MARAWI CITY -- Residents of Marawi City, especially families of internally displaced persons (IDPs), are now starting to feel the benefits of the ongoing massive rehabilitation efforts in the only Islamic City in the country.
On Thursday, Task Force Bangon Marawi Chairman Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario led the awarding of 170 permanent shelters from two resettlement sites in Marawi City. First to be awarded were 120 two-bedroom housing units at Darussalam (peaceful) Village - benefitting members of eight homeowners’ associations.
Equipped with water supply and power facilities, the Darussalam Village in Barangay Dulay Proper is jointly implemented by the Social Housing Finance Corp. and UN-Habitat.
In the afternoon, Secretary Del Rosario, who also heads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), along with DHSUD Undersecretary Zyril Carlos, TFBM Field Office Manager Assistant Secretary Felix Castro Jr. and Mayor Majul Gandamra, distributed 50 more permanent shelters at Pamayandeg sa Ranaw Residences at Dansalan (PRRD) Village in Barangay Mipantao Gadongan.
The PRRD Village, on the other hand, was implemented jointly by UN-Habitat and the National Housing Authority (NHA). Each housing unit has three bedrooms. The Japan government also extended funding support to the two resettlement sites.
The TFBM will be constructing more than 2,500 permanent housing units intended for IDPs living along danger zones in the city. Last February, 109 two-story permanent shelters at the Hadiya or Gift Village in Barangay Dulay West were awarded to IDP families.
Also on Thursday, Secretary Del Rosario inaugurated Masjid Darussalam - the second mosque to be reconstructed inside Marawi City's most affected area or "ground zero."
During the day-long inspections of various projects, the housing czar expressed satisfaction over the sustained progress of the rehabilitation works.
