Marawi mayor seeks extension of IDPs’ stay in Iligan City

ILIGAN CITY – A delay in the completion of a temporary relocation site has left Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra no choice but to ask Iligan City, host of at least 300 displaced Marawi residents, for an extension of their stay in evacuation centers.

In a press briefing at the Task Force Bangon Marawi headquarters here, Iligan City Mayor Celso G. Regencia disclosed that Gandamra has already sent him a letter, requesting the extension of the internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) stay in the city’s evacuation centers.

The IDPs are supposed return to Marawi City as scheduled on March 31, but according to Gandamra, the construction of the temporary relocation site in Marawi Poblacion intended for these evacues was still ongoing. The relocation site is being constructed to accommodate at least 300 families.

“At iyan po ay humingi tayo ng at least fifteen days until April 15, 2018 sa ating mahal na Mayor, kung pwede bigyan po tayo ng two weeks (That’s why we’re asking for another 15 days from the mayor, if he can give us two more weeks),” Gandamra said.

It was the second instance that Gandamra had asked for an extension. He had first requested for an extension of the evacuees’ stay until March 31 for the benefit of students who were studying in Iligan City.

“Dahil nga sa mga bata na nagaaral dito sa Iligan City, so inunawa natin iyon, kasi naman dapat matulungan ang mga bata (That was for the children who were studying in Iligan City, so we had to understand because we need to help them),” he said.

Regencia is hoping that the temporary shelters in Marawi will finally be completed so that the facilities, which have been occupied by the IDPs for the last 10 months, will now be utilized by the city.