FIGHTING GOES ON. More than four weeks since the siege occurred, intense fighting continues in Marawi City. Smoke billows in various areas in Marawi as military ground operations and air assaults took place on Thursday morning, June 22. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The funds intended for the rehabilitation of Marawi City in central Mindanao from the rubbles of the continuing war is now ready for release.
The Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the budget will be released on a multi-year scheme.
Allotment for the rehabilitation of Marawi will include P5 billion for 2017, P10 billion for 2018, and an additional budget for 2019 that is yet to be determined, Diokno added.
He also told reporters that the ongoing conflict in Marawi does not pose significant effect to the performance of Philippine economy nor warrant the creation of a supplemental budget for the rehabilitation of the area.
Diokno’s announcement came after President Rodrigo Duterte created the Task Force Bangon Marawi tasked to rehabilitate and reconstruct the war-torn city.
President Duterte had pledged P20-billion to rehabilitate Marawi.
Diokno added that the Department of Public Works and Highways is expected to come up with a comprehensive master plan that will be utilized for the rehabilitation of Marawi.
The secretary clarified that the sources of funding for the 2017 and 2018 were already identified prior to the creation of a master plan by the DPWH while the allocation for 2019 will be based on the remaining needs of the plan.
The P5-billion budget for this year will come from the 2016 and 2017 NDRRM (National Disaster Risk Reduction Management) Fund and the 2017 Contingent Fund.
Diokno said both funds have combined remaining balances of P7.4 billion and P3.35 billion, respectively, as of July this year.
He added that China had already donated P15 million for Marawi that will be utilized to boost the rehabilitation efforts of the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Other sources of funds could be sourced out from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Public Works and Highways, the Engineering Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and from foreign donors, Diokno said.
He added that P10 billion funding has already been allocated for Marawi recovery and rehabilitation program from the P25.5-billion NDRRM Fund for 2018.
A total of P130 million has also been allocated for 12 infrastructure projects under the DPWH regional office of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao, Diokno said.
Unified efforts
Meanwhile, other senior government officials said national efforts are necessary to realize the rebuilding and rehabilitation of Marawi City.
This was the call made by Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, as he asked government agencies, non-government organizations and other concerned groups to help rebuild Marawi.
“The attack of the Maute group is not just against Marawi, but on the entire Philippines. Let us show them that they cannot succeed in dividing us”, Pimentel said in a statement issued on Thursday.
He also announced that he intends to form an ad hoc Senate committee dedicated to the reconstruction of Marawi.
“I am calling on national government agencies, local government units, planners, donors, ordinary citizens – let’s make sure Marawi bounces back higher and better than it was before this cowardly terrorist attack,” the Senate president said.
He added that basic services in Marawi were already in a poor state even before the city was attacked by the IS-linked Maute Group.
Pimentel said such poor state of delivery of basic services was based on the briefing given by Department of Interior and Local Government Officer-in-Charge Catalino Cuy.
“We inoculate ourselves against the spread of terrorism if we make sure that all Filipinos are given what they deserve in terms of education, health, and other government services”, he said.
“We always say we are one nation. Let us prove it with action. Let the residents of Marawi feel that we did not abandon them in their hour of need,” Pimentel added. (davaotoday.com)
