Robredo to turn over school buildings, houses in Marawi

MANILA, Philippines—The Office of the Vice President (OVP) will turn over to beneficiaries on June 28 several classrooms and houses built in Marawi City through the Vice President’s antipoverty program, Angat Buhay.

In an advisory issued on Thursday (June 27), the OVP said the Harat Medina Central Elementary School in Papandayan Caniogan, Mapandi Elementary School in Barangay Gadongan, Angoyao, and Bae Inomba Blo Bacarat Central Elementary School, Barangay Dayawan, would each receive two-classroom buildings.

At least 12 housing units in the Area 7 Resettlement Area in Barangay Sagonsongan would also be turned over to beneficiaries, residents of the predominantly Muslim city who lost homes during the war on Islamic State (IS) that displaced hundreds of people.

Vice President Leni Robredo will be in Marawi to lead turnover ceremonies, according to the OVP advisory.

In May 2017, members of the terrorist Maute group, who have declared affiliation with IS, tried to set up an IS caliphate in Marawi, paralyzing commerce and trade and government functions for more than five months.

Many Marawi residents complained of the slow pace of the government’s rehabilitation program, eliciting comment from President Rodrigo Duterte who said he would let wealthy businessmen and drug lords rehabilitate the area instead.

Angat Buhay is a program of Robredo to tap the private sector for funds for projects that the OVP, with its small budget, could not implement. Robredo had said more than 150,000 families had benefited from the program through different projects nationwide. (Editor: Tony Bergonia)