NEDA body approves Marawi rehab work

THE NATIONAL Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) has approved new road and drainage projects for the rehabilitation of Marawi City, as well as the next phase for the flood management project in Metro Manila and repair of roads in other conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

In a statement yesterday, NEDA said that its ICC-Cabinet Committee met on Thursday to approve new projects cumulatively worth P58.09 billion.

It approved the P6.52-billion Rehabilitation and Development Plan (RDP) for a Greater Marawi-Stage 2 project expected to be completed by 2022 and will be funded by official development assistance (ODA). The RDP-Stage 2 includes the construction of two 23.9-kilometer (km) lanes for the third phase of the Marawi Transcendental Road, and the construction of the Malabang Viaduct with two 1.6-km lanes. It includes the construction of a new main outlet drainage system, slope protection works along Marawi-Bito Road, the second phase of the Bangon-Luksadatu Lake Lanao main drainage outlet, the construction of Permanent Rorogagus Bridge, and the rehabilitation of the Beyaba Damag Open Channel.

The Cabinet committee also approved the P3.45 billion Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program also for ODA financing. It includes “programs and projects in land resource management, social services, physical infrastructure, livelihood and business development implemented by the national government or is in support of Local Government implemented projects, and the construction of classrooms for permanent resettlement sites, in view of land-related issues arising from the Marawi siege.

The battle for Marawi began in May 2017 and lasted for about five months. The government has already begun some debris clearing as well as social protection programs in the devastated city. Groundbreaking for actual reconstruction work in ground zero is scheduled on Oct. 31.

The NEDA panel also approved the fourth phase of the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project (PMRCIP) that will “put in place flood management infrastructure (i.e., dikes, revetments, floodgates) along the 8-km stretch of the Lower/Middle Marikina River, and the construction of the Marikina Control Gate Structure.” The P33.1-billion project and will be funded by a Japan International Cooperation Agency loan.

The committee also approved the increase in cost for the third phase of the PMRCIP to P9.03 billion from P7.55 billion “due to necessary additional civil works, including dredging works, to implement the project.” —