‘Marawi rehab 75% complete’

MANILA, Philippines — Rehabilitation works in war-torn Marawi City is 75 percent complete, according to Task Force Bangon Marawi chief and Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Eduardo del Rosario.

“The ongoing horizontal and vertical projects for the Marawi rehabilitation are about 70 to 75 percent complete. We are on track to complete all these projects by December,” Del Rosario said in a statement issued yesterday.

On Thursday, Del Rosario led the awarding of 170 housing units to families displaced during the Marawi siege in 2017.

Del Rosario said the beneficiaries were previously living in danger zones.

Of the awarded houses, 120 were two-bedroom units constructed at the Darussalam Village in Barangay Dulay Proper.

The units were turned over to members of eight local homeowners’ associations.

The resettlement project was jointly implemented by the UN-Habitat and Social Housing Finance Corp., an attached agency of the DHSUD.

Each housing unit is equipped with water and power connections, Del Rosario said.

Meanwhile, the 50 remaining houses are located at the Pamayandeg sa Ranaw Residences at Dansalan Village in Barangay Mipantao Gadongan.

The village is a joint undertaking of the National Housing Authority, also a DHSUD key shelter agency, and UN-Habitat.

The construction of the housing projects were funded by the government of Japan.

On the same day, Del Rosario led the inauguration of the Masjid Darussalam, the second mosque reconstructed in Marawi’s ground zero.

Local terrorist group Maute, a sympathizer of international terrorist organization Islamic State, laid siege to Marawi in May 2017.

The firefight prompted President Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao.

The siege lasted five months, leaving the city in ruins with about 1,000 people dead and more than 3,000 displaced.