President Marcos has created the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation and Development (OPAMRD) for the rebuilding of Marawi City and nearby localities.
Marcos formed the body by issuing Executive Order No. 78 on Nov. 28.
It will be headed by the Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation (PAMR) under the control and supervision of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP).
“The Office of the Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation and Development (OPAMRD) is hereby created to integrate, coordinate, and accelerate the implementation of all government PAPs related to the rehabilitation, development, and restoration of peace, and order in Marawi City and other affected localities,” the President said in issuing the order signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
Among the body's functions include advising the President on all matters regarding rehabilitation, development, and restoration of peace in Marawi City; overseeing, monitoring, coordinating, and harmonizing all strategies, programs and projects; and coordinating with concerned LGUs in the implementation of programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) related to Marawi City rehabilitation and development.
It is also tasked to monitor the implementation of presidential directives or priorities for the rehabilitation, development, and restoration of peace in Marawi City, and to submit a bi-annual report to the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary and OSAP, on the status of the implementation of the President’s order.
The President also encouraged relevant departments, agencies, bureaus, offices, and concerned LGUs and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to provide full and timely assistance and cooperation to the OPAMRD to ensure its effective implementation.
Government efforts to rehabilitate Marawi City started with the creation of Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) in 2017 to oversee the recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of the battle-scarred city following the May 2017 siege of Islamic militants with links to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
A battle between extremist forces and the Philippine military raged for five months in Marawi, displacing nearly 400,000 residents, rendering them homeless and unemployed.