Filtered By: Topstories
News

Mayor says P90 billion needed to rebuild ‘better’ Marawi


At least P90 billion is needed to make war-torn Marawi City “better than it was before,” Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra said Friday.

During the Bangon Marawi press briefing held in Malacañang, Gandamra said the estimated amount will not only cover the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure in Marawi.

“Based doon sa estimate, in fact, doon sa consolidated master plan that we submitted several weeks ago, initially, merong…an amount of P90 billion,” Gandamra said.

“Kung aayusin natin ang Marawi City ay hindi na natin ibabalik sa dati but, of course, we will make it better than it was before, 'yun ang ating gusto,” he added.

The amount will also cover the “economic operations” of the city, almost 100 percent of which “totally collapsed,” according to Gandamra. 

Returned to their homes

Gandamra said some 13,000 families or 70,000 individuals from 19 barangays have returned to their homes.

Gandamra said the local government is coordinating with religious sectors, traditional leaders, and the community to make sure that another terror attack does not happen in Marawi.

“Even the family themselves should also be part of this --- itong laban against these kind of terroristic acts ‘no…Hindi lang ho ang gobyerno ang dapat mag-address diyan kundi ang pamilya po ay dapat maging vigilant,” he added.

He also allayed concerns of residents about properties sitting on military reservation in Marawi, saying a dialogue is already ongoing to address the issue. He pointed out that 60 percent of the more than 8,000 hectares of land in Marawi is covered by military reservation.

“Marami tayong mga kababayan na nangangamba na baka sila ay ma-displace as a result of the claims na it will be taken over by the government. But para mapaliwanagan natin ang ating mga kababayan, ay meron nang ongoing dialogue, discussions with the different sectors, stakeholders,” he said.

Philippine Information Agency Director-General Harold Clavite, meanwhile, said a Marawi development plan will be up for review by March 2018.

“Through this, we aim to establish a safe, adaptive, disaster-resilient, and most importantly, peaceful communities,” he said.

The government proposed only a budget of P10 billion for 2018 to start the rehabilitation of Marawi City. The approval of the next year's national budget is still pending before Congress.

Marawi was declared “liberated from terrorist influence” by President Rodrigo Duterte last October 17, five months since the Maute group attacked the city. — KBK/RSJ, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT