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DENR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND

PEACEBUILDING IN MARAWI CITY
REBUILDING A CONFLICT RELAPSE-FREE MARAWI CITY

by: Alvin D. Gatbonton

n May 23, 2017, the ISIS-backed total number of members, with the O ce e battle for Marawi has its roots in the
Maute group armed with high- of the Civil Defense as the Secretariat. Preventing multiple natural hazards complex and bloody history of Mindanao,
Opowered rearms, drones, e Sub-Committees include the Land where more than a half century of armed
two-way radios and scanners attacked Resource Management Sub-Committee, DENR intervention in Marawi City and struggles have claimed hundreds of
the Islamic City of Marawi during its headed by DENR. a ected localities involves coming up with thousands lives. Populating dissenting
holy month of Ramadan, raging terror plans to prevent natural hazards. ese Moro lands in Mindanao not only resulted
on strategic points of the city. ey Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of include Comprehensive Land Use Plan to Muslims’ political disenfranchise,
occupied Amai Pakpak Medical Center. Marawi (CLUP), Solid Waste Management Plan poverty and discrimination, but also led
ey harassed Camp Ranaw; the Military (SWMP), Local Disaster Risk Reduction to clan feud, which mostly are triggered by
headquarter of the city. ey surrounded Initial estimate of the total needs in Management Plan (LDRRMP) and Local land or territorial con ict and claims. Clan
and released the prisoners of the city hall. Marawi City was placed at P49.81 billion Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP). feud over lands is a reality that permeates
ey set ablaze the Protestant-run Dansalan pesos, based on the post con ict needs ese plans intend to stop deforestation to the growth of local terrorism in the
College and the Catholic St. Mary’s Parish. assessment made by the PCNA Team led in upland areas, address ooding and southern Philippines. Clan feuds oblige
ey took hostages, including Father by the O ce of the Civil Defense and threats of geological hazards in urban or clan members, even the youth to arm
Chito, a Catholic priest, and moved Bangon Marawi Technical Working Group, municipal areas, and rehabilitate a ected themselves and participate in defending
towards Banggolo, the city’s commercial chaired by HUDCC and regularly attended waterways and watershed. their kin network against a rival clan”
district, where they hold out for months by DENR Geologist and Post Con ict/ (Cabalza, 2017). Such customary actions
and became the main battle area. A er ve Disaster Technical Focal, Michelle E. Stopping deforestation and watershed can be exploited by terrorist groups and
months of erce battles on the ground and Mendoza. e Bangon Marawi Recovery destruction in uence clans to join a much deeper
intensive military air strikes, on October and Rehabilitation Plan developed by cause such as secession, which the Maute
16, 2017, Isnilon Hapilon and the two NEDA was presented to the Cabinet e post-war situation could result to local group did when the ISIS Asian leader
Maute brother ISIS leaders were killed. Meeting on June 11, 2018. An initial fund a higher demand for food and natural Isnilon Hapilon in ltrated the group. e
President Duterte, a erwards, declared the of P10 billion pesos NDRRM Fund will be resource derived products such as timber ISIS-backed Maute Group claimed war on
liberation of Marawi from the ISIS group, released and used for the reconstruction or wood products, sand and other minerals. ag and territory in Marawi.
and announced the rebuilding and rise of and rehabilitation of damaged government Sustainable production and use of natural
a new Marawi City. facilities, land and aerial survey activities, resources must be ensured. A large section ere is no certainty that local terrorism
Task Force Bangon Marawi and social data gathering, educational, of the areas surrounding Marawi City are similar as that of the Maute group could
sprout and be prevented again. If the
housing, health, and relief support outside classi ed and unclassi ed forestlands or problem on land con ict and armed clan
Administrative Order (AO) No. 3, the most a ected area. According to timberlands, but are currently settled or groups would not be resolved, a much
facilitated the immediate resettlement of TFBM Chairperson Eduardo del Rosario, occupied. ese forestlands are largely higher level of violence may erupt again
displaced Marawi residents the inauguration or the full blast of the part of the Lanao Lake Watershed Forest in the future or the generations to come.
rehabilitation program within the most Reserve and have been declared a protected However, if mitigated through attempts to
Just over a month a er the war in Marawi a ected area will start in August 2018 and area. e ectively resolve clan con icts, terrorism
broke on May 23, 2017, AO No. 3, series of is set to be completed in year 2021. is something that the country can control
