ADB OKs $408M in Marawi funds

DEEP THOUGHTS A Marawi City resident attends prayers at Saduc Grand Mosque. —AP

The board of the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday gave the green light to a total of $408 million in loans and grants for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of war-torn Marawi City.

The financing package, called Emergency Assistance for Reconstruction and Recovery of Marawi, included two loans worth $400 million on top of $8 million in grants, ADB country director for the Philippines Kelly Bird told a press conference.

Bird said a $300-million quick disbursing loan would fund selected programs, projects and activities under the Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program (BMCRRP), which covers areas outside ground zero.

Roads, bridges

Another $100-million concessional loan will finance the Department of Public Works and Highways’ construction of 25 kilometers of roads as well as 1,700 meters of bridges and viaducts.

Adrien Veron-Okamoto, transport specialist at the ADB’s Southeast Asia Department, said the loan would cover 30-40 percent of the roads to be rebuilt in the city and the entire requirement for new viaducts and bridges.

As for the grants, $5 million would be partly for the restoration and rehabilitation of water supply systems in 19 villages as Bird noted that “access to clean water is limited and intermittent due to damaged pipes.”

The grant would also be tapped to craft a comprehensive water supply and sewerage master plan, Bird added.

Also to be covered by the $5-million grant was the construction of two health clinics that will “meet or exceed national standards.”

The clinics would have birthing facilities, medical equipment and private spaces.