A civil organization in Marawi City lauded the national government for the composition of the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB), described as “independent, inclusive, and women-led.”

In a statement Friday, the Marawi Reconstruction and Conflict Watch (MRCW) said the government made good its promise to compensate the 2017 Marawi siege survivors with a reparation board, whose members are committed to “an independent, inclusive, responsive, and gender-sensitive application of the law.”

“MRCW has struggled to ensure that the MCB would be an objective and independent body dissociated from previous failures and corruption. These pressures were thwarted by the voices of the victims and their families, particularly the displaced and disadvantaged women who have yet to rebuild their homes,” the MRCW said.

In particular, the MRCW also underscored the appointment of five women out of the nine members. They are composed of MCB chairperson Maisara Dandamun Latiph, a lawyer, Sittie Aliyyah Lomondot Adiong, another lawyer, Prof. Dalomabi Lao Bula, Dr. Jamaica Lamping Dimaporo, and lawyer Romaisa Lomantong Mamutuk.

“The five women bring much-needed integrity into a rehabilitation process that has failed to provide long-suffering victims of the siege with relief and justice. They are well-known in the community, have been acknowledged for their development work, and are truly capable of leading the compensation process,” the MRCW said.

Likewise, the group hopes for an expedited process of crafting and implementing the compensation law to ensure the transparent and efficient use of compensation funds, starting with the PHP1 billion allocated for 2023.

Meanwhile, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are currently being slowly transferred to the shelters supervised by the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBMM).

The recent transfer involved at least 42 families or 279 individuals from Bakwit Village in Matungao town in Lanao del Norte, who were transferred to Dulay Transitory Shelter in Barangay Dulay Proper, Marawi City.

Rismirah Adap, Marawi City Social Welfare officer in charge, said the IDPs recently transferred were the last batch living in a temporary site in Lanao del Norte.

Norhaya Dimiasarip, one of the IDPs who transferred, said she is eager to learn new means of living through livelihood intervention in order to start again in Marawi City.

“It’s okay to start here in Marawi because this is our home. It’s really different when you live in your own place,” she said.

Dimiasarip thanked the local government of Matungao, Lanao del Norte, for extending their locality so they have temporary shelters. (PNA)