The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday reiterated its commitment to empowering the Muslim community, particularly in rebuilding Marawi City, as the nation commemorates the Marawi Week of Peace.

In a statement, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, who is a Maranao with roots from the south, said the rehabilitation and recovery of Marawi has “always been a project that is close to my heart.”

“On behalf of the men and women of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), I join the whole Filipino nation in the observance of the Marawi Week of Peace from 17 to 23 May 2023,” Pangandaman said.

“I am a Maranao by soul and blood, and I feel so much joy and pride seeing Marawi rise again six years after the siege. Seeing my fellow Maranaos overcome that dreadful history with so much strength and resiliency brings warmth to my heart,” she added.

She reported that the Task Force Bangon Marawi is set to inaugurate three school buildings with 20 classrooms each, the Raya Madaya II Barangay Hall Complex, the Network Operation Center Building, the Digital Transformation Center, and other important landmarks.

She said the 500 completed permanent shelters which will be turned over will also be a “huge help” to many displaced families.

The Marcos administration has allocated a total of PHP1 billion to compensate displaced persons and victims who lost private properties during the Marawi siege in 2017, she noted.

“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,” she said.

The Marawi Week of Peace was launched in 2018 under the theme “Peace Starts With Us: Give, Work, and Share” to strengthen social cohesion between and among stakeholders through collaborative activities to deliver socio-economic support and promote spiritual development and continuous engagement.

The week-long peace activity symbolizes the continuing commitment of the government to rehabilitate Marawi through a whole-of-nation approach as well as the convergence of government and local and international development partners for Marawi to rise as a peaceful and prosperous city. (PNA)