MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released on Tuesday P1 billion worth of compensation for Marawi siege victims for this year.
According to the DBM, the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) will compensate 574 beneficiaries. The fund will be coming from the 2024 General Appropriations Act.
DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said that the tax-free compensation will help in the recovery of the victims of the siege, where it also covers claims for partially and totally damaged buildings and the death of loved ones.
“As a daughter of Mindanao, I can say na malaking tulong po itong P1 billion Marawi Siege Victims Compensation para tuluyang makabangon ang mga kababayan natin sa Marawi,” Pangandaman said in a statement.
(As a daughter of Mindanao, I can say that this P1 billion Marawi Siege Victims Compensation will be a huge help so our fellow citizens in Marawi can recover.)
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“Gusto po ng administrasyon ni President BBM na mabigyan ng sapat na suporta at kakayanan ang mga apektadong pamilya na maibalik sa normal ang kanilang pamumuhay,” Pangandaman added.
(The administration of President Bongbong Marcos wants to give enough support to the affected families so they can go back to their normal lives.)
On May 23, 2017, the Maute group, which has expressed alliance with the Islamic State, raided Marawi’s town center and occupied the city, bringing along several hostages with them.
The city was liberated in October of that year, but the attack left behind widespread destruction, displacing thousands of residents and causing significant loss of life and property.
The Marawi Siege Act, or the Republic Act No. 11696, serves as the “legal framework” for the distribution of compensation programs. The Marawi Compensation Board (MCB), created under the law, administers the distribution of compensation for eligible claimants.
Under the implementing rules and regulations of the board, a damaged structure will be compensated P12,000 per square meter (sqm) if concrete, P9,000 if mixed concrete and wood, and P6,000 if made of light materials.
Meanwhile, destroyed properties are to be paid P18,000 per square meter if structures were concrete, P13,500 per sqm if mixed concrete and wood, and P9,000 if made of light materials or mainly wood.
In addition, heirs of victims who died from the siege will be compensated P350,000.
The MCB said on August 30 that it had approved P1.16 billion for Marawi siege compensation. The compensation board also envisions that all eligible claimants will be awarded their monetary compensation by 2028.
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