2 DPWH teams eyed for Marawi rehabilitation

Two teams from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are being eyed to lead the repair and rehabilitation of Marawi City, officials said yesterday.

Khalil Sultan, DPWH Lanao del Norte first district engineer, said there has been a proposal to divide the rehabilitation between two teams.

Each team will handle the former war zone and safe zone areas.

Sultan asked DPWHNorthern Mindanao director Virgilio Eduarte to assign to him and his men the rehabilitation of the war zone.

Second district engineer Rey Peter Gille could handle the safe zone, Sultan said.

He explained that being a Muslim and having Maranaos as workers, they could effectively repair and rehabilitate the former war zone.

He said repair works in the safe zone could be better handled by Gille, who is a Christian and whose personnel are mostly Christians.

“Damage in the safe zone area is minimal as there are few government buildings there. Except for several houses that remain standing but whose walls are torn, the war zone has three major bridges that were destroyed during the firefight between government troops and Maute terrorists,” Sultan said.

The three bridges are the Baloi, Bayabao and Masiu.

The DPWH positioned 47 sets of heavy equipment donated by the Chinese government near the Marawi city hall.

Officials have yet to finalize the Marawi rehabilitation plan as clearing operations are still ongoing.

Consolidation

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) is planning to consolidate all efforts extended by the agency and several electric cooperatives for the rehabilitation of Marawi’s power lines.

NEA chief Edgardo Masongsong said the consolidation would facilitate the distribution of aid and support for the communities.

Power cooperatives in Central Luzon provided P1.3 million in financial assistance for workers of the Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative Inc. (Lasureco), the main power distributor in Marawi.

Central Luzon Electric Cooperatives Association president Reynaldo Villanueva said their 13 members and the Nueva Ecija II Electric Cooperative Inc. vowed to provide financial help for Lasureco workers and volunteers of the Marawi power restoration rapid deployment task force.

The task force is helping Lasureco repair power lines in the war-torn city.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. was able to raise at least P500,000 in financial assistance for Lasureco employees as of September.

Earlier this month, the NEA announced a P150-million loan to Lasureco to help speed up power rehabilitation and restoration in Marawi.