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Philippines: Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 11 | December 2018 - January 2019

Countries
Philippines
Sources
OCHA
Publication date

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Humanitarian Country Team is preparing to support the Marawi humanitarian response into 2019, seeking to address residual humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable and displaced population and promote early recovery, protection, gender and culturally sensitive approaches.

• Residents in northern and central Luzon are beginning to recover three months after Typhoon Mangkhut (locally named Ompong) and six weeks following Typhoon Yutu (locally named Rosita) devastated the regions.

• Response preparedness training and pre-crisis surveys were conducted in hazard-prone regions in the Philippines to support ongoing preparedness and risk reduction initiatives by provincial authorities.

Supporting Marawi recovery into 2019

Government-led rehabilitation and recovery is underway in the most affected areas in Marawi City, following a groundbreaking ceremony on 30 October and demolition of destroyed structures in November. The private company undertaking the demolition and debris clearing was later put temporarily on hold, pending permits and further consultations by Task Force Bangon Marawi with homeowners. Work to clear barangays in Sector 1 is reportedly scheduled to be completed March 2019.

Financing recovery and rehabilitation

The Philippines Government has devised several strategies to fund the reconstruction of Marawi City’s most affected areas, led by the Department of Finance. International and private sector partners have pledged funding towards the Government’s Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program (BMCRRP) including such as Australia, China,
Germany, Japan, Korea, Spain, and the United States. The Asian Development Bank announced on 14 December a US$408 million financing package which includes a loan to finance programmes under the BMCRRP, the reconstruction of roads and infrastructure and grants towards rehabilitating water supply systems, rebuilding health facilities, and scaling up education and livelihood programmes. Other international development and recovery partners acknowledged in a statement by the Department of Finance include the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as well as the United Nations. Private sector partners under the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation are also working with provincial authorities in supporting rehabilitation efforts and is rolling out water supply projects in Marawi City schools.

Peace and security situation

A majority vote in the Philippine Senate and Congress approved the extension of Martial Law in Mindanao until the end of 2019. This is the third extension, which was initially declared by President Rodrigo Duterte following the start of the Marawi Conflict in May 2017. In a letter to Congress, President Duterte cited the continuing hostile activities of non-state armed groups in Mindanao as a basis for requesting for the extension.
Expanding the peace process in Mindanao is a key priority of the Government. Peace and security has been fragile in Mindanao for over four decades and has been a barrier to economic progress and sustainable development in the region. Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, is central to the peace process with non-state armed groups and was signed into law by President Duterte in July. The Bangsamoro Organic Law, intended to create a region to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), will be subject to a plebescite on 21 January (for voters from the five provinces of ARMM – Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Cotabato and Isabela. A second date, 6 February, will be for voters in Lanao del Norte,
North Cotabato and other areas that petitioned for inclusion in the proposed new entity to be known as the Bangasamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Seeking durable solutions for Marawi displaced

As of 28 October, over 73,000 people remain displaced, with most staying with host families while others are either in evacuation centres or temporary shelters.
According to the Protection Cluster, which is co-led by UNHCR and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, humanitarian needs that were voiced by Marawi IDPs include food assistance, livelihood support, and compensation for damaged homes and property. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is targeting assistance to over 12,000 people in a birth registration initiative, helping those who lost their civil documents as they were fleeing the conflict.

Humanitarian response strategy into 2019

The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), composed of in-country UN agencies, international and local NGOs and the private sector, coordinates with the Government of the Philippines at the national and Mindanao level to support the priority humanitarian needs of people displaced and affected by Marawi conflict and coordinating with Regional, Provincial and Local Government Agencies to identify opportunities to assist in early recovery efforts. As humanitarian programmes under the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund are completed at the end of 2018, the momentum of humanitarian assistance to complement Government-led recovery must continue.
The HCT and partners are revising the Humanitarian Response and Resource Overview document for the Marawi Conflict, as reflected in the 2019 Global Humanitarian Overview, to address the humanitarian and early recovery needs of about 300,000 beneficiaries in 2019 in support of the Government-led efforts. The response seeks to address residual humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable and displaced population and promote early recovery, protection, gender and culturally sensitive approaches as cross-cutting themes for all clusters. The HCT and partners are seeking $43.6 million, to respond to the humanitarian and early recovery needs of the displaced and returnee population in 2019.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.