Marawi folk get livelihood, humanitarian aid from US gov’t

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Philippines — The US Agency for International Development (USAID) handed over some P1.95 million worth of community grants that the US government had earlier committed for humanitarian and recovery work in war-torn Marawi City.

These grants, which included livelihood and improvement for schools, health centers, water and drainage system, electrification and other public facilities, formed part of the $59.1-million (P3.2-billion) Marawi Response Project that US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim launched in October last year.

Patrick Wesner, USAID acting mission director, led the distribution of grant certificates to beneficiaries here last week.

Wesner said the US government had been inspired by the stories of resilience shown by Marawi residents, whose lives had been disrupted by the five-month fighting between Philippine troops and Islamic State-inspired armed groups that laid siege to Marawi City in 2017.

He assured that the US government would continue to deliver humanitarian aid to improve conditions in evacuation centers and communities hosting displaced residents of Marawi.

Around 33,000 evacuees in centers and transitional shelters benefited from water and sanitation facilities installed through the help of USAID.

Representatives of 25 groups from nine Lanao del Sur towns received their grant certificates during the ceremony here. —Divina Suson