President Ferdinand Marcos established the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation and Development (OPAMRD) to lead efforts in rebuilding Marawi City and its neighboring areas, following the devastation caused by the 2017 siege.
Marcos issued Executive Order (EO) No. 78 on Nov. 28, creating the OPAMRD to streamline and accelerate government programs for the city’s rehabilitation and development. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed the EO released on Thursday on behalf of the President.
The new office will be controlled by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) and headed by a Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation.
“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 the EO.
The OPAMRD is tasked with advising the President on all matters related to Marawi’s recovery, overseeing and coordinating strategies and projects, and ensuring alignment with local government units (LGUs) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
It will also monitor the implementation of presidential directives and submit bi-annual progress reports to the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary and OSAP.
Marcos called on government agencies, LGUs, and BARMM to provide full support to the OPAMRD to ensure the effective implementation of its mandate.
The move follows years of rehabilitation work led by Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), which was established in 2017 after the five-month battle between government forces and Islamic State-linked militants.
The conflict displaced nearly 400,000 residents, leaving many homeless and without livelihoods.
Efforts to rebuild the war-torn city are ongoing, with the government emphasizing the importance of restoring not just infrastructure but also peace and stability in the region.