DSWD: 1,600 families displaced by Marawi siege now in temporary shelters

MANILA, Philippines — Over 1,600 families displaced by the Marawi siege in 2017 are now housed in temporary shelters, Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista said Wednesday.

“To date, a total of almost 10,000 displaced persons or over 1,600 displaced families from evacuation centers inside and outside Marawi City are now living in temporary shelters,” Bautista said in a speech during the pre-State of the Nation Address (Sona) forum.

Bautista said Task Force Bangon Marawi has implemented a biometrics-based profiling of internally displaced persons (IDPs) during the clash that lasted for five months. He said more than 37,000 displaced families are already registered in the system.

Bautista said the task force and other government agencies are now using the database to ensure that support and interventions are only extended to legitimate displaced persons.

“The Marawi rise plan underscores building resilience, capitalizing on identity, and creating a sustainable framework for development and positive evolution,” he said.

According to Bautista, the Task Force’s subcommittee on housing led by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the National Housing Authority continue to build temporary shelters for the remaining displaced families.

He said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also delivered relief and social assistance to displaced persons through livelihood settlement grants.

“In fact, over P300 million (worth) of livelihood assistance were distributed to more than 9,000 IDPs,” said Bautista.  /muf