Marawi ‘ground zero’ rehab to start on Oct. 17

The groundbreaking rites that will pave way for the rehabilitation of the main battle ground in war-torn Marawi City is set on October 17, Task Force Bangon Marawi chairperson Eduardo Del Rosario said Friday.

The date marks the first year since President Rodrigo Duterte declared the liberation of the city, which was heavily-ravaged by the five-month-long battle between the Islamic State-inspired terrorists and state troopers.

“We are already prepared for the groundbreaking. Our people are now on the ground preparing for this,” Del Rosario told reporters in a press briefing in Malacañang.

He noted that the debris clearing operations, which was worth P75 million, will be carried out by a local firm.

After the debris clearing, Del Rosario said they will undertake the road networks construction with underground utilities.

“Once it is done, we will now proceed with the vertical structures – construct 320 classrooms, 24 barangay centers, convention center, the grand central market, school for living tradition, a four-story parking area and so forth,” he added.

The groundbreaking was initially set in June, but problems in the procurement process forced the government to postpone it several times.

Touted as the Philippines’ longest urban war, the Marawi siege, which erupted in May 2017, took the lives of at least 1,100 civilians, soldiers and terrorists.

The terrorists were aiming to establish a stronghold in Mindanao, which was reported to serve as the center of an ISIS caliphate. /je