Pagcor kicks in P10b for Marawi

STATE gambling regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. will provide the P10 billion that will be used to rehabilitate war-torn Marawi City, Malacañang said Thursday. 

“[Budget Secretary Benjamin] Diokno said the first 10 billion [pesos] would come from Pagcor,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters. 

The Department of National Defense-led “Bangon Marawi,” which aims to bring back the situation in the strife-torn city to normal as soon as possible, is still awaiting President Duterte’s signature, Abella said. 

Among the agencies that will join the rebuilding efforts are the trade, education, social welfare, public works, energy and information and communications technology departments. 

Military engineering brigades will initiate rebuilding projects under the supervision of an undersecretary.

In the same news briefing, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said the Budget department had downloaded P662,500,000 to Social Welfare as of June 6, enabling it to buy family food packs, hygiene kits and non-food items for those affected by the month-long siege of Marawi by the Maute terrorists. 

Taguiwalo said her department had spent P294 million to help those affected by the Marawi crisis. She said her department was in charge of providing food and non-food items to the evacuees.

At total of 69,434 families have been displaced by the conflict as of June 21, but of those affected by the conflict only about five percent are actually in the evacuation centers. The rest are staying in their homes. 

Taguiwalo said they were in the process of procuring family-sized tents, one tent for every family, in preparation for the return of the evacuees to Marawi City. 

She said they had also distributed P1,000 in cash assistance to the evacuees for the observance of Ramadan. They had also prepared Ramadan food packs that would be distributed starting Monday. 

The private sector and representatives from different volunteer groups have been helping the government in its relief effort. Those include the International Red Cross, UN-related agencies, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.

San Miguel Foundation also offered the toll-free passage of the cargo trucks going to Mindanao at the STAR Tollway and SLEX.