Marawi families still await answers and aid as elections approach

Near a resettlement area for Marawi siege survivors, a nurse walks among nameless graves, uncertain whether her missing brother is among the dead. The 2017 conflict, fought between the Philippine military and IS-linked militants, left more than a thousand dead and hundreds missing, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. A government compensation board has disbursed roughly 6.5 billion pesos, but half of the estimated 14,000 claimants remain waiting for death certificates and payouts.

Reconstruction efforts are visible, yet about 10% of the city’s pre-siege residents have not returned, and many displaced families still live in cramped temporary housing. As the semi-autonomous Bangsamoro region heads to its inaugural elections, activists and victims demand faster resolution and answers, especially for those like Aminolla whose missing brother was last seen after an explosion. The board’s mandate expires in 2028, putting pressure on officials to clear the backlog before then.