Urban planner cites 'lessons learned from Yolanda' for Marawi rehab

Mistakes made in the relief efforts in areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda should be avoided in the rehabilitation of  Marawi City, an urban planner said on Wednesday.

Architect Felino Palafox Jr., in an interview on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho,"  cited a few "lessons to be learned"  from the failure to provide houses for victims of the massive cyclone in November 2013.

The National Housing Authority (NHA) has admitted that less than half of the permanent housing demand of 205,128 has been completed.

Citing various problems "inherited in the past administration," the NHA said the goal to build new homes for Yolanda victims cannot be met until 2019.

Palafox, who is the founder of the architecture firm Palafox Associates, said it was corruption that hindered victims from fully recovering from the disaster.

"(Ang) kaibahan ng Marawi and Yolanda corridor, parang mas legible 'yung chain of command...Sa Yolanda, ang gulo," he noted.

"Change of mindset. Dapat 'yung bad politics, alisin na," Palafox added.

He saw what became of Marawi City when Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana asked him to help with the rehabilitation.

"One of the reasons he asked me to help, work with the engineering brigade, marami na raw pumapasok na extra-invested interested groups," he said.

"So maybe, through the engineering brigade (of the Philippine Army), then tulungan na natin sila to modernize their thinking and dapat talaga everything's all transparent," he added.

When it comes to handling donations, Palafox said funders have to make sure their donations go to the beneficiaries in Marawi City.

"Donor fatigue," he noted, resulted in foreign funders opting to give their donations to the trust of the private sector like NGOs, the Catholic Church, 4Ps and Rotary clubs.

He cited the direct donation of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation (Tzu Chi) to earthquake victims in Kathmandu as an example.

"Alam mo, kung walang corruption, number 19th economy in the world tayo," he added.

Palafox said the Marawi crisis was an opportunity to create a smarter, more inclusive, sustainable, and "inter-faith" city that includes a master plan for the Lanao Lake.

"Lanao Lake, tawag nila, the divider of Muslim and non-Muslim Mindanao. It should be the unifier parang lake Geneva," he said.

Marawi, Palafox said, could also take lessons from the lack of urban planning in Metro Manila.

"Huwag na ring ulitin 'yung mistakes ng Metro Manila. We'll get global best practices sa Dubai, sa Singapore, sa Hong Kong, sa Tokyo," he added.

He suggested for the city to be "walkable" yet fully accessible with urban transport, considering lanes for bicycles and cable cars going up the mountains.

Palafox said it would take at least 15 years to "clean up" Marawi City after it was attacked by terrorists. The majority of the city's barangays were under six months of intense bombing and gunfire from both sides.

He preferred to call his services for Marawi's rise from the ashes as "patriotic architecture for humanity" rather than pro-bono. — Margarita Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News