COTABATO CITY—The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will amplify its rehabilitation assistance to Marawi City from the existing P450-million to P930 million in 2018 from its regional budget.
This came about as ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman remains hopeful that Marawi City would steadily rise from its current state as rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the city begin.
“After a crisis such as this, we expect that new opportunities arise,” Hataman said.
The Marawi crisis, he said, is seen to hasten the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, noting more legislators now realize the importance of such the measure, which remains pending before Congress.
Over 220,000 Marawi residents have been displaced during the May 23 – Oct. 23 Marawi hostilities carried out by Abu Sayyaf and Maute terror groups.
Despite the five-month Marawi ordeal, the ARMM government has remained aggressive in pursuing socio-economic gains for the region.
The Regional Board of Investments reported that amid reports of security threats in some parts of the region, partner business corporations posted a total of Php 17.783 billion worth of investments between 2012 to 2017.
Also, government infrastructure funding for the same period, comprising 1,900 projects, have reached Php 26-billion. Hataman, among others, has lauded the role of local government units in the upbeat business climate in the region through good governmance over the past several years.
Only this year, the Department of Interior and Local Government has awarded 22 LGUs in the ARMM the coveted Seal of Good Local Governance. (PNA)
