BANGSAMORO Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua, also known as ‘Sammy Gambar,’ used his inaugural Chief Minister’s Hour on Thursday, August 7, to report on the progress of Marawi’s rehabilitation, a cause he called a “sacred responsibility.”
Speaking about the five months since he assumed office, Macacua said that as a Moro with roots in Lanao, he feels a “personal and collective duty to help rebuild Marawi — not just in physical form, but in dignity, memory, and promise.”
He reported that the Marawi Rehabilitation Program (MRP) has provided assistance to an additional 2,427 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and supported 10 community shelters since he took office.
This brings the total number of IDPs reached since 2020 to 37,232. The program offers holistic aid, including healthcare, education, food security, and livelihood restoration.
Under the Bangsamoro Sagip Kabuhayan Program, P15,000 in seed capital was given to 1,000 IDP beneficiaries. The program also provided financial assistance to 677 IDPs previously excluded from a registry and medical aid to 311 others.
Macacua also highlighted infrastructure developments, including the installation of 235 solar streetlights and solar hybrid energy systems for 50 households in permanent shelters.
“We installed 235 solar streetlights in 10 shelters and solar hybrid energy systems for 50 households in the Darussalam and Gadongan permanent shelters — providing not just light, but renewed hope and a sense of security,” he said.
Additionally, construction has begun on 300 housing units in Marawi City, Kapai, and Saguiaran, with two new water, sanitation, and hygiene stations also underway.
The chief minister also announced six major agreements signed between the national government and the Bangsamoro Government at a recent meeting in Camp Ranao.
These agreements, he said, are “another breakthrough in our collaborative effort to rebuild Marawi.”
The deals include a Memorandum of Agreement for the repair of the Access Bridge in Norsalam Village and a Memorandum of Understanding for new housing programs.
Macacua ended his report by stating that these milestones must be “translated into urgent, honest, and compassionate action” for the “healing of Marawi, the dignity of its people, and our shared goal of a stronger, more stable Bangsamoro.”
