HOUSE APPROVES EXTRA P1-B FOR MARAWI FUND

THE House of Representatives has approved  some P1.154 billion  for the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Fund.

This means the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB) will be having a fresh P1 billion for the victims of the Marawi siege for next year.

In the proposed 2025 national budget, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. seeks an additional P1 billion for the Marawi Siege victims.

Congress had initially approved P1 billion for the fund in 2023, and another P1 billion this year, without counting unprogrammed appropriations.

To date, the MCB has received 5,752 property claims; 1,192 death claims; 99 claims on multiple death, 210 structure property claims; and 8,292 multiple claims. 

The MCB adjudicates an average of 2,160 cases a year. 

The MCB was created under Republic Act 11696 to facilitate the tax-free payment of compensation or reparations to qualified individuals whose properties and possessions were lost or destroyed during the 2017 Marawi siege. 

It is mandated to ensure just and fair distribution of compensation to the victims, uphold their rights and provide necessary support for them to rebuild their lives.