The rehabilitation of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur is halfway done, according to the Task Force Bangon Marawi chief Eduardo del Rosario.
He says Marawi’s rebuilding process is now about 45 percent to 50 percent complete, adding that the efforts to rehabilitate the country’s only Islamic city after the five-month siege laid by Daesh-inspired terrorists remain on track.
“Last month I said it was about 40 percent. Now I can say that we are about 45 percent to 50 percent [complete],” he said.
Del Rosario heads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
“You may notice na ‘yung mga project natin ay nasa different stages of completion. Mayroong 60 percent, may 70 percent, may 35 percent, mayroong 40 percent. So I would say on the average, it’s between 45 percent and 50 percent accomplishment for the whole rehabilitation,” he said.
He said the most important ongoing government project or public infrastructure is the road network being undertaken by the National Housing Authority.
“The most important is the road network kasi from this, makikita natin ngayon yung magiging alignment, ano ‘yung magiging hitsura ng ating open space, and we are targeting that this would be completed by September or October [this year]. And we are on target, actually we are over the targets by three percent, so matatapos natin talaga itong road network on time,” the TFBM chief said.
“So, from then on, all the other projects will be completed in different months, and all ongoing projects will be completed by December of 2021,” he said.
He reiterated his call on TFBM’s 56 implementing agencies to “double-time” to be able to meet their target completion timeline in December.
“This is our commitment and the mandate of Task Force Bangon Marawi per instructions by our President, so we have to work double time. Let’s have a very focused 2021 and let us meet our said target date.”