P3.5 B more allotted for Marawi rehab

Marawi City will get an additional P3.5 billion in funds for its rehabilitation efforts, a lawmaker from Mindanao said yesterday.

“On top of the P3.5 billion, the government is also spending another P1.3 billion to activate the Philippine Army’s 55th Engineering Brigade and to support the restoration of Marawi,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairman of the House committee on good government and member of the appropriations committee, said.

Both amounts were on top of the P10 billion that the government is spending this year to make Marawi habitable again.

Once the reconstruction is completed, the city – which was destroyed during the fighting between the government security forces and the Maute rebels – will have new homes, schools, places of worship, hospitals, public markets, roads and bridges as well as basic services such as electricity, water and telecommunications.

Of the P20 billion earmarked for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) under the proposed 2019 budget, P3.5 billion will be spent for Marawi rehabilitation.

Known as the calamity fund, the NDRRMF is the lump-sum fund in the annual budget allocated for aid, relief and rehabilitation of areas affected by man-made and natural calamities.

President Duterte earlier said he is happy with the ongoing efforts to revive Marawi.

“The Task Force Bangon Marawi is doing a great job as more than 70 percent of the displaced residents have returned to the city,” Duterte said.

He assured the residents that the government would continue to look after their welfare and well-being.