As survivalists, it's important to consider the possibility of a martial law situation, and what you might do if direct military control was imposed in your country. It may seem like an unlikely scenario, but observing unfolding crises in other nations can help us better prepare ourselves at home or abroad — take the Philippines for example.

If you've been keeping an eye on world news lately, you've likely heard about the battle that's currently raging there. The city of Marawi, located on the large southern island of Mindanao, has been under siege by militants known as the Maute group, a radical Islamist terrorist organization with apparent ties to Abu Sayyaf and ISIS. The Philippine military has clashed with the Maute group repeatedly since May 25th, reportedly killing as many as 89 of its members, but the remaining militants have reportedly taken civilian hostages, and the occupation of the city is ongoing.

Left: the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Right: the city of Marawi, currently occupied by Islamist forces.

In response to this terrorist group and the potential growth of the Islamic State in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte recently declared martial law on the entire island of Mindanao. Reuters reported that Duterte may keep the region under military control for a year if necessary, and “wouldn't rule out placing the entire country under martial law if the threat of Islamic State spreads.”

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So, what will the implementation of martial law look like in the Philippines? The leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has issued a set of guidelines with the do's and don'ts of martial law. These official guidelines are summarized in the infographic below, which was created by Philippine news outlet ABS-CBN. Click here to download a full-size version of this infographic.

Written by Patrick McCarthy