This Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) report to the United States Congress is the 12th and final quarterly report on Operation Pacific Eagle–Philippines (OPE-P). This report summarizes significant events related to this operation and describes ongoing and planned Lead IG and partner agency oversight work, and covers the period from July 1 through September 30, 2020.
This quarter, USAID reported that reconstruction efforts in Marawi restarted in June, following a pause due to COVID-19 quarantine restrictions. According to USAID, debris removal in the city was largely complete, except for damaged and destroyed buildings where private owners did not permit demolition. However, the Task Force Bangon Marawi, the Philippine government’s interagency organization to coordinate reconstruction efforts, has not provided an updated timeline for the return of IDPs to the most heavily damaged areas of Marawi. USAID reported, the number of IDPs from the 2017 Marawi conflict remained steady this quarter at approximately 66,000. Meanwhile, water and shelter continue to be concerns for IDPs, in addition to food security due to the ongoing economic recession and the COVID-19 outbreak.
USAID reported that it had awarded two new procurements related to promoting peace and stability in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). USAID reported that the Enduring Peace in the Bangsamoro activity, a $1.1 million, 3-year award scheduled to have started on October 1, is intended to improve participatory governance structures, develop community-owned peacebuilding mechanisms, and foster trust, empathy, and mutual understanding among communities in Basilan, Maguindanao, and Cotabato City. According to USAID, the second award is the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity New Partnerships Initiative Mindanao, a $2.5 million, 5-year activity that began on August 9, and which is designed to strengthen peace and stability in the BARMM by improving economic opportunities for women in the region.