Daily TribuneBased on our experience in helping the victims of the Marawi siege, it is not enough to provide tthem with socioeconomic assistance. It is also crucial to carry out psycho-social interventions such as trauma healing to help them in the recovery process.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity said it is committed to providing long-term recovery support to the victims and relatives of the bombing at Mindanao State University-Marawi last 3 December.
OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Saturday said the government will "leave no stone unturned" to make sure the victims will get justice for the terror attack.
"The bombing at MSU was not only an attack against the people of Marawi, it was an attack against all peace-loving Filipinos who believe that such acts of terror have no place in a civil, humane and peaceful society," he said.
Coordinated action
Galvez said the OPAPRU along with the Lanao del Sur provincial government and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had agreed to initiate "concerted and well-coordinated" action plans to ensure the recovery of the bombing victims and their kin.
"The bombing incident is proof that the spoilers of peace are just waiting on the sidelines and could launch an attack at any time, especially when they are least expected to do so," he added.
The peace adviser said the OPAPRU will ramp up its peace-building interventions, through its Social Healing and Peacebuilding Program known as SHAPE in Marawi City.
The SHAPE program was initially launched for the rehabilitation of the area following the devastation brought on by the Marawi siege in 2017.
"At this critical juncture, there is a need for us to mend the torn social fabric of society, especially in communities whose residents have been severely affected by armed conflict and are reeling from its effects," Galvez said.
He said the government will focus on the most vulnerable sectors of the community, particularly women, children, and internally displaced individuals "who always bear the brunt of armed conflict."
