Rehabilitation to begin in Marawi City despite ongoing conflict

Despite the ongoing hostilities in Marawi City, local government officials have decided to begin rehabilitation projects there to give residents temporary housing.

In his report on Unang Balita, GMA News' Raffy Tima said the 11-hectare housing project in Barangay Sagonsongan near Marawi's boundary with Lanao del Norte will have five phases and feature three to five thousand houses.

Coco lumber prototypes by Marawi's LGU can fit a single family while steel shelters by the Department of Public Works and Highways can accommodate five to 10 families.

Model units of both types will undergo inspection on Monday. Once approved, the first 40 coco lumber houses and 300 steel shelters will be built at the first two phases cleared for the project.

Refugees contracted by the local government will build the shelters for three to four months along with the Engineering Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"Bawat isang shelter (na) ganito, pinapakyaw nila ng mga P15,000, isang unit. Nagtatrabaho sila, apat," Marawi City Engineer Mike Golan said.

Despite its distance from the middle of the city and the center of conflict between government forces and the Maute-ISIS group, stray bullets still reach the area where the temporary housing facility will be constructed.

"Actually, may pagkadelikado pero delikado man o hindi, talagang ipipilit namin sa sarili namin na talagang itutuloy itong construction para naman sa kapakanan ng kababayan natin na IDP," Golan said.

Marawi City officials said they will focus on the massive reconstruction efforts needed to restore the city's commercial district once the temporary facilities are finished.

"Massive, in the sense na malaki talaga yung extent ng damage, but with all the resources coming from the Philippine Army as well as yung other agencies, magtutulong-tulong talaga yan becase hindi lang talaga yung Armed Forces natin ang gagawa niyan," 547th Engineering Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Junie Juguilon said.  — Rie Takumi/RSJ/KVD, GMA News