Palace: P50B needed for Marawi rehabilitation

Assistant Communications Secretary Marie Banaag. SCREENGRAB FROM RTV MALACAñANG VIDEO

The government will need an initial P50 billion for the rehabilitation of Marawi after authorities estimated the total damage of the city at P18.21 billion, Malacanang said on Friday.

“As of date, the total damage is over P11.61 billion while total losses is P6.6 billion,” Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag said in a palace briefing.

Banaag said the initial estimate of total needs was placed at P49.81 billion.

“That [P49.81 billion] would represent everything if you want to rehabilitate Marawi, housing and everything, all the things that are needed for Marawi to get up,” she said.

Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and Task Force Bangon Marawi chair Eduardo del Rosario, however, said the P50 billion estimated budget would increase once the comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction plan is finished.

“When it comes out, it will now factor in everything that would include the master development plan being envisioned by the city of Marawi and the province of Lanao del Sur,” he said, adding that the plan would be released by the second week of March.

In December, Duterte turned over at least 500 temporary shelters to displaced residents of Marawi City.