P10-B fund for ‘Bangon Marawi’ to be sourced from Pagcor

MANILA, Philippines - State-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) will be the source of the initial P10 billion-funding for the “Bangon Marawi” rehabilitation plan announced by President Duterte, which will start once the city is cleared of terrorists. 

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said it was Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno who informed them about the matter.

Aside from providing immediate assistance to the evacuees, the government will also allot billions for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of strife-torn Marawi. 

The executive order on the Bangon Marawi rehabilitation program is now awaiting the President’s signature. “We assume that the next P10 billion (for the program) may also come from the same source,” Abella said.

The Department of Budget and Management has also provided the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) P662.5 million to help communities affected by the Marawi crisis, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

With the funds downloaded on June 6, DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said they were able to purchase the needed family food packs as well as augment hygiene kits and non-food items for the evacuees.

“I can assure you that the money will not go to the pocket of DSWD. I can assure you that it will benefit the needy,” she added. 

Taguiwalo said her agency has so far spent P294 million for food and non-food items given to families displaced by the clashes between government troops and Maute terrorists. 

As this developed, the Israeli government donated yesterday basic equipment, medicine and supplies worth P1 million for the use of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to support the immediate needs ofevacuees from Marawi.

“We are all touched by the events in Marawi and the effect they brought to the people of Marawi. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed us to lend a hand of support to the affected people in Marawi and the surrounding areas,” Israel Ambassador Effie Ben Matityau said.

“We would like to wish the people of Marawi a solemn end to the holidays of Ramadan and Eid’l Fitr celebration. We all hope for a speedy return of the population to their homes and normal life in time for the celebration, and that peace and national harmony will be restored,” Matityau said.

Matityau turned over the basic equipment, medicine and supplies to PRC chairman and Sen. Richard Gordon with the hope that it would benefit thousands of families in evacuation centers.

The equipment include emergency cart, suction machine, portable nebulizer machine, portable ECG machine, portable doppler, pulse oximeter, oxygen tank, basic medicine package, emergency medicine and medical supplies.

More than 320,000 people or about 69,000 families have been displaced by the conflict while around 500 others are still trapped in the battle zone. 

Taguiwalo said only about five percent of the displaced persons are inside evacuation centers while the rest are with their relatives and friends. – With Non Alquitran