sur 一 to be admitted to MSU- Marawi Campus.

make an informed choice, it is also important to make accounts on the significance of

security. This is in line to understand the post-conflict struggles experienced by learners

from outside Marawi City

Statement of the Problem

The researcher sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the students in terms of:

MSU - Marawi Campus?

pursuing/finishing their studies in MSU - Marawi Campus?

Objectives of the Study

In conducting the study, the researcher’s goals are:

1. To determine the profile of the students such as age, sex, background,

hometown/province, degree pursued.

of pursuing/finishing their studies in MSU - Marawi Campus.

Significance of the Study

City, Lanao del Sur.

This study will add to the knowledge of:

handle the details of their stories—encouraging them to improve their practice of

gatekeeping in the write-ups they produce.

Teachers. This study would serve as an additional reference for instructors

the public and their opinions despite other factors.

media news reports.

Future Researchers. The result of this research may be used as a reference in

future studies of students in the field of communication or the media landscape—

offering a broader understanding of this topic.

choose to consume to gratify specific wants and needs. As mentioned by Littlejohn

constellation of individual psychological and social needs.

students to enroll in the University.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

account on why they have chosen MSU - Marawi Campus.

they are among the most inclined to use media.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

dissertations, and conference proceedings that helped us better understand our

Media in the Philippines

to purchase and read it (Sharma, 2017).

& Tuazon, 1999).

notably newspaper reading, which was particularly prevalent in the poverty-stricken