MANILA - China and Malaysia have expressed interest in submitting a proposal for the rehabilitation of parts of Marawi City worst affected by conflict, an official said Friday.

Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Secretary General Falconi Ace Millar told reporters that the government expects at least 5 unsolicited proposals, two of which will come from China and Malaysia.

“Based on the informal communications relayed to us, foreign companies have signified their intention to participate in the master development of Marawi… Based on the informal communications, [they are] coming from China and Malaysia,” Mallari said in the regular Bangon Marawi news conference in Malacañang.

Mallari said the deadline for the submission of proposals is on Feb. 12. The government eyes the groundbreaking of the rehabilitation effort in April 2018 and expects it to conclude “not later than December 2021.”

He said the selected proponent will be granted the “original proponent status.”

The winning proposal will then be subjected to a Swiss challenge “wherein the public may submit their proposals contesting the original proponent,” Mallari said.

The government is planning to develop “ground zero” of the Marawi siege from scratch as it aims to bring back the glory of the once bustling Islamic city. This area covers 24 barangays in the city.

Malacañang earlier said Marawi will be “flattened” to pave the way for new infrastructure such as sturdier buildings, wider roads and underground electric cables.

• Gov’t to develop Marawi ‘ground zero’ from scratch

As the re-development of Marawi is underway, the government has started distributing temporary shelters to affected residents.

The government aims to build a total of 6,400 temporary shelters and 2,500 permanent shelters, which will be given to the poorest and most war-affected Marawi residents.

• Duterte distributes transition shelters to Marawi residents

The Marawi siege ended on October 23 following 5 months of fierce battles between the Islamic State-linked Maute terrorist group and state forces. It left some 1,100 dead, mostly terrorists, and displaced over 350,000 residents from the city and nearby towns.