DAVAO CITY—Bullet-riddled Pendolonan Elementary School in Marawi City got a surprised fixing from outsiders in time for the return of schoolchildren, a year after the locale became a battleground between government troops and alleged members of terrorist Islamic State (IS) group.
The sprucing up of the school occurred as government continues to address the rehabilitation of the southern Philippine urban center.
Acknowledging the enormity of such task, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) plans to use a modern land-mapping system during the rehabilitation of Marawi City.
The Compostela Valley provincial government has selected the Pendolonan Elementary School for the repair of two classrooms and their on-suite toilets.
The provincial government also donated a 15,000-liter capacity tank to store drinking water.
The school was one of many buildings destroyed during the gun battle between government troops and armed men believed to be members of the IS for six months last year.
The provincial information office quoted one of the displaced teachers during the 2017 Marawi siege as expressing her gratitude to the volunteers “for extending their help in preparing school for the opening of classes.”
“Since the siege ended [in October last year], this is the first time we [felt] the love our fellow Filipinos in repairing our school, especially that you all come from outside,” Faida P. Razul, the teacher, said.
GIS
ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the use of a geographic information system (GIS) land-mapping and information system is an important component of the Duterte administration’s “environmental peacebuilding” strategy.
In a statement, Cimatu said by using the system, the government could identify, establish, integrate, reconcile and reestablish existing technical and physical land boundaries.
“Properties in both private and public land, formal and informal settlement descriptions and delineations in the most affected areas and other surrounding areas of Marawi City will also be included in the land mapping to collect information,” Cimatu was quoted in the statement as saying.
The GIS is designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage and present all types of geographical data.
Utilizing the GIS-based land mapping and information system is in line with the DENR being designated as the agency in charge of the newly created land conflict management unit (LCMU) of Task Force Bangon Marawi’s Sub-committee on land resources management.
Indispensable
DENR Assistant Secretary for Field Operations in Mindanao Michelle Angelica Go, meanwhile, said the development of a GIS-based land mapping and information system in the area is “indispensable considering the enormity of the survey and spatial data involved.”
Go added there’s also a need “to convert, harmonize and integrate the different maps and survey data sets coming from different agencies and those [that] are conducted under different survey systems and integrate them into one usable spatial data framework.”
According to Go, the government agency will be “deeply involved” in the settlement of land disputes “to make sure these parcels of land are rightfully claimed by its owners.”
The land title issue was a major concern raised during the planning process of the Marawi rehabilitation amid the issue of multiple claimants on a single private property.
Steps
GO said the LCMU will operate using a “step-by-step process for resolving land-related disputes and preventing land-related violent conflict.”
“In general, the step-by-step process begins by bringing together all the key stakeholders, including the local government units involved, formal and traditional leaders, and the parties to the conflict to a dialogue process, followed by an adjudication and mediation process that arrives at a decision on the rightful owner or occupant of land,” Go said.
A comprehensive planning to solve the land issues for two pilot barangays, Kapantaran and Campo Ranao, is being conducted by agencies involved in the rehabilitation.
Jonathan L. Mayuga and Manuel T. Cayon