The governments of the Philippines and Japan signed on Tuesday a 2-billion yen (about P960-million) grant-agreement to rebuild roads in war-torn Marawi City.
On behalf of the Philippine government, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III signed the official development assistance (ODA) grant while Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) chief representative Yoshio Wada represented Japan. The signing was also witnessed by Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda and other Philippine officials.
In a speech, Dominguez said the grant from Japan “will be used as budgetary support to finance projects and activities under the Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (BMCRRP).”
“We are in continuing discussions with the Jica about the possible projects for which we intend to draw from this grant. We are looking to fund several components of the infrastructure projects identified by the BMCRRP,” Dominguez added.
In a statement, the DOF noted that this latest grant was “the fourth aid package provided by Japan to the Philippines following earlier grants that include the provision of heavy equipment for Marawi City’s reconstruction program that was formalized on Nov. 12 last year between the two governments.”
As such, the assistance coming from Japan for Marawi rehabilitation efforts already totaled $36 million or about P1.89 billion.
“As the Philippines’ trusted partner in development for many years, Jica offers our support to the reconstruction of Marawi so the people of Marawi can get back on their feet and restore hope for a better life after the conflict,” Wada, for his part, said.
“Jica’s assistance will mainly target 72 barangays and surrounding areas of Marawi City to restore the people’s livelihood through recovery and rehabilitation of infrastructures,” the aid agency said in a statement.
Citing data from the Philippines Humanitarian Country Team Report, Jica said that 24 of Marawi’s 96 barangays were uninhabitable, and would “take some time to be ready for rehabilitation and reconstruction.”
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain told reporters that Jica’s grant will mostly be spent on rehabilitating the roads damaged by the five-month fighting between government forces and Islamic State supporters last year.
Task Force Bangon Marawi chair Eduardo D. Del Rosario told reporters that the Japanese grant will form part of the P55 billion needed to rehabilitate the city’s outskirts.
Del Rosario said groundbreaking for the four-year rehabilitation of Marawi City will be on June 16. /kga