The Days That Changed My Life

by: Sherry Mae Nocon

Who would have thought that a life full of happiness,peace and comfort would suddenly be taken away from you with just a blink of an eye?  And you cannot do anything but to watch it disappear, leaving only the painful remnants of the past..

Never did I imagine that something like this could happen to us.
It was a turning point in my life.

I am a medical student of ADZU SOM, and I belong to the group of selfless students who committed themselves in helping the underserved communities in Region IX. It is our passion to serve others and to contribute solutions to the health problems faced by the community.  

However, the city's first tragic experience of this type was a life changing experience for me. The situation turned my life into something I never could have imagined. The crisis paralyzed the normal and happy lives of Zamboangueños with hundred thousands people shaking in fear.  

My family was one of the victims displaced by the firefight and who struggled to have the basic needs of food and shelter. Up until now, we are missing our home which used to be our comfort zone and was turned into a playground and shopping mart for thieves brought about by the war. On a brighter side, our home wasn’t included in those affected by the huge fire that occurred just a few meters away and nobody was hurt during these hard times.

"I thought it was the end of my dream"

Many times have I dreamt about being a hostage and victim of war. It frightened me every single day. On the dawn of September 10, I felt that there’s something really bad that is going to happen. At around 5:00 in the morning, I heard voices crying and screaming for help. All of a sudden, I heard my mother shouted, “Wake up! Wake up! We are under attack! Let’s evacuate now!” Then I heard several gunshots so close to our vicinity. As the sound of gunshots and explosion got closer and closer, we rushed out to escape but the MNLF fighters and government forces were already battling out in the main exit route of the neighborhood.

A view from where the 20 members of the family climbed across the wall.

Our family was trapped and everybody was panicking. Another very loud explosion occurred. We could not think of safer actions to take until we figured out a way to escape from danger. We climbed and went over the wall in our backyard, trespassed Zamboanga City Medical Center in the middle of the firefight and ran to hide inside my mother's office in the Radiation Oncology Department. We knew it wasn’t safe there either, but we were left with no other option. We kept quiet during our whole stay there. There was no electricity,  no food, and we were already starving, scared, exhausted and trembling. We all had one common thought that maybe, maybe it was the end of our lives.

The exchange of gunfire continued. What we were concerned about that time was my father who insisted to stay inside our house. However, we kept in contact with him through text messaging. He said he was like a soldier holding a knife and gun hiding under the bed waiting for some movement inside the house. On the other hand, he was terribly afraid because the sound of explosion was intensifying. We all prayed together for our safety while the fight was going on.

6 hours later, we heard a knock on the door and it was my mother's officemate who warned us that it wasn't safe to stay there and that we should find a way out as soon as possible. Another personnel came who relayed a message from the Administrative Officer of the hospital to evacuate from the area for it was dangerous for us to stay there due to the effects of radiation. When we stepped out of the office, we all took a deep breath after a long stay with poor ventilation. We transferred to the Out-Patient Department. My mother and brother had to go back to fetch father and fortunately, it was during this time when the armed men gave the civilians until 3:00 PM to evacuate from the area. It was a relief when all 15 members of the family were together at last.

In the OPD, a concern doctor offered a free ride which brought 5 of us to Ciudad Medical Zamboanga, few kilometers away from the area. Another help came from a very good friend who offered us to stay in their house temporarily. When we saw that there was no way for those who were left behind could get out of the hospital before 3PM, my parents took the risk and went home to get the vehicle. My father described the scene when he drove the car out of the house in the middle of the firefight as those seen in the war movies. My family was able to exit from the conflict zone and found a safer shelter to stay but with the uncertainty if we can ever go back to our home, or maybe the concern should be if we still have a home to go back to.  

With God's grace, several families have contributed some relief goods, food, clothing and necessities to our family. Every 3 days we were given canned goods, packed noodles and rice, and some money. We were able to survive the 3-week crisis in our city. But how about our neighbors? How about the many hostages captured by the MNLF? How about the many children who were traumatized by the violent actions of these rebels? How about those families whose houses were burnt down and family members killed?

A view fronting our house in Lustre Street, Sta Catalina which became the center of the battle

September 13, a forced evacuation was ordered. Our housemaids were left in our house for 5 days. They were not able to ride the vehicle when we left ZCMC because they were trapped in the middle of the firefight. But when the fire broke out in our neighborhood, they were forced to get out of the house and evacuate the area. They said they were almost shot by the military officers suspecting that they were part of the MNLF group. However, they were proven innocent. So, the two were taken cared of by the Crisis Management Center. Two days after, another huge fire broke out near the hospital. The whole family was monitoring the radio news and we even verified if our houses were burnt down but we could not get an answer. My mother's friend called her and informed that our house was still intact. So we calmed down and continued praying for peace and end of war.

On September 28, 2013 at around 2 PM, my father, with the permission from the Ground Commander, had the opportunity to peep inside the house from the wall dividing our house and the ZCMC. He saw our house still intact and he was not able to enter the house since the dogs started barking and the military officer stopped him. The following day, September 29, 2013, my parents went back to check on house and they were surprised to see our bedding in the garage with scattered bottles of softdrinks and liquor on the floor. They started to worry and requested some military officers to accompany them inside the house. Our house was ransacked as well as our neighbors' houses. My mother cried out loud when she saw her room like this:

When the war started, we were not able to bring with us our valuables, important papers, and necessities. After  we saw this picture, we knew the thieves have taken all my parents' valuables. Our hearts broke when we knew all the losses. My parents went back to our temporary place still couldn't figure out why this should happen to us. But, we thought that maybe this was the price that we should pay for saving our lives. At least we still have something left after the war. 
  
The outbreak of violence caused many innocent lives killed, several hostages maltreated and harassed,  thousands of houses burnt down, classes and work suspended and government and business operation disrupted. Shops and banks were partially open so people can buy their basic necessities and can withdraw money sent from relatives elsewhere. Those who can afford had moved to safer grounds to nearby provinces and municipalities. But the majority who were directly affected was left in the evacuation centers, enduring the long queue for food rations, water to drink and taking bath and even the use of toilets. We wanted to extend our help to those who were in dire need of clothing, food and necessities. But we, ourselves were victims also, and what we could offer was prayers for peace and justice in the city. 

Photo grabbed from http://www.rappler.com/nation/38906-zambo-evacuees-number-at-least-62,000

Everyone did not expect that the war would last for a month. On a positive note, amidst the adversities, the whole Zamboanga City remain united, with the desire to resolve and recover from the damage wrought by violence inflicted on us. As the city continues to be in pain as we are still in a state of crisis, God's purpose still prevails. 

We're thankful for the generous acts of our classmates who donated hygiene kits for the families affected. Others served at the City Grand Stand to provide medical aid to the evacuees.  And all ll I did was to pray that the war would end the soonest time possible. Indeed, many good souls helped in the relief operations for our brothers and sisters who were suffering in the different evacuation centers.This shows how the city of Zamboanga worked and reunited together and showed their sense of camaraderie.   

But then life must go on. We can never bring back what was lost, but we can always start anew. We may have been wounded by the past, but the scars would remind us that there is a room for healing and reconciliation.
My hopes and dreams of becoming a doctor,were not lost in the battle. Instead, my perseverance deepened and my faith in the Lord strengthened all the more.by: Sherry Mae Nocon