The city of Marawi in the southern Philippines remains a virtual "ghost city" as residents stay in temporary shelters while fighting between government security forces and terrorist gunmen continue for the third month. (Photo by Mark Saludes)
The Catholic bishop of the city of Marawi in the southern Philippines will prioritize the rebuilding of Christian communities when the three-month-old conflict finally ends.
Bishop Edwin de la Pena of Marawi said the church will "reassemble the communities" before rebuilding the city's cathedral that was razed to ground by terrorist gunmen on May 23.
"The church should put people's lives as its first priority," said the prelate during a meeting with representatives of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need.
Jonathan Luciano, national director of the foundation, said the organization would assist the prelature in rehabilitation of Marawi.
"Reconstruction of the church must begin with the rebuilding of houses of people who have been affected by war," Luciano told ucanews.com.
The foundation conducted a "humanitarian relief operation" for some 6,000 home-based refugees who fled to the city of Iligan.
Luciano said the "emergency aid operation" was the group's "entry point to a larger work that is the rehabilitation phase."
Father Edwin Gariguez, head of the Philippine Catholic bishops' social action secretariat, said "all hands must work for the rehabilitation of Marawi."
He appealed to faith-based organizations "to sustain" their presence in areas where "effective and efficient humanitarian response is needed."
Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the bishops' conference, had initially sent US$200,000 worth of emergency relief aid to displaced people of Marawi.