DBM OKs release of P1 billion compensation for Marawi siege victims

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management has approved the release of a P1 billion fund to provide compensation for the victims of the Marawi siege.

In a statement released Sunday, the DBM said that its chief Amenah Pangandaman has authorized a special allotment release order to cover the compensation for Marawi siege victims under the 2023 General Appropriations Act. 

Around 362 victims will receive monetary compensation from the P1 billion allocation under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, according to the Marawi Compensation Board. 

A special provision of the NDRRMF in the 2023 GAA states that the initial allocation is intended for compensation for the following:

• Any lawful owner of residential, cultural, commercial structures and other properties in Marawi’s main affected areas or other affected areas that were destroyed or damaged, either totally or partially, during the Marawi siege
• Owners of private properties demolished as part of the implementation of the Marawi recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction program
• Heirs of those who died and legally presumed dead, in accordance with Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022

“Indeed, there is still a lot more to do. But let this milestone serve as a reminder to all of us to shape a future moving forward, steered by our united commitment to achieve lasting peace and long-term prosperity,” Pangandaman, a Maranao, said. 

In 2017, Islamic State-inspired Muslim militants laid siege to Marawi, resulting in a five-month campaign that claimed more than 1,000 lives until government troops regained control. — Gaea Katreena Cabico