Marawi City, Lanao del Sur — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday led the inspection of the newly completed Port of Marawi, signaling a key infrastructure milestone under the national government’s campaign to accelerate recovery and promote inclusive development in post-conflict communities in Mindanao.
The P261.5-million port development, situated along Lake Lanao, features a passenger terminal, a fish port, a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ramp, and berthing facilities. It is part of the broader Marawi Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Peacebuilding Program (MRRP), designed to revitalize the city and support the region’s reintegration into Mindanao’s economic corridors.
“This project symbolizes our commitment to rebuilding Marawi and ensuring that no area in Mindanao is left behind,” said President Marcos during the inspection. The Port of Marawi is expected to improve mobility, support local economic activity, and restore a sense of normalcy and dignity for communities displaced by the 2017 Marawi Siege.
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) recognized the project as a major step in integrating Marawi and Lanao del Sur into the island’s trade and logistics network. It aligns with the Mindanao Development Corridors (MinDC) strategy and complements recent government efforts, such as the distribution of Starlink internet units to remote schools, to push for resilient and tech-enabled growth.
However, while these infrastructure developments are welcome, many observers and residents have voiced concern over the continued delay in the full compensation and rehabilitation of siege survivors. Nearly eight years after the devastating five-month conflict between government forces and ISIS-inspired militants, thousands of displaced residents remain in temporary shelters or have yet to return to their homes in the most affected areas of the city.
“It is painful to see gleaming infrastructure rise while so many of us still wait for justice and support,” said one evacuee who has been living in a transitional site since 2017. “We are not against development — we just want to be included in it.”
Civil society groups and local leaders have reiterated that the rebuilding of infrastructure must go hand-in-hand with the rebuilding of lives. They stress that true peace and recovery cannot be achieved unless the needs and rights of those most affected by the siege are prioritized.
As the government pushes forward with physical infrastructure, many hope that equal urgency will be given to the victims’ compensation, sustainable livelihood, and social healing — pillars just as vital to Marawi’s future as concrete and steel.
“Connecting Mindanao is important,” a local community worker noted, “but reconnecting Marawi’s people with dignity, justice, and their homes is even more important.”