Bangsamoro gov’t launches own program for Marawi rehab

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The Bangsamoro government has launched its own program for rebuilding war-torn Marawi City following a recommendation of a special parliamentary committee that looked into the issues raised by Maranao residents displaced during the five-month war in 2017.

The Marawi Rehabilitation Program (MRP) is covered by a P500-million fund in the regional government’s budget for 2020.

Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) created a program steering committee to serve as policy-making body and overseer of MRP implementation.Acknowledging the principal role of the national government, mainly through Task Force Bangon Marawi, Ebrahim said the BARMM would also focus on the state of rebuilding and recovery of the city from the war that ravaged its business district three years ago.The regional government, he said, would also extend assistance to the residents.

“Since its creation, your Bangsamoro government has not stopped listening to the calls of our [Maranao] brothers and sisters. We have been doing everything within our hands to address their needs,” Ebrahim said.“Together with the entire Bangsamoro, we will help you rebuild. We will help you recover. We will help you ensure that, In shaa Allah, Marawi will rise again,” he added.

Special committee

Last year, the interim Bangsamoro parliament created a 29-member special committee to look into the slow pace of the national government-led rehab effort.

In August, the committee came up with a 127-page report detailing how it viewed the situation and suggested actions that the Bangsamoro government could take.

One key recommendation, for the medium- to long-term, is helping provide permanent housing for the displaced families.In the immediate to medium-term, the committee sought to help resolve issues on access to water and electricity, construction of sanitation and hygiene facilities, restarting business and livelihood, providing health and education services, and assisting homeowners in identifying property boundaries.

Delay

As of September, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees counted 25,367 families or 126,835 individuals still displaced due to the Marawi siege.It took two years for government contractors to clear the city of debris and live bombs, paving the way for rehabilation work to begin.

However, the coronavirus pandemic intervened, delaying by six months the work on public infrastructure.

On Monday, the BARMM government broke ground for the construction of 150 permanent shelters for displaced families—100 units in Barangay Mipaga and 50 in Barangay Patani.

The project is being undertaken through the Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment Program. —WITH A REPORT FROM SHEILA MAE DELA CRUZ