MANILA, Philippines – Families displaced due to the war in Marawi City can finally see their homes, or what’s left of their homes, starting Sunday, October 29. 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), citing Task Force Bangon Marawi, announced this in a news release on Wednesday, October 25.

Based on DSWD data, there are 77,000 internally displaced persons staying in 80 evacuation centers. This does not include evacuees staying with their relatives in nearby areas.

“Close coordination with home-based evacuees, barangays, or with nearby city or municipal social welfare and development offices is requested to immediately assist the families,” said the DSWD.  

As of Monday, October 23, the DSWD’s Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau said P518 million worth of food and non-food assistance has already been distributed to the evacuees. P21.79 million of this amount was provided by the local government and P26.3 million came from non-governmental organizations.

The relief supplies include family food packs, tents, hygiene kits, mosquito nets, and kitchen utensils, among others.

DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel Leyco is currently in Iligan City to monitor the relief operations for the affected families.

The DSWD will also give cash for work (CFW) opportunities to displaced Marawi City residents for a maximum of 30 days. This will help them earn P200 a day while rehabilitation is still in its first phase. 

Leyco also vowed to look into proposals to increase the CFW salary to as much as P255 to P265, the region’s minimum wage rate. 

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is eyeing additional aid for Marawi City workers through emergency employment. DOLE earlier released P30 million, which benefitted some 2,900 workers.

President Rodrigo Duterte announced on October 17 that war-torn Marawi City had already been “liberated” from Islamic State-linked terrorists. But combat operations ended only on October 23, as government troops fought the remaining “stragglers.” (READ: Marawi: 153 days and more) – Rappler.com