Marawi residents feel ‘worse’ than before siege — SWS

MANILA, Philippines — Eight in 10 residents of Marawi City have felt their lives are “worse now” than before the armed conflict between government forces and the Islamic State-linked Maute terror group, a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

The survey, taken on April 12-15, found 80 percent of Marawi residents who claimed their quality of life is worse now, against 10 percent who said they have “better” lives compared with 12 months ago.

Eight percent of Marawi City residents said their situation was “same as before.”

Maute rebels attacked Marawi City, capital of Lanao del Sur, on May 23 last year, prompting President Duterte, who was in Russia then, to declare martial law in Mindanao.

Results of the SWS survey were released yesterday, days before Duterte delivers his third State of the Nation Address.

SWS said the survey was conducted in collaboration with the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), using 300 adult respondents from Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Marawi City.

Meanwhile, the survey found 40 percent of Marawi residents believe their situation “will be better” in the next 12 months, while 10 percent said it “will be worse.” Sixteen percent said it would be the “same.”

Most respondents (83 percent) from Maguindanao believe Duterte is concerned with their situation, while Marawi residents and those internally displaced persons are split in their perception of the Chief Executive.

The survey, however, found 78 percent of Marawi residents appreciate the government’s relief efforts. Sixty percent of them also believe that the areas damaged by the armed conflict in Marawi City can fully recover under the term of Duterte.

The war, which lasted for five months, displaced about 250,000 individuals and damaged properties worth P20 billion.

Task Force Bangon Marawi earlier said the reconstruction of the city’s most affected areas will begin in the latter part of August, a month late from its initial July target.

PCID president Amina Rasul urged the Duterte administration to further increase interventions being made by the Department of Social Welfare and Development as these have a big effect in improving lives.

Stable for barangay, SK polls

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking at holding the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in Marawi City sometime in September after finding that the area is now “stable” for this exercise.

The commission has not formally approved this but it is preparing to conduct the polls in Marawi soon, according to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez. – With Sheila Crisostomo