Outline for speech regarding Marawi Siege and the establishment of Arkat Lawanen and how it relates

to the empowerment of Women and Children

*What Happened?

On 23 May 2017, a firefight broke out between Philippine government forces and an alliance of IS-
aligned militants in Marawi – a thriving city in the south.

The militants, made up of a combination of ISIS affiliated groups took control of the city, committing acts
of atrocities against its inhabitants.

The ensuing clash between the government and these armed groups lasted a grueling 5 months, tearing
a city into shreds and leaving whole communities broken. Beyond the damage to the structures and
buildings of the city, there is also the immeasurable toll that it took upon its survivors, all of which were
scarred by the war.

*Establishment of Arkat Lawanen

It is within the ashes of the broken city where the beginnings of Arkat Lawanen began. I was born and
raised in Marawi City. I grew up playing in its streets and spending time with my family in the grounds of
MSU-IIT (Tell them the story of your childhood and how you’re connected to the city)

Seeing my brothers and sisters lose their source of income and any semblance of peace because of this
tragedy I began of thinking how I could best help them, a fund raising activity would at best allow for a
temporary succor to their deep wounds and so I drew inspiration in one of the stories passed down
within our culture the story of the princess Lawanen ( Tell them the story of Lawanen)

Since its establishment, our small community of weavers and guardians of our culture have spread and
now (Tell them about how many members Arkat Lawanen has, How many families it has helped and
how many women are helping and from which evacuation sites they are from)

*But how is this related to the empowerment of women and children

The way that this empowers women and children is two-fold , first it allows them a source of revenue
that, though it may not automatically uplift them from poverty but will act as a means of ensuring that
they do not grow hungry, ultimately this is more akin to a grass roots movement that is not backed by
big corporations but rather by a community of Women who want to seek a means of living that not only
gave them dignity but also a means to put food in the belly of their children. The second way that it
empowers women is through recognizing their roles as the keepers of their traditions, weaving for these
communities are not merely a means of filling their bellies but it belies a deeper purpose, one that
connects these women to all those who have came before them.

Weaving in these communities are (Tell them anong importance nang weaving sa maranao community
and anong importance nang mga malong)

Ultimately, I stand before you as the lucky representative of a community of women who have risen
above the ashes of their broken city and are now trying to do their part in rebuilding not only their
community but their very lives.