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| Plan International Philippines Marawi Response Project (MRP) Chief-of-Party Marlon Libot says they are positive that their interventions will be sustained, especially with the commitment of concerned local government units. (Pamela Joyce Fumero/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur) |
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--Following the culmination of the Marawi Response Project (MRP) that lasted for four years in delivering assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs), the Plan International Philippines together with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) guaranteed that its interventions would continue, especially noting that such has reaped many achievements during its implementation.
Plan International Philippines MRP Chief-of-Party Marlon Libot bared that the sustainability of their extended aid had already been a challenge they recognized since its enforcement.
Coping with this, he shared that during the past years, they went through a transition in which they had close coordination with respective local government units (LGUs) that they have partnered to conduct an exit conference.
Libot further detailed that in this event, concerned government executives posted their word of maintaining what has been started for the benefit of their constituents who have already been part of the community solidarity groups (CSGs) formed by the organization.
“During the exit conference, they committed to extend continuing assistance to all that is why, even if the project ends, we are still assured with the thought that municipal mayors will continue helping our CSGs,” he said.
Libot posted that 23 municipalities and two cities in Lanao del Norte and Sur provinces enjoyed the gains of the MRP.
He recalled that they encountered a lot of trials in pushing for the funding and realization of the project, however, they remembered that what they were facing was nothing compared to the unfortunate experiences of the IDPs.
Four years rolled by and Libot conveyed how they witnessed their recipients’ tears of sorrow and agony turning into joy as they were all accompanied in moving forward from the nightmare they had.
“Naging mahirap ang unang mga araw namin sa proyektong ito pero alam namin na mas malayo at mahirap ang pinagdadaanan ng ating mga kapatid na IDPs at host communities… Sa ngayon, for the last three months, mayroon pa ring nakikita naming umiiyak kapag may CSG gatherings pero ang sabi nila sa amin ay ito ay iyak ng tagumpay at labis na kaligayahan,” he said.
[Our first days of this project have been hard but we knew that this was far from the suffering of our brother and sister IDPs, and the host communities… For now, for the last three months, we can still cry every time there are CSG gatherings but they say that these are tears of victory and so much joy.] (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)
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