Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. (Photo from the Senate Facebook account)
The National Economic Development Authority (Neda) should fast-track plans to jumpstart the local economy of war-torn Marawi City, Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian said on Sunday.
Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate committee on economic affairs, also expressed optimism in the city’s potential to become a regional economic powerhouse.
“We don’t want a shotgun approach. We need a strategic approach in jumpstarting the local economy so that we can see changes after six months,” the senator said in a statement.
During the first hearing of the Senate special committee on Marawi, Gatchalian said the Neda highlighted moves that can help Marawi City get back on its feet, such as its potential to become an education hub. The city currently hosts several educational institutions, including one of the constituent units of Mindanao State University.
Neda also discussed unlocking the potential of Marawi as a hub for regional commerce and trade, noting the strong entrepreneurial spirit of the Maranao people. It also cited disruptions in logistic supply chains in neighboring areas during the midst of the siege, indicating that the city naturally plays a central role in the regional economy.
“Based on this feedback, it is clear that we can transform Marawi City into a regional economic powerhouse by making major investments in infrastructure projects targeted at unlocking the natural advantages of the area,” said Gatchalian, also a member of the Senate panel on Marawi.
With around 78,466 families displaced due to the ongoing conflict in the city, the senator stressed the importance of implementing coordinated government policies to bring the local economy to greater heights.
“Fixing the landscapes, houses, buildings, and government facilities is only one aspect of rebuilding Marawi. Rebuilding the lives of the people who have been displaced will be the most difficult task. This is what we need to put emphasis on — the future of Marawi and its people,” he said. je