2017 was issued by President Rodrigo Roa Establishing proper solid waste in the future.
Duterte, creating the inter-agency Task DENR, Head of Sub-Committee on management (SWM)
Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM). Chaired Land Resource Management Laying the groundwork and setting the
by the Secretary of National Defense (ND) Because the local government units conditions for strong and solid peace
and comprised of di erent national and As Head of the Land Resource (LGUs) in Marawi and a ected localities in Marawi
local agency members, the Task Force, Management Sub-Committee of TF have no existing SWM Plans, the SWM
in coordination with the Autonomous Bangon Marawi, the DENR is responsible Plan for Marawi, developed by DENR, “Guns and bullets merely destroy the
Region of Muslim Mindanao, addressed for handling all issues pertaining to land will be implemented for two years. While body but not the corrupt ideology that
the immediate needs of the displaced and resources. e DENR plays a critical role carrying out the plan, the DENR will train propels the struggle” (Cabalza, 2017).
devastated residents of Marawi. It settled in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the LGUs concerned and prepare them for
the people in temporary house shelters, Marawi City for it would not only lay the the third year implementation of the Plan. e Land Resource Management Sub-
provided them with food and basic utilities groundwork for the physical rebuilding e DENR will initially install 36 materials Committee headed by DENR, in its e ort
such as water and electricity, attended to of new Marawi City, but also set the recovery facilities (MRFs) and close to establish a sustainable land resource
their health, and maintained peace and conditions that could establish sound land Marawi City’s existing open dumpsite, management in Marawi, could set the
order. resource management in the area. which is in a slope owing down to Agus conditions for strong and solid peace in
River. For the meantime that a sanitary Marawi. Such conditions could solidify
AO No. 9 amended AO No. 3: for post war Laying the groundwork for new land ll has not yet been built, a temporary peace in the area and prevent relapse of
restoration and rehabilitation of Marawi Marawi City controlled dumpsite with sealed chamber con ict in the City and surrounding areas,
for hazardous wastes would be constructed said Atty. Michelle Go, Assistant Secretary
A er Marawi City was totally liberated Before the deep foundations of public and utilized for nal disposal. for Field Operations - Mindanao. e
from the ISIS- backed local terrorist infrastructures, houses, schools, hospitals conduct of accurate land surveying and
group, a need arose to issue AO No. 9 and other facilities could be laid out in the Managing Lake Lanao protected area zoning, and integrated planning for land
and amend AO No. 3. e AO No. 9 areas, it is a must for the land to be surveyed use and land resource management, as
reorganizes the composition of TFBM so for boundaries, zoned for land use, and Almost all of Marawi City, including mentioned above, could pave the way to
that it can proceed to the full rehabilitation planned for land resource management. portions of the military reservation of address and correct current land tenure
of the wide-scale physical destruction and Camp Keithley/Camp Ranao are inside and land ownership de ciencies, which
economic devastation brought about by Resolving land tenure and land ownership the Lake Lanao Watershed Forest Reserve, are main causes of clan feud and other
the war. e AO No. 9 made the Secretary de ciencies which was declared a protected area under land-related armed con ict in the areas.
of Housing and Urban Development Proc. No. 871 in 1992. As part of the
Coordinating Council (HUDCC) the e conduct of accurate land surveying protected area, the Lake Lanao Protected is is environmental peacebuilding
Chairperson of the Task Force, and the and zoning, and integrated planning for Area Management Board (PAMB) must pursued by DENR. rough the
Secretaries of the Department of National land use and land resource management convene and come up with an approved establishment of strong land tenure,
Defense and Department of Public Works could pave the way to clarify and correct land management plan for the area. appropriate and just occupancy
and Highways as the Vice-Chairpersons. It problems in the past such as overlapping arrangements, and sustainable land use
also gave way for members of the TFBM land tenure and land ownership claims. To DENR’s environmental peacebuilding and management in Marawi, con ict
to organize additional Sub-Committees. resolve these de ciencies, consultations in Marawi on land ownership by clans could be
us, aside from the early declared Sub- and negotiations with concerned land prevented and not be a problem in the
Committees in AO No. 3, other Sub- owners or clans who have claim over them Deep-rooted con ict for ag and territory future.
Committees were added bringing to 56 the must be carried out.

VOLUME 5 NO. 2 JUNE 2018
VOLUME 5 NO. 2 JUNE 2018