Lumad and Bakwit Schools amid the Pandemic 67 in Metro Manila and other urban centers, which also allows them to expose and protest the situation of alternative tribal schools in Mindanao. Under the Save Our Schools Network, churches, seminaries, universities, and colleges open their doors to the transient bakwit school. From 2017 to 2018, and from April 2019 until today, around 700 Lumad students, teachers, and parents from all over Mindanao have already relocated to Manila, mostly by land, to seek justice for human rights violations against schools, communities, ancestral land, and resources. The evacuation centers in UCCP Haran Center in Davao City and at the Tandag Sports Complex in Surigao del Sur also house bakwit schools to enable the Lumad children to continue their studies. The bakwit school holds classes with few human and material resources. There are only a handful of Lumad teachers in the school, so volunteers are enjoined to teach subjects the students need to take in order to move up to the succeeding level. To ensure the maximization of resources, students, teachers, and staff are grouped into committees that are assigned to household duties such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry. With the Save Our Schools Network, the bakwit schools across the Philippines also engage with local government units, civil society organizations, schools, and churches to share their stories of struggle and success. The rest of this report details the experiences of the Lumad schools in Mindanao and the bakwit schools amid the pandemic. The report consolidates data gathered by the Save Our Schools Network through first-person accounts of teachers and administrative personnel of Lumad schools, who are also members of the Network. Continuing the struggle through the Bakwit Schools¹ During the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed by the Philippine government, the Lumads have been burdened by haphazard policies that limit their movements, disrupting their daily lives. This has been especially difficult for the Lumads whose communities are being militarized and those who are in evacuation. Securing food and other basic necessities has become a challenge to many tribal communities. The worst part is that the Lumads have been forced to return to their still militarized ancestral lands, lands which they have temporarily fled from due to state violence. Despite the hostility and violence from armed state elements, the students, teachers, and staff of these alternative tribal schools continue to campaign for the Lumad youth’s right to education. Constant dialogue with government units and 1 This list of activities has been consolidated by the teachers of the bakwit schools, including the author of the report.