‘Bakwits’ seek dignity beyond aid 9 years after Marawi siege

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — Nine years after the bloody Marawi siege uprooted tens of thousands of families, many “bakwits,” or internally displaced persons (IDPs), are no longer merely seeking relief assistance—they are demanding the restoration of their dignity and a permanent end to their displacement. “Our relatives are tired and exhausted from hosting us,