The government has started the post-conflict needs assessment (PCNA) in war-torn Marawi City, an official said Monday, August 7.
At a press briefing in Malacañan, Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima said the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has begun the PCNA by virtue of Administrative Order 3.
“The PCNA or Post-Conflict Needs Assessment training was conducted on August 3, from August 3 to 6 at Iligan City with around 200 participants composed of employees from national government agencies and Mindanao State University, Philippine Army and affected LGUs,” said Purisima, who is also the spokesperson for Bangon Marawi, which oversees the rebuilding of Islamic city.
“The huge turnout of participants was a result of the call to involve more sectors and agencies who would best address the specific needs of our IDPs,” he added.
According to Purisima, the PCNA, which is a multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach for assessing disaster impacts and prioritizing recovery and reconstruction needs, will be the basis in the preparation of the Marawi Comprehensive Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan.
It involves concerned national government agencies who are members of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), as well as local government units and other organizations vital in the recovery and rehabilitation planning process, he said.
Among the PCNA deliverables include a consolidated assessment report, recovery strategy, basis for resource mobilization, and an outline for a country-led implementation mechanism for recovery.
Purisima said a national government agency shall lead the assessment of each sector namely infrastructure, production, social and cross-sectoral sectors.
“For the ways forward of the PCNA, a deployment plan is being prepared for the human recovery needs assessment and the deployment shall begin on August 8,” he added.
Marawi update
Also present during the press briefing was AFP Spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. who gave an update on the ongoing conflict in Marawi.
He said once the conflict in Marawi ends, the country needs to strengthen and increase its security postures to address any possible threats in the future.
“So we continue to push our appeal to everyone, not only in Mindanao, during the period of martial law, but in the entirety of the archipelago that the fight against those who are putting our citizens in danger is a shared responsibility that must be borne by all,” he said.
“Hence, we continue to encourage everyone to please work closely with our security sector in their respective areas by being vigilant, alert and proactive by providing information and any kind of potential assistance that could increase the security posture of your respective communities,” he added.
In the current situation in Marawi, he said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) continues to focus on the remaining problematic area, which is less than one square kilometer within the heart of the commercial business area of the city.
Meanwhile, Padilla announced that the military came up with AFP Text Hotline in Mindanao in order for the people to provide tips for the presence of threats, convey their sentiments and report erring military personnel.
“Ito pong AFP Text Hotline, sa Smart at sa Globe, ay maaari niyong gamitin para makapagpaabot po kayo sa ating Armed Forces na mga maaaring pinangangambahan niyo na nariyan sa lugar niyo,” he said.
He encouraged the public to report abusive AFP members to AFP Text Hotline: 7444-1678 for Smart and 26563 for Globe.
“Ang ite-text niyo po ay capital letters AFP, space, ‘yung location o info na gusto niyong iparating po sa atin at i-text niyo po sa numero na ‘yun,” he said.
Duterte-Tillerson meeting
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella who was also at the briefing shared the possible issues to be raised in the scheduled meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Malacañang this afternoon.
“We expect the President to discuss with Secretary Tillerson a wide range of relevant issues, including the security situation in Marawi, the global threat of terrorism, increasing Philippine-US economic and people-to-people engagement, the Balangiga bells, among others,” Abella said.
Duterte and Tillerson are scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. inside the Palace.
Abella said the President will also likely to tackle issues on human rights with the visiting US leader.
“We also welcome the opportunity to address concerns, such as human rights, if and when raised. We have always included this issue in our discussion and engagements with foreign governments, particularly Western democracies,” the Palace spokesman added.
Aside from Tillerson, the President is also scheduled to meet with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. ###PND
