DPWH eyes to finish Marawi housing site works by November

FILE: Photo (from left) shows Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima; panelist Mary Ann Adiong; Social Welfare Undersecretary Hope Hervilla; Marawi Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra; Defense Undersecretary Cesar Yano; Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary; Public Works Undersecretary Rafael Yabut; and Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretrary Austre Panadero during the “Bangon Marawi” forum at Conrad Hotel in Pasay City on Friday (August 4, 2017). Last June, President Duterte signed the Administrative Order No. 3 creating Task Force Bangon Marawi, an inter-agency task force for the recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of Marawi City and other affected localities. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

MANILA – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is working double time to complete site development works where the first batch of transitory houses will be built for Marawi siege evacuees numbering to over 1,000 families.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said they are looking to finish the works next month.

“The area being developed by DPWH in Barangay Sagongsongan, Marawi City, can accommodate 1,100 families. We are doing everything we can to finish it by November ,” he said in a statement.

A total of PHP241.69 million is allocated for the land development of Sagonsongan Village.

This will cover the clearing and grubbing, fuel and model house cost amounting to PHP20.64 million and the asphalt overlay and drainage works within five initial areas of the site worth PHP142.6 million and additional four hectares and two hectares sites proposed by Marawi City officials in the amount of PHP51.9 million and PHP26.5 million respectively.

“Currently, we are preparing a portion of the site where the National Housing Authority (NHA) can build a total of 275 transitory houses,” added Villar.

He noted that once the development works are finish, it would be followed immediately by the building of transitory shelters for Marawi evacuees.

“Once the sites are developed, NHA may begin the construction stage of the needed transitory shelters of Marawi siege internally-displaced persons (IDPs),” Villar explained.

He reported that the Post-Conflict Needs Assessment Team had been deployed in Marawi to assess damages of infrastructure and road networks in the area.

“As head of the Sub-Committee on Reconstruction, DPWH has deployed 25 representatives, 12 engineers from the Central Office and 13 from the Regional Office/District Engineering Offices of Region X,” Villar noted.

DPWH has completed construction of toilets and water supply in all the nine evacuation centers for internally-displaced persons (IDPs) from the Marawi conflict.

“DPWH trucks have delivered water for the IDPs and backfilling materials to compact muddy grounds,” he added.

DPWH is a member agency in Task Force Bangon Marawi Housing Sub-Committee, tasked to construct temporary and permanent shelters including provision of utilities.

It also heads the Reconstruction Sub-Committee which is responsible for the reconstruction, repair, and rehabilitation of all national roads and bridges, public schools, and government buildings.