Evacuees seek to visit their homes in Marawi Ground Zero

ROCAY SUMNDAD OTICAL-YAHYA

Marawi City, Philippines

December 7, 2017

In a dialogue held Thursday by the local government unit of Marawi at the Bagumbayan Hall of the City Hall, evacuees coming from the most affected areas of the Marawi Siege sought to enter their homes in Ground Zero to be able to check on their houses.

The dialogue was the first of a series to be conducted as part of the continuing effort of LGU Marawi City under the leadership of Mayor Majul U. Gandamra to ensure a strategic and inclusive participation of its constituents.

Some 400 participants from the Barangays of Lumbac Madaya, East Marinaut, Kapantaran and West Marinaut participated in the Thursday dialogue.

The participants also asked that the residents and/or home owners be consulted first if there are any plans of demolishing their properties, and if the national government is giving compensation for the damages and losses.

It is worthy to note that almost everyday since the start of the siege, consultations were conducted by the government and well-funded NGOs with multi-sectors including various Sultans in Lanao and traditional leaders to come up with startegies on how to rebuild Marawi.

But keen observers said until now Ground Zero home owners have not seen their houses and they were not clearly told on how they be compensated of their destroyed home and properties and the innocent lives killed in the siege.

On Friday, December 8, 2017 another batch of consultation shall be conducted for Barangays West Marinaut, Tuca Marinaut, Datu Naga and Dansalan.

Earlier, it was rumored that the activity was a visitation hence many have rushed to the cty hall. 

It is learned, however, that it was merely an LGU consultation with the home owners of Marinaut East and Lumbac a Madaya in the Morning and Kapatantaran and Wawalayan Marinaut in the afternoon and not site Visitation in the ground Zero. (RSP)