Soldiers of the 553rd Engineer Battalion take charge in the construction of permanent houses in Barangay Kilala, Marawi City, one of the five permanent housing sites to be implemented by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) funded by the government of Japan. (Photo by Divina M. Suson)
MARAWI CITY--The construction of permanent houses for internally displaced individuals (IDPs) will be completed by March 2021, Mayor Majul Gandamra said Monday.
Site development has been plagued by multiple claims and other ownership issues, although Gamdamra assured that the problems hounding the construction of permanent houses have already been resolved.
“The landowners are already giving the signal for the start of the chosen contractor to develop the site even without the payment yet so that the construction of houses will fast track,” Gandamra said.
Over the weekend, some 30 homeowners associations (HOAs) met with local officials to express their concerns on the pace of the site development--three years after the government expelled the militants who occupied this city for months.
Earlier, government agencies tasked with this city's rehabilitation have also assured the beneficiaries of permanent housing that they will soon be transferred into their new homes.
Last Saturday's dialogue in Barangay Kilala here was attended by residents, local officials, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), the Social Housing and Finance Corporation (SHFC), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
The Social Housing and Financing Corporation (SHFC), for its part, vowed to immediately start the construction works in Barangay Dulay West site and continue the site development works in Barangay Dulay Proper, where 40 lots will be available for house construction by the end of the month, and another 80 lots will be available by November this year.
The UN-Habitat is also constructing more than 1,000 permanent houses for the families displaced by the 2017 siege. The beneficiaries include the families formerly living inside the most affected area (MAA) who were not allowed to go back in their homes because these have been declared as "no-build zones" and "danger zones".
In Barangay Kilala, 250 houses are set to be constructed in partnership with the local government and the NHA.
Likewise, 105 houses are also under construction by the Army 553rd Engineering Battalion.
In Barangay Gadongan, 50 units are currently being constructed on the lots provided by the provincial government of Lanao del Sur.
Moreover, 109 units will also be built in Barangay Dulay West and 88 are under construction as of October 17. In Barangay Dulay Proper, 402 units are targeted to be constructed while the remaining number of houses will be built in Barangay Patani. The SHFC purchased the lands in these barangays.
The Japanese government has also committed to funding the construction of more than 1,000 permanent shelters worth PHP500 million. (PNA)
