New port aims to restart Lake Lanao trade as battle-scarred Marawi rebuilds

The government plans to build more ports around Lake Lanao, says President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

MARAWI, Philippines – For years, boats from lakeside towns in Lanao del Sur brought fish and goods to Marawi City. That stopped in 2017, when Islamic State-inspired militants seized the city, and government forces responded with a five-month assault that left large parts in ruins.

Now, a newly completed port in the Marawi siege’s most affected area, or what locals still call “Ground Zero,” may restore some of what was lost.

The P261-million facility includes a passenger terminal, fish port, berthing area, and Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) ramp. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited the site on June 23 for its inauguration, though the port has yet to begin operations.

“This is the first port we’ve established in this area, and we plan to develop more ports around Lake Lanao to improve connectivity. I’m happy to see that at least we are making progress after such a long time,” Marcos said.

Construction began in 2021, part of a broader rehabilitation program led by Task Force Bangon Marawi. Originally due for completion by the end of 2022, the project was suspended after the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) introduced design changes, including a 17-meter access road.

Lifeline

Next to Laguna de Bay, Lake Lanao is the second-largest lake in the country, and before the Marawi siege, it was a lifeline for trade. The original Dansalan Port, renamed Marawi Port after the city’s name was changed in 1959, served some 18 municipalities. It collapsed along with the local fish trade during the five-month armed conflict in 2017.

“All the fish sold here are from Iligan City, except for a few caught in Ranaw,” said Jaber Domado, a vendor at the Omaira market, a former hospital converted into a public trading area. “We used to get our stock from Masiu and Bayang through the old port.”

After the Marawi siege, vendors like Domado have relied on motorcycles to restock. Others wait for mobile suppliers to reach the city. Makeshift ports sprung up in barangays such as Ambolong and Timbir, while towns like Ramain and Binidayan began selling fish only locally.

Sights and sound

“The new port in Ground Zero could restore the sight and sound of boats sailing across the lake in the early morning,” said Norhayna Disoma of the Marawi City Agriculture Office.

She said displaced fisherfolk are now scattered across barangays like Calocan and Marinaut but remain without direct support. 

“Our office only covers land-based farmers. We haven’t abandoned our fisherfolk as there’s just no specific agency yet assigned to oversee them,” she said.

Before its renaming, Dansalan, which means “port of entry” in Meranaw, stood as a key trading post during the American colonial period. Officials now hope the new port will once again position the city as a major hub in Lanao del Sur and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The port is finished, but what’s missing is movement, and the return of commerce – and livelihoods – once carried across the water. – Rappler.com

Abdul Hafiz Tacoranga Malawani is a campus journalist from Marawi City, Lanao del Sur studying Information Technology at Mindanao State University Marawi. He is the editor in chief of Mindanao Varsitarian and an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2025.