Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman approves the special allotment release order amounting to P5 billion for the Special Development Fund (SDF) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Pangandaman says the fund is for the rebuilding, rehabilitation, and development of BARMM's conflict-affected communities.
In 2018, the Task Force Bangon Marawi estimated that at least P49.8 billion was needed to restore affected parts of Marawi.
DBM releases P5 B for BARMM dev't fund
May 24, 2023 06:09 AM
At a glance
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of the P-5 billion development fund for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In a statement on Wednesday, May 24, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the department already approved the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for BARMM’s Special Development Fund (SDF).
The release is in accordance with Section 2, Article XIV of Republic Act 11054, that the national government shall provide the SDF with P5 billion annually, for a period of 10 years, to the BARMM government.
This is for the “for rebuilding, rehabilitation, and development of its conflict-affected communities,” DBM said.
"As I promised, and in accordance with the instructions of President Bongbong Marcos, DBM will continue to support BARMM to the best of our ability. We will ensure that we will help in its smooth transition process and strengthen its communities," Pangandaman said.
“We hope that this fund will be used properly to meet the needs of the communities in BARMM. We hope that BARMM takes advantage of this funding by fully utilizing it to help those in need, and to improve areas that need further development,” she added.
The most recent conflict to have erupted in BARMM was the five-month siege, from 23 May to 23 October 2017, of Marawi City — the capital of Lanao del Sur, one of six provinces in the region.
The clash resulted in P17 billion in property damage and lost opportunities, according to Task Force Bangon Marawi, the government inter-agency body in charge of rehabilitation efforts in the conflict zone.
In 2018, Task Force Bangon Marawi said in an initial estimate that at least P49.8 billion is needed to restore affected parts of Marawi.
The allocations shall be directly released by the Bureau of Treasury to the BARMM Government through an authorized government servicing bank (AGSB), subject to cash programming by the National Government.
The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has allotted P64.76 billion for BARMM’s Annual Block Grant; P5 billion as Special Development Fund (SDF) for the rebuilding, rehabilitation, and development of conflict-affected communities; and P4.59 billion for its share in taxes, fees, and charges collected in the region.