At least 50,000 internally displaced families (IDPs) in Central Mindanao have returned to their normal lives since the armed conflict in 2008, bringing the total number of remaining IDPs to some 20,000 families, all of them located in Maguindanao province.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that the IDPs in Central Mindanao had decreased from 75,000 families in August 2008 to 43,447 families in November last year.

To date, 20,343 families are still remaining in evacuation centers in Maguindanao, while evacuation centers in Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, and Lanao del Sur have been closed.

All the remaining IDPs are in 80 evacuation centers, while there are no more IDPs reportedly living with relatives outside evacuation centers or with host families.

A significant number of IDPS have voluntarily returned to their places of origin.

IDPs who returned to their places were closely monitored and issued Family Access Cards with the stamped “return” mark.

The stamped card is used to keep track of the IDPs who had returned and shall be further served in their barangays, and no longer in evacuation centers.

The DSWD also pointed out that the IDPs in Mindanao were provided with early recovery and rehabilitation projects, such as temporary shelter, construction of latrines, cash-for-work, emergency shelter assistance, and livelihood assistance, which cost P255,456,490.

In a consultation dialogue with the local government units (LGUs) conducted in Maguindanao last year, the DSWD committed to assist 3,294 families with core shelter units.