Bangsamoro gov’t creates P500-M Marawi rehabilitation program

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has launched a rehabilitation program which will focus on all its Marawi-related projects.

The event was held on Monday, October 26, in Marawi – 3 years after President Rodrigo Duterte declared the city’s liberation from violent extremists.

Bangsamoro Interim Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim recalled in his speech at the launch of the Marawi Rehabilitation Program (MRP) that the President immediately ordered the city’s rebuilding through Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM).

“Alam natin na ang nasabing rehabilitasyon ay nasa kamay pa rin ng national government. Ngunit sinisigurado natin na nakatutok ang Pamahalaang Bangsamoro sa nasabing usapin at mag-aaabot ng lahat ng kinakailangang tulong o suporta upang maisaayos ang lungsod ng Marawi,” said Ebrahim.

(We know that rehabilitation remains in the hands of the national government. But we are ensuring that the Bangsamoro government is also focused on this and will extend all needed help and support to rebuild the city of Marawi.)

The BARMM government allocated P500 million in its 2020 budget for Marawi rehabilitation. The funds can be accessed after the program steering committee under Ebrahim’s office approves project proposals submitted by Bangsamoro ministries, line agencies, and offices in charge of rehabilitation.

The creation of the MRP was one of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Marawi (SCM) of the Bangsamoro Parliament.

According to Marjanie Macasalong, a Maranao member of the parliament, the SCM report “was the product of 6 exhaustively deliberative committee meetings, 3 public hearings which we held over 7 days, many public consultations, field visits, and intensive data-gathering and regular communication with experts.”

Macasalong said that the MRP “aims to make full use of the information and data gathered in the SCM’s Report by launching initiatives that are truly evidence-based and people-centered.”

The rehabilitation program, according to the Maranao lawmaker, will also ensure transparency and enable the people of Marawi to keep track of the regional government’s work for those who continue to be affected by the city’s devastation.

Given that the various levels of government units are conducting efforts for the Marawi rehabilitation, he also said that the program “aims to link and constellate our efforts by working with the national and local governments, with the shared aim of delivering services to the constituents who depend on us.”

When the newly established Bangsamoro government began leading the region in 2019, Chief Minister Ebrahim included Marawi rehabilitation as part of the interim government’s 12-point priority agenda.

“We cannot, in our good conscience, turn a blind eye on this issue. The transition period of the new bureaucracy will not be complete without significant developments in the Marawi rehabilitation,” Ebrahim said on October 26.

Moving forward

During the same event, the Chief Minister said one of the urgent steps that need to be taken is the provision of sustainable water supply to shelters for displaced Marawi residents who are “trying to rebuild their lives.”

A program for home-based internally-displaced residents (IDPs) which, according to him, are being overlooked by government agencies, will also be designed.

“We have also arranged meetings with various BARMM ministries and offices so they may design their respective initiatives based on the study conducted by the Special Committee,” said Ebrahim.

A program steering committee under Ebrahim’s office serves as a policy-making and oversight body. It will be led by SCM chairperson and BARMM Deputy Chief Minister Ali Solaiman.

Ebrahim said, “as soon as the steering committee is convened, we will be working closely with them for additional concrete steps ahead.”

Marawi residents call for probe of rehab funds

Meanwhile, following the Duterte’s directive to the Department of Justice to probe corruption “in the entire government,” Alan Balangi-Amer of 1BANGSA said the probe should cover rehabilitation funds given to the TFBM, led by Housing Secretary Eduardo del Rosario.

“Marawi rehabilitation funds managed by the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), Eduardo del Rosario deserve to be scrutinized as it is covered by the memorandum,” said Balangi-Amer.

He slammed the supposed “lack of various road and building outputs” despite the allocation of some P60 billion in funds to rebuild the city’s most devastated urban center.

Three years after the city’s so-called “liberation,” Drieza Lininding of the Moro Consensus Group said, “We don’t feel liberated at all because after 3 years, we are not allowed to go back to our homes or communities for some unknown reason and despite the clearing of [undetonated explosives].”

Del Rosario has said in previous press conferences that Marawi residents have been allowed to return to their homes for repair as long as they secure building permits from the Marawi City government.

Occupancy permits have been issued to residents of 86 houses, Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra said on October 23.

Only some 800 households are already inside Marawi’s “most affected area” (MAA) to rebuild their houses, Del Rosario said in the same press conference.

Some 2,100 building permit applications remain pending in the city’s building official’s office. Of this, over 1,800 had complete documents.

Gandamra said Marawi’s coronavirus lockdown from September to end-October has slowed down the issuance of these permits.

The task force aims to complete the reconstruction of the MAA in December 2021. – Rappler.com