NORTH COTABATO, Philippines – The provincial government will provide scholarship support to the two sons of kidnapped overseas worker Marcelita Dayawan-Tamalla whose abduction in Malaysia and subsequent 48-day captivity in Sulu left her jobless.
North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza told the Star Friday they are now looking for a way to help send Tamalla's children to school.
The 40-year-old Tamalla, widow of a Philippine Marine soldier, was snatched on April 2, 2014 by Abu Sayyaf gunmen, along with Chinese tourist Gao Hua Yuan, 29, from the Singmata Reef Resort in Semporna in the Malaysian island state of Sabah.
Their Abu Sayyaf captors spirited them both to Sulu, a component province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where they were held captive for almost two months.
Tamalla and Gao were rescued jointly by Philippine and Malaysian security forces on May 30 in Parang town in Sulu. Tamalla was reunited last week with her family in Barangay Agriculture in Midsayap town in the first district of the province.
Tamalla and Mendoza had met at the provincial capitol in Amas District in Kidapawan City, where they talked about possible educational assistance for her two children.
“Maraming salamat po sa Poong Maykapal at sa lahat ng mga ahensiya ng gobyerno at sa ating gobernadora sa patuloy na pagtulong sa akin at sa aking mga anak,†Tamalla said.
Mendoza said since Tamalla had experienced working in a beach resort in Sabah, she can be employed in any of the eco-tourism establishments being operated by local government units in the province.
Mendoza’s office and the local government unit of Midsayap had provided relief support to Tamalla’s two sons during her 48-day captivity in the island province of Sulu.