DAVAO CITY—The government is poised to start the construction of houses for the displaced residents of Marawi City as the government Armed Forces estimated to end the fighting against the Maute Group fighters by the middle of the month.
By then, retired Gen. Eduardo del Rosario, recently appointed to head the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, hoped that both local government and national government agencies may have already found available lands with title, or ready for titling for the construction of permanent houses for the displaced residents.
The actual start of the construction remained indefinite yet, but del Rosario told a radio interview on Wednesday with government-ran Radyo Pilipinas that the National Housing Authority (NHA), a member of the HUDCC, has readied its four contractors to start the projects within the month.
He said discussions with military commanders in Marawi City estimated to end the actual combat no later than the middle of October and another two weeks to one month of clearing operation.
Within the month also, the HUDCC expects civil authorities to have finished the land survey and titling of available land. President Duterte instructed designated agencies with roles in the shelter program and rehabilitation of Marawi City.
The land titling would be important for the clearing of the site for the permanent shelters.
He said the construction of temporary shelters were already started in a safe section of the city, of which Duterte also visited over the weekend when he went to Marawi City.
Del Rosario said there were 50 temporary shelter units made of nipa and bamboo being constructed. He disclosed that by December, the NHA would be able to hand over some 400 to 500 units to the evacuees.
“This is an initiative of the private sector,” he said, adding that it is being coordinated with the NHA.
By the following month or in February, the government would have finished the first batch of the 1,175 permanent shelter units.
The temporary shelter units are single detached with a floor size of 22 square meters, and already installed with light and water facilities.
The permanent shelters would wait while the government would still look for available titled lands. The HUDCC wanted an area of between 30 hectares and 40 hectares that can accommodate 1,175 units.
Officials of the Marawi City local government told the government rehabilitation task force there were 6,300 residents who needed immediate temporary shelters and 3,000 permanent shelters.
“This is our working figure for the shelter assistance of the HUDCC,” del Rosario said.
Duterte instructed local officials to conduct the land survey and titling of lands that can be extracted from the Army reservation. The President also instructed the Army to determine the area it needs and to free up the portions for the government housing, del Rosario said.
He added the city government gave its estimate of P47 million to P48 million as initial rehabilitation fund.
“What we need is understanding from the Maranaos on the fighting in Marawi City,” he said.