● That displaced persons must have adequate shelter with
sufficient space, privacy, and protection from harsh weather
conditions and threats to health, including structural hazards and
disease vectors,71 as well as against gender-based violence and
violent attacks;
● That displaced persons must have sufficient clothing, blankets,
bedding and general household/shelter support items to ensure
their health, dignity, safety, and well-being;72
● That displaced persons must have access to a provision of safe
drinking water and water for daily use so as to promote good
hygiene practices, reduction of environmental health risks, and
improve conditions that will allow people to live with good
health, dignity, comfort, and security;73
● That displaced persons must have access to timely healthcare
services,74 including psychosocial well-being, and taking into
consideration the religious practices of the displaced persons in
the provision of healthcare;
National Laws and Policies
Emphasizing the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the primary obligation of the State is to provide
protection to its people and territories. These includes: the dignity of every person and to fully
respect human rights 75; protection of property and promote general welfare of the people76;
ensuring that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, and property without due process of
law77; regulating the acquisition, ownership, use, and disposition of property to the end that
Congress gives highest priority to the enactment of measures that protect and enhance the right
of all to human dignity, reduce inequalities, and remove cultural inequities 78; protecting and
strengthening the family as a basic autonomous social institution 79; allowing the free exercise
and enjoyment of religious profession and worship80; ensuring that no urban or rural poor
dweller shall be evicted and/or resettled except in accordance with law and with adequate
consultation81; protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples’ cultural communities 82 and their
ancestral lands83 to ensure their economic, social, and cultural well-being. In addition, specific
national and sectoral policies are in place to ensure that all IDPs of the Marawi Crisis are covered
and accounted for the provision of humanitarian assistance and protection services (see Table
1). Noted that the jurisdictional challenges posed by the separation of functions between
national executive agencies and executive agencies of the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM), and considering that the current critical situation covers the areas of Region
X and the ARMM; the Commission urges the national executive agencies and the ARMM Regional
Government and its attached agencies to work together to deliver the needed assistance and
services of the IDPs.
In particular, the Commission designated as the Gender and Development Ombud under the
Republic Act 7610 otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women is also directed to advocate
for the promotion and protection of women’s human rights investigate violations of the law84. It
is also mandated to monitor compliance and recommend appropriate measures to concerned
71 Ibid, Minimum Standards in Shelter, Settlement, and Non-Food Items.
72 Ibid, specifically the Non-Food Items Standards 1 and 2, Minimum Standards in Shelter, Settlement, and Non-Food Items.
73 Minimum Standards in Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Promotion, The Sphere Project: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum
Standards in Humanitarian Response, 2011.
74 Minimum Standards in Health Action, The Sphere Project: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response, 2011.
75 See: The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Article II, Section 11.
76 Ibid, Article II, Section 5.
77 Ibid, Article III, Section 1.
78 Ibid, XIII, Section 1.
79 Ibid, Article II, Section 12.
80 Ibid, Philippines Article III, Section 5.
81 Ibid, Article XIII, Section 10.
82 Ibid, Article XIV, Section 17.
83 Ibid, Article XII, Section 5.
84 See: The Republic Act 9710 or the ‘Magna Carta of Women’ (MCW), Section 44.
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