The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) remains confident that it will be able to complete housing projects in Marawi City by the first quarter of next year.
In a Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday, DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario said 80 percent to 90 percent of housing projects in the war-torn Islamic City would be completed by December 2021.
Del Rosario said the remaining 10 percent to 20 percent would be completed in the January to March period next year. The target is to build 2,800 housing units by the time the President ends his term.
“Last October 16, nagbigay tayo ng 250 permanent shelter and before that, I think we had already given 370, plus 250. So more or less we have 600 plus permanent housing units,” del Rosario said.
“And out of our target of 2,800 almost 80 percent to 90 percent will be completed by December. So, the remaining 10 percent to 20 percent would be completed by the first quarter of 2022,” he added.
Del Rosario said even if the administration bets will not win in the next presidential polls, the rehabilitation of Marawi will continue.
He said that if by June, the rehabilitation of Marawi will only be 95 percent accomplished, the remaining 5 percent will be completed since there are funds that have already been allocated for these projects.
The funding allocation done by the current administration, Del Rosario assured, will be enough reason for the new administration to continue the project.
“Let’s say [for the project of building] classrooms, the funds are provided to DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways], who implements the project. Based on their target, they will complete 200 classrooms by June of 2022. Assuming by June 30 of 2022, 90 percent completion, the funds are still with DPWH and they will be able to continue it for one or two months, if ever [the project is only] 95 percent complete by June 30,” del Rosario explained.
Meanwhile, in terms of assistance to those affected by the Marawi Siege, del Rosario said the government has extended P73,000 worth of livelihood assistance last year for families living in the most affected area (MAA).
For those who are living outside the MAA, del Rosario said, the government extended livelihood assistance of P10,000 each.
He added that the government has also extended relief goods to those who were affected by the Marawi Siege as well as agricultural and medical assistance to these families.
The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Social Welfare and Development spearhead the livelihood assistance of the government.
In a news statement issued on Wednesday, DHSUD said of the 250 permanent shelters in Marawi that were turned over, 100 were constructed by the National Housing Authority (NHA), which also led in handling land acquisition, while the other 150 were carried out by UN-Habitat with funding from the Japanese government.
A total of 1,800 permanent shelters will be constructed on this site—1,500 will be produced by the NHA while the other 300 by UN-Habitat.
Representatives from the NHA and UN-Habitat, together with other local officials, witnessed the handover ceremony.
Another key project carried out marking the fourth anniversary of Marawi’s liberation was the breaking of ground for the Department of Information and Communications Technology digital transformation center as part of efforts in offering Internet services inside the MAA.
The P72-million facility to be built on a 600-square-meter property in Barangay Datu Naga seeks to establish a network for reliable and fast online connectivity for barangay halls and other public offices.