Marawi rehab project breaks ground without Duterte; Palace explains absence

After months of delays, the Marawi rehabilitation project broke ground on Tuesday as government planners aim to rebuild the city’s former battle zone before the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in June 2022.

Led by the inter-agency Task Force Bangon Marawi, the groundbreaking ceremony was held at the former site of the city’s Rizal Park, where officials including task force chairperson and Housing Secretary Eduardo del Rosario buried a time capsule to signify the beginning of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the most affected area.

Conspicuously absent at the event was Duterte himself, who had been invited by the task force to the ceremony. The event had been rescheduled from October 17, the first anniversary of the liberation of the city from terrorist influence, so that the President could attend it.

Duterte’s spokesperson, Salvador Panelo, said the President “would personally like to join our countrymen and witness this historic occasion, but he has to attend to equally important issues and affairs of the nation.”

The Palace did not release to the media an official schedule of Duterte’s activities for Tuesday. His next public appearance will be on Wednesday, when he is set to lead the distribution of land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries in Cagayan de Oro City.

According to Panelo, the groundbreaking ceremony “was greeted with much enthusiasm, hope and joy” by the residents including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and ulamas, as well as civil society organizations and concerned local government units.

Panelo said Duterte commended the Task Force Bangon Marawi for developing and implementing a comprehensive rehabilitation and recovery program, in consultation with Muslim leaders, “towards the rebuilding of a peaceful and prosperous Islamic city of Marawi that we all aspire.”

The groundbreaking for the Marawi rehabilitation was originally scheduled in June but had been moved a few times due to continued delays in selecting a private developer for the project covering the ground zero that straddles 24 out of the 96 barangays.

The task force is now negotiating with Power Construction Corporation of China or PowerChina for the rehabilitation of the most affected area, which was leveled during the five-month battle between government troops and ISIS-inspired Maute rebels last year.

The cost of rebuilding the 250-hectare area is now pegged between P15 billion-P16 billion.

The government expects to complete the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the most affected area by fourth quarter of 2021. — BM, GMA News