Marawi has been Liberated!
The Philippine Defense Chief declared the end of 'all combat operations' against the terror group yesterday. 42 rebels were killed including 2 women and 5 foreign terrorists in the final battle inside a mosque. It is by far, the largest armed conflict in the Philippines since World war II.
However, concerns remain about the future of ISIS in the southern region. Overall, this bloody campaign resulted in the death of more than 1100 people. - More than 900 terrorists and less than 200 soldiers. It's not about the number of deaths. There's no winner here. There's no reason to celebrate. - The authorities declared beforehand.
Nonetheless, it's good to see the return of glimmering hope in the eyes of your fellowmen, as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte assured the public that he won't allow this kind of incident to ever happen again. He will never allow the stockpiling of weapons in the area. Several army battalions were left to guard the city against any retaliation or enemy reinforcements. Checkpoints are still set up all around the city and residents are not allowed to go back to their homes unless their identities have been verified by the military.
Recovery is Underway
Unfortunately, the city is forever scarred by the horrendous battle and recovery seems to be a gargantuan task. The government has allocated around P20B to rebuild Marawi, which will be released in the next two years, though it seems insufficient (more than ₱50 billion is needed to rehabilitate the city). The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) now has a comprehensive master plan for Marawi reconstruction and rehabilitation.
There's a kind of damage that can't be fixed by money though. The traumatic events not only left many homeless but some hopeless after the crisis. The government plans to call on social workers and religious leaders to intervene with the emotional damage this crisis caused to people, especially women and children.
There's no place like home.
With hopes of quick recovery, some residents have already come back to their houses in the outskirts of the city, where the houses only sustained minimal damage. Some businesses have already reopened after the government declared the end of all military offensives.
In the battle zone, clearing operations are still on-going. Shots are being fired into unreachable foxholes to make sure no lone survivor hides in order to escape later. They all seemed to have fought until the end. Though it's hard to comprehend the damage, many are hopeful for the eventual restoration of the city.
According to architect and urban planner Felino "Jun" Palafox Jr, it's more practical to rebuild only important structures in the city and preserve the ruins as a reminder of how terrorism can ruin a peaceful city. Never interact with or help terrorists! - can't be overstated.
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