MANILA -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) participated in the  commemoration program for the fourth year of the Marawi Liberation from armed terrorist militants. 

DPWH Acting Secretary Roger G. Mercado and Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain attended the activity on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at the Rizal Park inside the most aftected area in Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur with no less than President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as principal event guest. 

As member agency of the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) created under Administrative Order No. 3 issued by President Duterte on June 28, 2017, DPWH spearheaded the implementation of national road projects based on the agency’s prepared holistic and comprehensive plan for rehabilitation and development of Greater Marawi.

The DPWH Unified Project Management Office headed by Undersecretary Sadain implemented and completed the design and build of 18.97 kilometer Marawi Transcentral Road Phase 1 and 2 financed by a 2 Billion Japanese yen or approximately 970 million pesos donation/grant by the Government of Japan thru the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the Programme for the Support to Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Marawi City and Its surrounding Areas.

Undersecretary Sadain, alternate representative of the Secretary in the Inter-Agency Task Force Bangon Marawi and focal person for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindnanao (BARMM) Infra Projects, said that the newly paved Marawi Transcentral Road  has improved the mobility of people and for better access to goods and services. 

Meanwhile, Secretary Mercado with Undersecretary Sadain, and Project Managers Francisco Sawali and John Dominique Pulido inspected the on-going civil works under phase 3 of the Marawi Transcentral Road Project. 

“The main thrust of the project visit is to gauge the contractors level of performance and progress made so far in the implementation of the projects”, Secretary Mercado said. 

This phase 3 project is another 18.78 kilometer road rehabilitation in four (4) contract packages (CP) funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)  under the official development assistance (ODA) loan financing for Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao (RNDP-CAAM) targetted for completion by May 2022. 

On-going phase 3 components are: CP-3A awarded to Fiat Construction Services and M.M.A. Achiever with a total length of 4.87 kilometer consists of Cabingan-MSU Campus-Amai Pakpak Avenue (Road 6), MSU Campus-Matampay-Marantao Road (Road 7), and Rapasa-Bayaba Road (Road 20); and CP-3B with a total length of 4.92 kilometer that covers Emie-Sagonsongan-Linao-Lantian Road (Road 9-1), MSU-Bubo Road (Road 13), and Rantian-Paling Road (Road 14) which are under contract with of Kouzbary Builders and RTCS. 

CP-3C under Al Hussein Const. with a total length of 4.34 kilometer composed of Linao-Alinan Road (Road 15), Emie-Sagunsungan-Linao-Rantian Road (Road 9-2), Rorogagus-Mipaga Road (Road 25), and Bito-Mipaga-Marawi Road (Road 26); and CP-3D with a total length of 4.65 kilometer awarded to CDH Const. and covers Bacong-Poona-Marantao-Marawi Road (Road 2-3), Bito-Rorogagus-Guimba Road (Road 11), and Tampilong Road (Road 28). 

Under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) financing, the DPWH will also soon implement the construction of another 21.87 kilometers of road including a 1.6 kilometer Malabang Viaduct, construction of three (3) bridges along Rorogagus Road, and five (5) other projects listed under the Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan.

President Duterte has made infrastructure improvements a prime development priority in the effort to rehabilitate the City of Marawi and other conflict-affected areas. (DPWH)