Last June 25, General Padilla declared a Humanitarian Pause in the city of Marawi in light of the Muslim celebration of Eid-al-Fitr. The temporary ceasefire was said to revere the peaceful, joyous and festive nature of this important Islamic holiday. While the pause brought temporary peace to the region, the fight for Marawi continues.

Last week, we featured the efforts that Kapatids have undertaken in order to boost the morale of and bring relief to the soldiers in Marawi. Tons of relief goods and letters of gratitude were received by the soldiers, who are sacrificing day in and day out to bring peace to the area. Amid these trying times, the heart of the Filipino is uniting with our brave soldiers in the struggle for peace.

Many soldiers have expressed their heartfelt gratitude to those who remembered them and sent messages of encouragement. Words of kindness and love truly have the power to lift the spirits of our soldiers. In fact, the soldiers have gone out of their way to trace the people whose letters they received from the care packages in order to thank them.

Ranger Sentido Doss with the relief goods he was given from Go Negosyo’s “Kapatid for Marawi” effort. He thanked the young donor, Diana D. Sameniego, who wrote the letter he received in his care package. Doss said he was thankful for what Sameniego sent and his heart wells up with the knowledge that the soldiers are being thought of by their kababayans.

Jobert Maquido of the Philippine Army reads a letter he received with a care package.

The Fourth Mechanized Infantry Battalion posted on their Facebook page a heartfelt thank you message to the Go Negosyo Kapatid Family, writing, “It may be a simple gesture to you but it means a lot to the soldiers who are enduring the loneliness of being away from their loved ones.”

Soldier Edison Mateo reaches out to Diane Roque on Facebook to thank her for the letter he received in his care package.

Soldier Alvinz Adonza shared that while reading the letter of Jakey Carillo Lazo, he felt a wave of happiness and couldn’t stop smiling at the thought that there are people who support and wholeheartedly pray for the safety of the soldiers and their families. His message to all the Filipinos who are concerned about the soldiers’ plight in Marawi is to continue our support and prayers. “Kami naman po ay gagampanan ng buong puso at maayos ang aming sinumpang trabaho para sa ating bayan. Patuloy po tayong magtiwala sa kakayahan ng sundalong Pilipino. Sa mga mahal sa buhay ng aming mga kasamang nag-buwis ng kanilang buhay, nakikiramay po kami sa inyo. (We will do the same with all our heart and our sworn duty to our country is going well. Let us continue to trust in the ability of the Filipino soldier. To the loved ones of our fellow soldiers who gave their lives, we condole with you.)”

Other soldiers directly reached out to the donors and writers of the letters in order to express their gratitude. Let us stay resilient and hopeful for our brothers and sisters who continually lay down their lives in service of the safety of the Filipino people.