Marawi rehab projects to be completed by December 2021: official

MANILA - The Philippine government's rehabilitation projects in Marawi, which was flattened after a five-month battle between Islamic State-inspired militants and state forces in 2017, are "on-track" and will be completed by December next year, an official said Wednesday.

Some 3,000 structures have been demolished and cleared, while more than 1,000 families have been given permits to construct buildings, according to Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, chairperson of Task Force Bangon Marawi.

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The task force allowed private firms and individuals to apply for building permits since July last year, he said.

It also began groundbreaking of several infrastructure such as public markets and classrooms in July this year, he added.

"On track yung kanilang ginagawang mga projects... All these projects na sinimulan this year will be completed in 12 to 18 months," Del Rosario told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

(The task force's projects are on-track...Projects that began this year will be completed in 12 to 18 months.)

"We’re certain these will be completed (in) or before December 2021."

The task force had also formed an arbitration committee headed by the local government for settling of land ownership disputes, Del Rosario added.

"We’re allowing claims, with or without titles. Ang problema lang, in one lot, there are 2 or 3 claimants. Magkakaanak ang may conflicting claims. Customarily, ang isang bahay ng isang Maranao, nakatira dyan 2-3 families. We have to settle those," he said.

(We’re allowing claims, with or without titles. The problem is, there are 2 or 3 claimants in one lot. Relatives have conflicting claims. Customarily, 2-3 families live in one house of a Maranao. We have to settle those.)

Thousands of houses were destroyed when government forces retook Marawi from the Maute Group from May 2017, displacing more than 350,000 people.

The war left nearly a thousand militants dead, including Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, who was regarded as the emir of the IS in Southeast Asia, as well as Maute Group leaders Omar and Abdullah Maute. More than 160 soldiers and policemen, and 47 civilians also died.

The cost of damages was estimated at P11.5 billion pesos, while economic loss was P6 billion.

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