Gov't seeks for patience in rebuilding war-torn Marawi
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza asked on Wednesday the residents of Marawi City to be more patient as there is no "magic formula" in rehabilitating the province.
In a media briefing in Marawi City to commemorate the Marawi siege, Dureza said the government is doing its best and on the right path in restoring what was destroyed during the battle.
"We’d like to call on all those who had gone through suffering to please be patient. There is no magic formula here. There is no reconstruction that will happen overnight," Dureza said.
"There will be a lot of challenges. Not everybody will agree; there will be contrary voices and feelings," he added.
He said "social healing" is very important.
"You know why, it is important that there must be some kind of what we refer to as ‘social healing’ - restoring back the moral fiber that was all destroyed because of conflict," he said.
"Let the Marawi experience be a source of lessons for everyone - Why did this happen? And you know better why it happened and you can give better direction to the government, it shouldn't be the national government that decide what to do. This will all come from you, which is a very important part of social healing," he said.
He also said that "transitional justice" is important.
"We cannot move on and make things already feel normal and better if there is no justice given, the correct justice needed, to redress the wrong that was committed and that will be a start of the social healing. There will be no full healing of relationships unless justice is served," he explained.
In the same press briefing, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong said the local government of Marawi City and the Task Force Bangon Marawi with other line agencies are working on five priority areas.
These include reconstruction, education, livelihood and business, security and peace and order, and social services including medical services.
"The Provincial Government of Lanao Del Sur, in close partnership with Marawi City provided a complementary, an additional workload to compensate and also to help and to augment, complement the works that have been doing by the line agencies involved in the Task Force Bangon Marawi," he added.
Housing Undersecretary Felix Castro Jr., the chief of Task Force Bangon Marawi field office, assured Marawi residents that no privately owned land will be taken by the government after residents in the temporary shelter expressed fear that they will not be able to return home.
“This is what we have been telling them, we will not touch private properties. The rehab will only involve government infrastructure,” Castro said.
Castro said some structures might be affected by the road widening project in the city.
“We will not demolish private properties without their request. They have to inform us that they want their properties in the debris clearing,” he added.
“We have also requested to the residents we need time to do the debris clearing. It’s a very tedious task, it would be dangerous for people to also be there.”
Meanwhile, the military and Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said the Marawi siege should serve as a lesson, particularly on the need of the civilian populace to cooperate with the government.
“It is very important to take note of this date because it would actually remind people from all walks of life, different agencies, and government departments that this kind of crisis should not have happened at all if everyone has been doing its share in our fight against terror,” said Año, who was the military's chief of staff when the five-month siege happened from May 23 until October.
Last Friday, Bangon Marawi Task Force chair Eduardo Del Rosario said at least P17 billion may be needed for the rehabilitation of Marawi’s “most affected area,” composed of 24 of Marawi’s 96 barangays.
The government has yet to fully start the rehabilitation of the so-called ground zero in Marawi.
According to Philippine Red Cross, around 230,000 people remain displaced and in need of stronger support one year after armed conflict broke out in the city. Ella Dionisio, Robina Asido/DMS
