Multi-billion plan to rebuild Marawi in the works

Manila: The government is working on a P10 billion (Dh741 million) programme to rehabilitate areas in Marawi City devastated by the conflict between security forces and Maute militants.

“We assure you that President Rodrigo Duterte is deeply concerned for the city, the region and the island’s (Mindanao) well-being and is very hands-on to ensure that normalcy will be restored at the soonest possible time and serve people’s aspirations for a comfortable life for all,” Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, speaking during the Mindanao Hour radio programme, said.

Large areas of Marawi City in southern Philippines’ Lanao del Sur had been laid to rubble following nearly four weeks of hostilities between government forces and the Lanao-based Maute, a radical Islamic group which styles itself as a Daesh branch in Southeast Asia.

Daily air strikes and brutal house-to-house fighting had cost the lives of more than 200 people including civilians since the hostilities in Marawi City broke out on May 23.

The fighting continues to be intense and last Friday evening 13 marines died in encounters with Maute gunmen who were supported by the Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf men led by Isnilon Hapilon as well as foreign volunteers.

Abella said that while the fighting has yet to reach its end, this early, the government is planning a programme to rehabilitate and reconstruct the city so that normalcy can return to the predominantly Muslim city.

The presidential spokesperson said that the P10 billion multi-agency rehabilitation programme to be implemented over six months.

“The Executive Order for ‘Bangon Marawi’ (Arise Marawi) is now with the Office of the Executive Secretary undergoing refinements before being submitted to the President,” Abella said.

Seven government agencies will be involved in the programme, namely the Department of National Defence, Department of Trade and Industry, education, social welfare, public works, energy and the Department of Information and Communication Technology.

Abella said the first task in getting the city back to its feet is to clear the city of debris.

“This particular task could take one to two weeks,” he said.

Aside from private homes and business establishments, among those destroyed and burned to the ground are places of worship such churches and mosques as well as government buildings like hospitals and jails.

Duterte has tasked Secretary to the Cabinet Leoncio Evasco to monitor and push infrastructure projects.

“The involvement of Secretary Evasco will speed up not just projects funded by tax reforms from Congress, but also tens of billions of dollars of investments coming from China, Japan, and other nations,” Abella said.

“Let us look at the real picture behind all of these things. Marawi crisis aside, the country’s economy continues to improve. We are looking forward to a bright future,” Abella said.