The ruins of Marawi City are seen at sunset. It has been more than a year since the Philippine military declared the Muslim-majority city of Marawi “liberated” from ISIS-linked militants, but the city remains a ghost town, and locals are becoming more and more frustrated with the lack of government support. Marawi's youth, among the most vulnerable, are now faced with forming their identity amidst trauma and conflict.
Noraima Lomondot (center) and Annah Manalundong (right) are seen in their house in a temporary housing shelter in Marawi City, outside the main battle area. The two babysit for their neighbors. Noraima sent her own child to another province, because she felt it was not safe where they were moved to. 'It's like time has stopped for us, there's nothing to do here but pass time,' Noraima says.
A former classroom is seen in the main battle area of Marawi, still damaged more than a year since the Philippine military declared the Muslim-majority city of Marawi “liberated” from ISIS-linked militants. But the ravaged city is still waiting for billions in promised infrastructure and aid to arrive. Over a hundred thousand people remain displaced, and analysts say that militants are returning to the area, preying on growing frustration with the government in maintaining stability.
Aishah, Helyah, Najmah, and Amerah are seen near a masjid after prayers. Aishah, Amerah, and Najmah were all in ground zero when the siege happened. For all of them, everything has changed since. 'I wish more people knew that Islam, truly, is for peace,' Najmah says. 'You and I are the same,' she continues. They pray everyday for peace. 'We won't let Marawi happen again. Even as women, we will be the ones to block anything like that from happening again.' They all want to go back to Marawi. 'We always look for Marawi. We believe that the Marawi that will rise will be an even more beautiful Marawi, inshallah.'
A soldier from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is seen during an operation ambushing suspected drug lords affiliated with a terrorist group. The soldier is part of a battalion serving in Mindanao, South of the Philippines, and home to the second oldest internal conflict in the world. Mindanao is currently under military rule, or martial law, due to the siege in Marawi and the rise of insurgents pledging to ISIS.
Norhata, an overseas Filipino, returns to her home for the first time since the Marawi siege. Her home, which she had saved up since she began working in Saudi more than a decade ago, was left in chaos in the wake of the siege.
The ruins of a mosque are seen in the ground zero area of Marawi City. It has been more than a year since the Philippine military declared the Muslim-majority city of Marawi “liberated” from ISIS-linked militants, but the city remains a ghost town, and locals are becoming more and more frustrated with the lack of government support. Marawi's youth, among the most vulnerable, are now faced with forming their identity amidst trauma and conflict.
Children are seen playing outside the camp for internally displaced people in Marawi City. It has been more than a year since the Philippine military declared the Muslim-majority city of Marawi “liberated” from ISIS-linked militants, but the city remains a ghost town, and locals are becoming more and more frustrated with the lack of government support. Marawi's youth, among the most vulnerable, are now faced with forming their identity amidst trauma and conflict.
City ruins are seen through a rooftop in the battle area in Marawi City. It has been more than a year since the Philippine military declared the Muslim-majority city of Marawi “liberated” from ISIS-linked militants. But the ravaged city is still waiting for billions in promised infrastructure and aid to arrive. Over a hundred thousand people remain displaced, and analysts say that militants are returning to the area, preying on growing frustration with the government in maintaining stability.
Filipino soldiers walk inside a Catholic church in the main battle area of the Marawi siege.
Photos are laid out in the rubble of the home of Norhata Rashid, an overseas Filipino worker coming home for the first time since she last left right before the Marawi siege. Her home, which she had saved up since she began working in Saudi more than a decade ago, was left in chaos in the wake of the battle.
A child is seen in a makeshift classroom in an evacuation camp.
A headboard of a bed is seen in the rubble of the main battle area of the Marawi siege.
A soldier is seen in the Grand Mosque, which was destroyed during the Marawi siege. The masjid is still damaged more than a year since the Philippine military declared the Muslim-majority city of Marawi “liberated” from ISIS-linked militants. But the ravaged city is still waiting for billions in promised infrastructure and aid to arrive. Over a hundred thousand people remain displaced, and analysts say that militants are returning to the area, preying on growing frustration with the government in maintaining stability.
A gun is seen on the table of an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) battalion's ladies' barracks, beside flowers from an officer's boyfriend.
Hands of a man are seen tied up after his arrest. The man is part of a group suspected of dealing drugs and supplying the ISIS inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters with weaponry. He was arrested in an operation by a Philippine Army battalion serving in Mindanao, South of the Philippines, and home to the second oldest internal conflict in the world. Mindanao is currently under military rule, or martial law, due to the siege in Marawi and the rise of insurgents pledging to ISIS.
A Filipino soldier from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is seen during an operation ambushing suspected drug lords affiliated with a local terrorist group. The soldier is part of a battalion serving in Mindanao, South of the Philippines, and home to the second oldest internal conflict in the world. Mindanao is currently under military rule, or martial law, due to the siege in Marawi and the rise of insurgents pledging to ISIS.
Destroyed buildings in the main battle area of the Marawi siege are seen during sunset, still damaged more than a year since the Philippine military declared the Muslim-majority city of Marawi “liberated” from ISIS-linked militants. But the ravaged city is still waiting for billions in promised infrastructure and aid to arrive. Over a hundred thousand people remain displaced, and analysts say that militants are returning to the area, preying on growing frustration with the government in maintaining stability.
Filipino soldiers are seen by a wall with the graffiti 'ISIS ❤ U' in Marawi, Philippines on November 15, 2017. Marawi City is in ruins after Islamic State (IS) inspired militants laid siege to the city in a battle that lasted for five months, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
Young girls are seen erasing the blackboard of their makeshift classroom in a camp for internally displaced youth in Marawi City.
'During the evenings, my mother couldn't sleep. You could see the explosions,' Private Kristine Porcadilla remembers.
'In the mornings our lives seemed normal. We would play and see the fighter jets. We thought we were just playing,
but the stench of the dead reeked in the rice fields.'
This work was shown in Visa Pour l'image in Perpignan, and published in The Washington Post, Le Monde, and Newsweek Japan.
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