The Australian government is providing an additional P106 million (AUD2.99 million) to the Marawi COVID Recovery Project (MCRP) to benefit at least 4,000 families (around 20,000 persons), help them restart lost livelihood and recover from the impact of armed conflict, protracted displacement and the pandemic.
Under its Partnerships for Recovery program with the Community and Family Services International (CFSI), Australia has redirected its development cooperation to reinforce the Philippine response to the pandemic.
“Our partnership with CFSI will support families recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and help foster inclusive and cohesive communities in the spirit of mateship and Bayanihan,” Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven J. Robinson AO said Tuesday night.
Having been a strong supporter of development, peace and stability in the southern Philippines for over 20 years, Robinson said Australia’s commitment to the people and the recovery of Marawi is steadfast, noting that this new project will assist the most vulnerable people in Mindanao who have been severely affected by prolonged displacement and by the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic.
In a statement, the Australian Embassy described the MCRP as an expansion of the previous Australia-CFSI partnership that provided livelihood support for those displaced by the Marawi conflict. Aside from supporting the recovery of livelihoods that have been directly affected by the pandemic, it will also help facilitate birth registration and provide community rights awareness to prevent and address gender-based violence.
The MCRP will be implemented by CFSI over 30 months from January 2021 through June 2023 in Marawi City and six other municipalities in Lanao del Sur province, in close partnerships with the local government.