Marawi rehab needs P51.65B, OCD study says

The government would need some P51.65 billion for the rehabilitation of Marawi City, a significant area of which was leveled by five months of fighting between government forces and Islamic State-inspired extremists.

The bombings, airstrikes, and close combat resulted in damage amounting to P11.5 billion and losses amounting to P6.7 billion, according to an official assessment.

The evaluation covered Marawi City and affected areas in the municipalities of Butig and Piagapo in Lanao Del Sur, according to Assistant Secretary Toby Purisima of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

Sources of funding

According to Purisima, the P51.65 billion for the city’s rehabilitation would not be spent in a single year but would be spread out over several years.

The funding for this year would be sourced from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund, which has P10 billion for Marawi.

“We’re exploring other funding sources like together with our development partners, together with the private sector,” he said.

Meanwhile, the military said it was ready to face any resurgence of terror attacks.

Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy chief of Joint Task Force Ranao, said the military had learned lessons from the attack on Marawi and was rewriting its doctrines, reequipping and retraining. —LEILA B. SALAVERRIA