THE National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) said that war in Marawi City aggravates poverty in the area because of the destruction left by the five-month war and cited that the launching of Kilos Sambayanan or "Kilos para sa Sampung Batayang Pangangailangan" on Wednesday, October 25, is apt as one of its components advocates peace.
"The war against the militants in Marawi may be ending, the more difficult struggle for the welfare of Maranaos and Mindanaoans in general have always been there, and may have just been made even harder," NAPC Secretary Liza Maza said in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 24.
She underscored the role of peace in the reduction of poverty incidence in Mindanao wherein armed struggle usually takes place because of the presence of different lawless armed groups.
"The Marawi [crisis] brought to the fore the close interrelationship between peace and poverty, how the disruption of peace, in causing their displacement in the thousands compromising their access to basic needs, worsened the poverty of the residents of Marawi and nearby areas, and how conditions of poverty contributed to the rise of Islamist militants that directly led to the disruption of peace," Maza said.
NAPC will conduct the Mindanao launch of its anti-poverty campaign at Muslim Village, Barangay Talomo, Davao City for the fulfillment of the "10 basic needs" of Filipinos that includes peace.
She added that the nation can claim to have finally overcome poverty if challenges in food and land reform, water, work, education, health, social protection and healthy environment are met. This also aims to gather different sectors to work together in looking for solution to address the perennial problem that the country is facing and the Filipinos are clamoring for.
Maza added that as long as there is poverty, there would be no peace.
"We are happy for our people that this war is nearly over. Let the rebuilding effort be first and foremost about the lives of the thousands displaced, of those that lost their homes and livelihoods, of the poor who have been reduced to even deeper poverty," he said.
She said that during the rehabilitation, the government should take consideration on the culture and traditions of Maranaos and involve them in the process.
"It is crucial that post-war initiatives for development should actively involve the affected communities to ensure that the rehabilitation process will be culturally-sensitive and responsive to their actual needs. While external assistance is no less important in the process, ownership of the transformation of their society should lie with the Maranaos," Maza added.
NAPC cited that poverty exists due to underdevelopment or the backward state of agriculture and industry in the country, and inequality or the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few at the expense of the many.