‘Ground Zero’ 5 years later

Gregorio C. Bueno

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April 6, 2022
11:50 pm

Five years after the Marawi Siege, ‘Ground Zero,’ the former main battle area between government forces and the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group and its allies remains a ‘ghost town’ as residents have yet to return home.

New structures have been constructed but who will use them? Only 95 families out of 17,793 families displaced from the 250-hectare, 24-barangay ‘Ground Zero’ have returned home, according to the Task Force Bangon Marawi. Some 5,000 families are living in transitory shelters in the outskirts of the city, around 800 in permanent shelters.

READ: Marawi’s ‘Ground Zero’ residents spend 6^th Ramadan as ‘bakwits;’ compensation bill still unsigned after 22 days

Here are photos of ‘Ground Zero’ on April 1, 2022. MindaNews photos by GREGORIO C. BUENO

05gz1a — ^{Entering Ground Zero from Agus Bridge. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz3a — ^{Five years later, where is the entrance? MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz5a — ^{A fresh coat of paint for a building still undergoing repair. Work on the roadside is still incomplete. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz8a — ^{This used to be a busy street five years ago. Work on the roadside is unfinished. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz9a — ^{Unfinished work. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz11a — _{New Barangay Hall. But where are the people in the Barangay? MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz12bb — ^{Building owner shows choice for President. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz13a — ^{School of Living Traditions. But where are the people? MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz14a — A remnant from the Rizal Monument five years ago. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO

05gz15a — ^{Museum. On the left side is the minaret of the Bato Ali Mosque, home to the hostages and the Maute and Abu Sayyaf leaders for several months in 2017. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz12a — View of the park and stadium and Lake Lanao. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO

05gz19a — ^{The St. Mary’s Cathedral. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz20a — ^{The Grand Mosque. Repaired, repainted, and still awaiting the return of its congregation. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz22a — ^{Where have all the residents gone? MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz27a — ^{Senatorial candidate Alex Lacson (in blue) visits ‘Ground Zero’ with fellow candidates Teddy Baguilat and Sonny Matula (not in photo) on 1 April 2022, after attending the LENIwanag Marawi rally in Barangay Sagonsongan. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz28a — ^{The voters are elsewhere but there are campaign posters in Ground Zero. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}

05gz29a — ^{Marawi Mayor Majul Gandmara campaigns for a third term in the 2022 polls, the second election after the 2017 Marawi Siege. . MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO}