The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started the implementation of the comprehensive plan for the reconstruction and development of the war-ravaged Marawi City in the Province of Lanao del Sur.
In his briefing with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during the February 9, 2019 courtesy call by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono at the Matina Enclaves in Davao City, DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain representing Secretary Mark A. Villar said that works under the Reconstruction and Development Plan for a Greater Marawi covering 72 priority barangays have begun with Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA helping rebuild Marawi City from the devastation from the five-month conflict in 2017 between government forces and Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists.
Undersecretary Sadain together with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III reported to President Duterte that the 2 Billion Japanese yen or approximately 970 million pesos JICA donation in support for the reconstruction and development of Marawi City and its surrounding areas specifically the 18.97 kilometers Marawi Transcentral Road has already commenced work.
The ceremonial groundbreaking for Marawi Transcentral Road Contract Packages 1-B and 2 with a total length of 9.56 kilometers and detailed engineering designs of 13 other road sections under Contract Package 3 with a total length of 20.80 kilometers was held February 4, 2019 attended by Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda, JICA Chief Representative Yoshio Wada, DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar, Presidential Adviser on OFW and Muslims Concerns Secretary Abdullah Mama-o, and Task Force Bangon Marawi Chairman Eduardo Del Rosario.
Contract Package 1-B covers the construction of Bacong-Poona-Marantao-Marawi Road (including drainage), GMA Terminal Access, Marawi-Cadre-New Capitol, Marcos Boulevard, and Idarus Road Section while Contract Package 2 covers the MSU - GMA Road and Lumidong - Amai Pakpak Avenue. The civil works for another JICA-funded Contract Package 1-A involving the 9.41-kilometer Bacong-Iligan-Marawi Road will soon commence anytime this year once the bidding process is completed.
According to Undersecretary Sadain, who as former DPWH-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Secretary was conferred by President Duterte with the 2017 Gawad Career Executive Service (CES) Award on September 2017, the improvement of Marawi Transcentral Road will lead to faster reintegration of internally displaced persons into their communities and the lives they are accustomed to.
This road network will also pave the way for improved mobility of people and for better access to goods and services, added Undersecretary Sadain.
To underscore Government of Japan’s confidence in President Duterte leadership, Foreign Affairs Minister Kono signed with his Philippine counterpart Department of Foreign (DFA) Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin an exchange-of-notes on February 10, 2019 for the construction of roads and bridges in ARMM worth Php14 billion under the Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao or RNDP-CAAM .
The Japanese government thru JICA, committed to a loan provision of 202 million U.S. dollars of the project cost which will timely contribute to the development of new Bangsa Moro autonomous region.
The Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao aims to develop the transportation and logistics capacity and enhance the connectivity in conflict affected areas in Mindanao, through the construction and improvement of the access roads to arterial roads linking the main cities of Mindanao, and thereby contributing to the revitalization of the regional economy, the reduction of poverty and the consolidation of peace in conflict affected areas in Mindanao.
The financing for the 23 kilometers Marawi Transcentral Road Phase III and 19.8 kilometers Marawi City Ring Road are also included in this upcoming Japanese Official Development Assistance thru JICA loan together with the construction of new roads to link inaccessible communities of Maguindanao Province that will contribute to the consolidation of peace particularly the 35 kilometers Parang - Balabagan Road, 7 kilometers Parang East Diversion Road, and 16.8 kilometers Manuangan-Parang Road.
Undersecretary Sadain who is in-charge of DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations and Technical Services will supervise the operational activities for the Reconstruction & Development Plan for a Greater Marawi with the implementation including project preparation, procurement, contracting, disbursement and other related issues under the responsibility of UPMO-Roads Management Cluster I (Bilateral) Project Director Virgilio Castillo for JICA-funded projects and UPMO-Roads Management Cluster II (Multilateral) Project Director Sharif Madsmo Hasim for the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-financed road projects.