THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the issuance of a special allotment release order worth P1 billion to cover compensation for victims of the attack on Marawi City in Lanao del Sur in 2017 under the 2023 General Appropriations Act.
The Marawi Compensation Board (MCB) determined that 362 victims will receive compensation from the P1-billion allocation under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.
Initial appropriation will be used to compensate lawful owners of residential, cultural, or commercial structures and other properties in Marawi’s main affected areas or other affected areas destroyed or damaged, owners of private properties demolished pursuant to the implementation of the Marawi Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program; and heirs of those who died and legally presumed dead.
In accordance with Republic Act (RA) No. 116964, or the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022, the MCB was established to facilitate the tax-free payment of compensation or reparations to qualified individuals whose properties and possessions were lost or destroyed due to the 2017 Marawi siege.
Meanwhile, Section 41 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA No. 11696, Determination of Award of Monetary Compensation, establishes the framework for determining the monetary compensation claims for eligible claimants for loss of lives.
It also mandates the MCB to determine the monetary compensation and award of the lawful owner based on the fair market value or replacement cost of the total or repair cost of partially damaged structures of the residential, cultural and commercial properties.
“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,” said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman. — Angela Celis
