Up to P6 billion more may be available this year to support the Marawi siege victims’ compensation fund this year, which will be sourced from the unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024 national budget, according to Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel.
“The P6 billion is on top of the initial P1 billion in programmed appropriations for the compensation fund in 2023, and another P1 billion in programmed appropriations for the fund in 2024,” Pimentel disclosed in a statement.
Unprogrammed appropriations are not automatically allocated, and may become available only if funding conditions are met, such as when the government is able to raise additional tax or non-tax revenues, according to the Department of Budget and Management.
Pimentel is a member of the House Committee on Public Accounts. He manifested confidence that the government “will be able to mobilize the additional P6 billion” for the Marawi siege compensation fund.
“We all want the residents of Marawi to heal and succeed in rebuilding their lives, and we all want the city to fully recover and prosper,” he said.
The Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Law of 2022 provides payments to the legitimate owners of property that were destroyed or damaged either totally or partially following the five-month long armed conflict in the capital of Lanao del Sur in 2017. It also compensates the owners of properties demolished pursuant to the Marawi recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction program, and the heirs of those who died, or are legally presumed dead, on account of the siege.
The Marawi Compensation Board (MCB) initially reported in September last year that thousands of siege victims had already filed over P17 billion in combined claims. The MCB has since started paying P350,000 each to the heirs of victims who died.
In February this year, the board also announced that it would soon start paying approved claims for structures lost or destroyed, at a rate of P12,000 per square meter (sqm) for concrete structures, P9,000 per sqm for mixed concrete and wood, and P6,000 per sqm if made of light materials, or mainly wood.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Marawi siege victims may receive up to P6B in compensation this year—solon.”