At least 190 billion needed to reconstruct Marawi, mayor says

At least 190 billion is needed to reconstruct Marawi City which was reduced to rubble after the five-month battle of government troops against the Daesh-inspired terrorists.

According to Marawi City Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra, the amount is based on the initial assessment

conducted after the declaration of the full liberation of the war-torn city last month.

Based on the estimate, the Consolidated Master Plan that we submitted several weeks ago, initially had an amount of 190 billion, Gandamra said during the Bangon Marawi press briefing in Malacañang Friday.

“Kung aayusin po natin ang Marawi City ay hindi lang ho ibabalik natin sa dati (We will not just restore Marawi to the way it was). But of course, we will make it better than it was before,” he added.

Total restoration He said the amount would also cover the restoration of livelihood for the affected citizens, especially those displaced from the main battle area.

He said every component, including the restoration of economic operations of Marawi City, is included. “Because as a result of this siege, (our economic operations) almost, 100 percent, totally collapsed," Gandamra said.

Initially, President Duterte allotted 120 billion for the rehabilitation of Marawi City. However in September, he agreed that even 150 billion is not enough to reconstruct the city.

"Sabi nga ni Lorenzana (Even Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said), 150 billion will not be enough to rebuild Marawi. I was there," Duterte had said in a speech in Davao City.

Last month, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and the Department of National Defense (DND) estimated that the rehabilitation of Marawi City can even reach 1150 billion.

80,000 residents displaced It was reported that almost 80,000 residents were displaced by the war in Marawi City.

According to Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Director-General Harold Clavite, more than 70,000 individuals, or 19 barangays, have returned to their homes.

He also reported that the Marawi City water district is already servicing 10 barangays, and that the Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative has energized 54.12 percent of the 1,340 individual households in the affected areas.

Gandamra acknowledged several proposals to transfer the business center to another location and to preserve the ruins to serve as reminder of what happened in the five-month war.

However, the Marawi Mayor said that if he had it his way, he would prefer to just rehabilitate the affected area than to have the business center transferred.

"In my personal view and based doonsaating (on our) consultation with my constituents, ay mas maganda po na (it is better that) we will just rebuild and reconstruct the war-torn area and then we will expand, especially government centers," he said.

"The proposal is really a very ambitious proposal. It's a nice proposal but as to the applicability in our locality, we have to consider so many factors like cultural, religious, social sensitibilities of our people," he added. Preserve the ruins Gandamra, however, said he supports the preservation of some ruins in the area to serve as reminder to the people of Marawi to not let such event happen again.

"I, for one, also suggested that there should be at least one to three [structures] na pwede nating i-retain (that we should retain), especially, itongmga (the) historical structures," he said.

Monitoring madrasahs

Meanwhile, Gandamra said the city government of Marawi and the provincial government of Lanao del Sur are now in the process of passing resolutions or ordinances to regulate madrasahs.

This came at the heels of reports that radical ideologies were being taught to children in schools.

Gandamra explained that the move of the local government is aimed to prevent the entry of radical extremism in the City.

"Hindi ho para i-suppress ‘yung freedom of education, or belief, kung hindi para po ma-guide natin sila para na maiwasan natin itong nangyari saMarawi City (This is not to suppress freedom of education, but to guide them and prevent this event from happening again)," he said.

Madrasahs, according to Gandamra, are educational facilities where the Islam way of life, not just the religion, are taught.

He said the extremist ideology may have been taught in the madrasahs due to the government's weak presence and support to the said facilities.

"I would say na medyo mahina ang presensya ng ating gobyerno doon (the government's presence in those areas are somewhat weak), so I would say that we have to, right now, we have to give more, of course, attention, support," Gandamra said.