Gov't assures swift action to aid IDPs from Marawi
MANILA, June 16 -- The government on Thursday, June 15, assured its swift response in addressing the needs of Filipinos displaced from their homes following the terrorist attacks by the Maute group in Marawi City.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) chief Ricardo Jalad confirmed that as of June 14, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Lanao del Sur has reached 324,406 or 66,738 families.
Five percent of these IDPs are staying inside 79 evacuation centers in Lanao Del Norte, Lanao Del Sur, and Cagayan De Oro. The remaining 95 percent sought refuge with relatives and friends.
Jalad said his office has already directed the activation of a command and coordinating center in Iligan City to fast track the government’s efforts in responding to the immediate needs of the displaced families.
To date, a total of P84 million worth of assistance has already been provided by government agencies responding to the conflict, including the OCD. If the number of IDPs increase in the coming days, the government is set to put up tent cities to accommodate more evacuees, he said.
When asked about the government’s rehabilitation plan for Marawi City, Jalad stressed that their primary focus at the moment is to ensure the immediate delivery of services to Filipinos staying in the evacuation centers as well as to the home-based IDPs.
Nevertheless, the NDRRMC Chief guaranteed that the OCD will be deeply involved in the crafting of the rehabilitation plan once the entire city is cleared of the militant group.
“We are still in the response phase… But still the OCD as the overall coordinator will be involved in the crafting of the rehabilitation plan, initially through the conduct of post-conflict needs assessment,” Jalad said.
"Hopefully, as soon as Marawi is cleared, we can embark on the conduct of the assessment. And after the assessment will be the drafting of the rehabilitation and recovery plan," he added.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella earlier confirmed that an Executive Order for the implementation of a rehabilitation program for Marawi City is already awaiting the President’s signature.
The Executive Order for “Bangon Marawi” seeks to allot a P10-billion budget for the restoration of the conflict-torn city. Jalad for his part stressed that funds from the NDRRMC could be tapped for the said program. (PND)