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35 Marawi kids to meet with Duterte on Tuesday


Children from battle-torn Marawi City are set to meet with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday afternoon in Malacanang. 

The children — 35 all in all, aged 7 to 13 years old — are part of the five-day “Tabak Educational Tour: Peaceful Environment for Marawi Children” by the Joint Task Force Marawi.

They had a simple send off ceremony at the Lanao del Sur provincial Capitol on Monday morning.

"This is one of the initiatives of the Armed Forces and to ensure that those children displaced by the crisis in Marawi City are given adequate support and psychosocial treatment by the government,” Brigadier General Rolando Joselito Bautista, commander of the JTF Marawi and the 1st Infantry "Tabak" Division, said.

“It is imperative that at the initial stage,  those deemed vulnerable are being guided and educated to know their roles in the mainstream society,” he added.

The children were identified as among those vulnerable and susceptible to violent extremism, Bautista said.

The tour, to be held from August 28 to September 1, is expected to provide the participants with educational experience, social and cultural values for peace-building, and exposure to peaceful environments.

"Rather than hold guns and become combatants, we want these children to foster a sense of responsibility and, in the future, become leaders of a peaceful Marawi," said Bautista.

JTF Marawi sought the help of the provincial government of Lanao del Sur, Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Desk, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement, and Kilos Kabataan Livelihood Foundation, Inc. to make the endeavor possible.

The military also coordinated with concerned government agencies, offices, and partners in Manila. —Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMA News

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