Marshall Plan for Marawi

A strong bond that unites Muslims worldwide is their membership in the Ummah Islammiyah or Islamic community. It is a deep-seated doctrinal belief of the oneness and brotherhood of Muslims that transcends geographical barriers, origin, citizenship, color and station in life. Conservative Muslims stretch its meaning by comparing Muslims to a human body where a pain in any of the organs transmits to the entire body. This was the convenient excuse of Libya strongman Moammar Gadhafi, now deceased, and other Arab leaders and organizations exporting revolutionary ideas and bankrolling the rebellion of Muslim minorities even in remote countries like the Philippines.

Parallel to this concept is the obeisance to the obligatory zakat al-mal, or giving of alms to needy Muslims, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. This belief has made the Middle East fertile ground for enterprising Muslims seeking donations (even for the flimsiest of reasons). Most of the imposing and beautiful mosques with towering minarets dotting the Marawi skyline, madaris or schools, and other structures prominent before the siege were built from petrodollar donations of benevolent Arabs.

These all come to mind as the government, anticipating the liberation of Marawi, mobilizes its different departments to start drafting a blueprint for the city’s reconstruction and rehabilitation. In fact, Administrative Order No. 03 formed Task Force Bangon Marawi for such a purpose with President Duterte publicly committing P20 billion to fund the project. But this will not be enough and will still pass through the gauntlet of bureaucratic red tape, which may unduly delay, if not derail, implementation.

The Marshall Plan as a concept can serve as a guidepost in rebuilding Marawi. Europe was devastated during World War II, and one of the strategies to reconstruct it was conceived and spearheaded by the United States. As announced by State Secretary George Marshall, it entailed the pouring of huge financial and technical assistance and was also intended to arrest the creeping threat of communism, much like the Daesh extremist ideology which now haunts us. Government planners should take a lesson or two on how it was implemented successfully.

But it is proposed that the government adopt a two-pronged approach in raising funds — one by the government through AO 03 and the other by foreign government donors like the United States, China and the European Union, which have expressed willingness to help. Most important is tapping the oil wealth of altruistic Arab leaders and organizations that are just waiting for a request for assistance from needy Muslims invoking ties with Ummah Islamiyyah. Muslim organizations like the Arab League (the equivalent of the United Nations), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Muslim World League, and many others have windows and mechanisms for the support of Muslims in need. They likewise donate funds as sadaqah or voluntary charity. (The crisis in Marawi is prominently played up in the Arab media, alongside the severing of diplomatic and political ties of Saudi Arabia and its allies with Qatar.)

For this purpose, the government should form a mission with the main work of fund-raising, to be headed by a high government official trusted by the President and the stakeholders in Marawi. Lawyer Abdullah Mamao, secretary for OFW and Muslim concerns, a former classmate of the President, and a native of Marawi, comes to mind. He is a longtime expatriate and therefore unaffected by the intrigues and dynamics of local politics.

The mission, which will coordinate with our embassies, should include ulamas and be clothed with sovereign authority from the Office of the President to give it credibility. The funds and assistance received, being donations to a local government unit, should be subject to review by the Commission on Audit. This will forestall any attempt by bogus victims to deceive benevolent donors.

But we may rebuild Marawi physically, yet the social and psychological trauma, and the horrors of war, will leave a deep scar in the psyche of the residents.

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Macabangkit Lanto (amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com), UP Law 1967, was Fulbright Fellow to New York University for postgraduate studies. He has served the government in various capacities.