Marawi Rehabilitation: Rise to a Prosperous City

For the longest time, the displaced residents of Marawi City still yearn to return to their homes.
Their attention and concern with the city’s rehabilitation shifted when pandemic struck, causing poor
residents to become even poorer, clinging to the Marawi Rehabilitation as their last hope. The program
has proved to be challenging due to several flaws and concerns, including a lack of openness and
accountability throughout the process. However, the recent update of Task Force Bangon Marawi
(TFBM) on the program, as of October 12 (Task Force Bangon Marawi, 2021), somehow provided a ray
of hopefulness to the residents.

According to the video, several facilities were developed to provide services to the returning and
current residents of the city that they surely deserve. Some of which are the Fire Substation, a Barangay
Health Station, Solid Waste Management Facility, Salintubig Project, a museum, restoration of destroyed
mosques, several housing and road projects. While it is true that these facilities provide additional
services that they may have not experienced for a long time, the question of Maranaos still remains,
when will they return to their homes?

I believe that this rehabilitation is long overdue and has severely affected residents without the
proper assistance from the government. TFBM may stick to its commitment that "Marawi will rise again
as a prosperous city," but until when will residents have to wait at its snail's pace? From the looks of it, it
seems as though the rehabilitation program has not been prioritized by the current government, unlike
how the administration has promised the Bangsamoro people.

Back in July 2020, the President's omission to address Marawi rehabilitation in his State of the
Nation Address (SONA) sparked worries that it was no longer a top priority for his government. In
addition, he has further angered residents when he blamed the delays on cultural traditions and
traditional clan systems among the Maranaos (The Diplomat, 2020). But during the President’s final
SONA in July 2021, he claimed that the rehabilitation is a “race against time,” and has called upon the
TFBM chair and housing chief Eduardo del Rosario to fast-track the project (Philstar.com, 2021).

According to del Rosario, the rehabilitation program is 80-percent complete (PNA, 2021). While
they are dedicated in reviving the livelihood of the residents, some Maranaos do not somehow feel their
dedication. Now that the project is at 80-percent, the government should at least hear the deafening
pleas of the people to return to their homes. Yes, the rehabilitation has been long overdue, and the
government should urgently deliver on their promises that Marawi would soon rise as a prosperous city
again.

References:

Philstar.com. (2021, July 27). Duterte: Marawi rehab ‘race against time.’ Retrieved October 20, 2021,
from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/27/2115526/duterte-marawi-rehab-race-
against-time

PNA. (2021, September 21). Marawi rehab on track despite doubts, criticisms. Philippine News Agency.
Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1154212
Task Force Bangon Marawi. (2021, October 17). Marawi rehabilitation updates as of October 12, 2021
[Video]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/bangonmarawiph/posts/236587008504854

The Diplomat. (2020, December 7). Marawi Rehabilitation Delays Could Cast a Dark Shadow over
Duterte’s Peace Legacy. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from
https://thediplomat.com/2020/12/marawi-rehabilitation-delays-could-cast-a-dark-shadow-
over-dutertes-peace-legacy/