Collaborative effort crucial to Marawi rehab, social healing

MANILA – The whole-of-nation approach of the government has been crucial in the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi city and the social healing of residents, five years since the infamous siege between government forces and terrorists.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) recognized the collective efforts of multi-stakeholders to push for the total recovery of the city and social healing of the people.

In a statement on Friday, OPAPRU cited clear evidence that “a greater sense of normalcy has returned to the lives of its people”.

“Residents who once fled for their safety are now slowly returning to their communities and rebuilding their homes. Small business establishments have opened, as trade and commercial activities have started to pick up,” it said.

For the past five years, the OPAPRU and 56 other implementing agencies of the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), local government unit, and other civil society organizations (CSOs) have been leading concerted efforts to revive the city’s striving economy.

OPAPRU said multi-stakeholder partnerships for Marawi’s rehabilitation seek “to heal the wounds of the past” and strengthen the capacity of community leaders to push for peace-building and conflict resolution.

The initiatives include peace conversations among women and the youth sector and constant dialogues with internally displaced persons (IDPs) and members of the religious sector.

Throughout the social healing process, participants are not only encouraged to have a fresh start on their own but are also urged to take an active role in peace-building initiatives.

OPAPRU’s Social Healing and Peace-building Department Director, Vanessa Pallarco, said the peace conversations serve as platforms for constructive engagement between the government, IDPs, and CSOs.

“This is a collective effort. We want everyone to contribute by giving their insights and recommendations on how we can best address the pressing issues and concerns they are facing,” she added.