Japan to provide P1B for Marawi, DPWH exec says

March 10, 2018

Japan has vowed to extend P1 billion for the reconstruction of war-torn Marawi City, an official said.

This is on top of the new equipment that Tokyo will turn over to the Philippine government this coming week for the rehabilitation of the city, said Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Emil Sadain during the "Bangon Marawi" press briefing in Malacanang on Friday.

He  said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has pledged P1 billion for the construction of five major components of the "Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Plans for a Greater Marawi," covering 72 barangays outside of the ground zero.

“All these five components actually run to a total of P11 billion. We have done so much coordination with JICA and JICA pledged around P1 billion pesos as a grand component,” he said, adding that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has also vowed to assist.

Sadain said the five major components of the plan for Marawi include road construction, rehabilitation and expansion of water supply system, and construction of common facilities like school buildings, public market, health center and house of worship.

“This will be actually a project that is—we are optimistic that it can take off because  JICA and ADB have pledged a very strong commitment on this activity,” he said.

Meanwhile, Japan will also turn over 27 sets of new equipment for Marawi rehabilitation this week.

“This coming March 15, there will be another 27 sets of new equipment. But this time, it will come from government of Japan. There’s an activity for turnover on March 15, 10 o’clock,” Sadain said.

“So this also includes the turnover of about 26 vehicles to the Task Force by Mitsubishi Company, and a grant from Japanese government also for the UN Habitat Program,” he added.

As part of its rehabilitation efforts, Sadain said the DPWH is clearing 37 kilometers of national and provincial roads going to and from Marawi from Iligan City and Cotabato City.

“So that also includes the cleaning of some major municipal roads and city roads,” he added.

Sadain said efforts to clear these roads are continuously being undertaken by the DPWH through the use of the equipment from China that were turned over last year and the in-house equipment of their department.

Aside from road clearing, Sadain said the DPWH has been working also for the remaining 200 housing units for the families affected by the conflict in Marawi last year.

“We have been working through with the first 60 hectares development for the 1,200 houses… temporary shelters in Sagonsongan,” he said.

“And we have actually completed the development of these sites, and construction of the houses done by the committee for housing under NHA (National Housing Authority) is already about 1,000 units, so leaving around 200 units to be completed by end of March,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS