P1B released for Marawi siege victims

BUDGET Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said over the weekend that she has approved the release of P1 billion for the victims of Marawi City siege, the five-month battle that erupted on May 23, 2017.

Pangandaman said the amount would cover the Marawi siege victims' compensation under the fiscal year (FY) 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

«The rehabilitation and recovery of Marawi has always been a project that is close to my heart. I am a Maranao by soul and blood, and I feel so much joy and pride seeing Marawi rise again six years after the siege,» she said.

«I am sincerely thankful that President Bongbong Marcos continues to support programs and projects in Mindanao. It is a big thing for the Maranaos and the people of Mindanao. It makes us feel that we are indeed part of this unified Bagong Pilipinas, where no one is left behind,» Pangandaman said.

The Marawi Compensation Board (MCB) has determined that 362 victims will receive monetary compensation from the P1 billion allocation under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF).

Special Provision 3 of the NDRRMF in the FY 2023 GAA states that the initial appropriation shall be used for the compensation to any lawful owner of a residential, cultural, commercial structure, and other properties in Marawi's main affected areas or other affected areas destroyed or damaged, either totally or partially, during the battle between government troops and Islamic extremists in Mindanao.

Also included are owners of private properties demolished pursuant to the implementation of the Marawi Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program; and the heirs of those who died and legally presumed dead, in accordance with Republic Act (RA) 11696 and guidelines to be promulgated by the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB).

In accordance with RA 11696, or the «Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022,» MCB was established to facilitate the tax-free payment of compensation or reparations to qualified individuals whose properties and possessions were lost or destroyed due to the 2017 siege.

Meanwhile, Section 41 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 11696, «Determination of Award of Monetary