COTABATO CITY – “The Bangsamoro Government is extremely grateful for the approval of the Marawi Compensation Act on its third and final reading at the House of Representatives (HoR),” Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said on his statement on the passage of House Bill No. 9925 on Monday, September 6.
“We thank our representatives who filed and steered this measure and the 197 lawmakers who voted for the approval of this very significant legislation,” Ebrahim said.
The bill will provide “monetary compensation to qualified claimants, through the Task Force Bangon Marawi, for the loss or destruction of residential and commercial properties as a result of the 2017 armed conflict between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and terrorist groups in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.”
“House Bill No. 9925 is not just about mere compensation but the right direction towards healing the scars of our brothers and sisters in Marawi and taking one step further towards a genuine recovery of a people that have lost so much and have endured tremendous suffering,” the Chief Minister said.
On the part of the Bangsamoro Government, it is implementing the BARMM Marawi Rehabilitation Program (MRP) to support the ongoing recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of Marawi City.
MRP has an initial budget of Php500-million in 2020 and another Php500-million for year 2021. It encompasses all BARMM-funded and BARMM-initiated projects and activities for the benefit of the communities affected by the Marawi siege, based on the approved committee report made by the Bangsamoro Transitions Authority’s Special Committee on Marawi.
“As part of our 12-point agenda in the BARMM, the Marawi Rehabilitation Program and all the efforts towards its fulfillment is a triumph of the entire Bangsamoro,” Ebrahim said.
Recent MRP projects include enhancement of the internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) profile database; Sagip Kabuhayan Program; installation of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities (WaSH) across all temporary and permanent shelters within and outside BARMM; and the purchase and dispatch of mobile health clinics, lake ambulance, and cadaver transport to serve the IDP’s medical needs.
MRP also distributed cash aid to all IDP households whether or not they are included in the Kathanor list. It is also set to give technical assistance to indigent families seeking to rebuild their homes in their own lands within the Most Affected Areas (MAA), and construct permanent shelters for the IDPs. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
