PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has created the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation and Development (OPAMRD) to oversee and fast track the rebuilding of Marawi City and nearby conflict-affected localities.
The President, through Executive Order No. 78 that was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on November 28, created the OPAMRD which shall be headed by the Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation (PAMR) and placed under the supervision of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP).
In EO 78, Malacañang said there is a need to create a single office dedicated to oversee and ensure efficient, and effective and timely implementation of programs, activities and projects (PAPs) for the rehabilitation, development, and restoration of peace in Marawi City and the other affected localities.
The Task Force Bangon Marawi, which previously supervised the recovery, construction and rehabilitation of Marawi City and the other areas affected by the conflict in 2017, was abolished in March this year following the completion of PAPs under the Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program (CRRP).
“The Office of the Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation and Development (OPAMRD) is hereby created to integrate, coordinate, and accelerate the implementation of all government PAPs related to the rehabilitation, development, and restoration of peace, and order in Marawi City and other affected localities,” the EO read.
Among the OPAMRD’s functions include advising the President on all matters regarding rehabilitation, development, and restoration of peace in Marawi City; overseeing, monitoring, coordinating, and harmonizing all strategies, programs and projects; and coordinating with concerned local government units (LGUs) in the implementation of PAPs related to Marawi City rehabilitation and development.
It is also tasked to monitor the implementation of Presidential directives or priorities for the rehabilitation, development, and restoration of peace in Marawi City; and to submit a bi-annual report to the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary and OSAP, on the status of the implementation of the President’s order.
Under the EO, relevant departments, agencies, bureaus, offices, and concerned LGUs and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are encouraged to provide full and timely assistance and cooperation to the OPAMRD to ensure its effective implementation.
Marawi City and nearby areas were affected by a siege in May 2017 led by the Maute group, that led to the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, until 2019. The actual battle in Marawi, however, lasted for five months or until October 2017 and displaced nearly 400,000 residents and rendered many people homeless and unemployed.
