Marawi IDPs happy for permanent, safe homes

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur—Internally displaced persons whose families are recipients of the UN-Habitat’s permanent shelter project are elated over their new and safe haven.

“Masaya kasi nga medyo naibsan yung paghihirap namin kasi nangungupahan kami since noong Marawi siege,” said Hanifa Pangcoga who used to reside in Brgy. Lumbaca Madaya.

[I am happy because our suffering has been alleviated as we have been renting since the Marawi siege.]

With tears in her eyes, Hanifa recalled the day when her family walked on foot from their village to Barangay Matampay where they were able to secure a ride going out of the city.

She shared that while the siege was ongoing, her family stayed in a relative in Brgy. San Miguel in Iligan City and later on rented a separate place.

A mother of three from Brgy. Raya Madaya was also happy over her new home.

“Nagpapasalamat at masaya ako dahil papano nagkaroon kami ng ganitong bahay,” said Norhanipha Dirangarun.

[I’m grateful and happy because somehow we have a house like this.]

Another home partner, Nashiba Usman Lala, expressed her gratitude to UN-Habitat, Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), and National Housing Authority (NHA) for the house and lot awarded to them.

“Taos-puso po kaming nagpapasalamat at taos puso naming tinatanggap ang pabahay at palupa na binigay niyo po sa amin. Pinapangako po namin sa inyong lahat na ito po ay aalagaan namin at gagawin naming pamana sa aming mga anak,” she said.

[We are sincerely grateful and we sincerely accept the housing and land you gave us. We promise you all that we will take care of this and make it a legacy for our children.]

The families of Hanifa, Norhanipha, and Nashiba are among the 50 recipients of permanent shelters in Pamayandeg Ranaw Residences since their former houses are located within the three to six meters easement along the Agus River and Lake Lanao areas which was categorized by the government as No Dwell Zone.

They received their certificates of house and lot ownership on Thursday, July 22, in a turnover ceremony spearheaded by TFBM, UN-Habitat, and NHA.

Located in Brgy. Mipantao Gadongan, the 50 housing units were built by UN-Habitat under the Rebuilding Marawi through Community-Driven Shelter and Livelihood Project with funding from the Japan government. The housing units were constructed in the land provided and developed by NHA.

TFBM chief Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario said another 200 permanent housing units constructed by NHA are also set to be awarded next month. (APB/PIA Lanao del Sur)

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‘Kapamagusai sa TFBM’ gives IDPs venue to raise concerns

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur–The fourth session of Kapamagusai sa TFBM (Dialogue in TFBM) held Thursday, July 22, provided an opportunity for leaders of internally displaced persons (IDPs) staying in Sagonsongan Transitory Shelters to express their concerns to Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) and the city government of Marawi.

TFBM chairperson and Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Sec. Eduardo Del Rosario said the idea of the dialogue is to get the sentiments of the IDPs and for them to feel how sincere the government is in the rehabilitation.

Most of the IDPs share the same sentiments over insufficient water supply, septic tank problems, and the passage of the compensation bill. Issues on permanent shelters, duration of stay in transitory shelters, and applications for Kathagombalay were also discussed during the dialogue.

Hidaya Macapangcat, 48, appreciated the dialogue saying that now she has proven that the TFBM is truly doing its work.

She raised her concern about securing a death certificate of her husband who went missing during the siege. The death certificate, she said, is one of the requirements for her to avail of assistance from different organizations. Macapangcat also requested for her youngest child to be included in the scholarship program of the city government which City Mayor Majul Gandamra addressed immediately.

It was also learned during the dialogue that Macapangcat is qualified to avail permanent shelter and stalls in the soon-to-be-completed Grand Padian Market.

For the death certificate, Macapangcat was advised to subject her children to DNA testing so that their DNA samples can be matched with PNP’s database of remains. The schedule of DNA testing is currently being arranged by TFBM and PNP.

“I felt better that I was able to convey my problems and the mayor acted on it,” she said in the local dialect.

Gandamra lauded the dialogue describing it as the proper venue to immediately respond to issues on the ground.

“At least dito po ay nagbibigyan natin ng solution, kaya ini-encourage namin ang lahat na ang mga hinaing at suhestyon ay idaan natin sa mga tamang avenue just like this Talakayan,” Mayor Majul Gandamra said.

[And at least here we provide a solution, so we encourage everyone to take their grievances and suggestions in the right avenues just like this Talakayan.]

He stressed that problems will not be resolved through intrigues, gossips, or social media rants.

“Since we started this Talakayan, it has been a very productive activity. Nalalaman niyo ang ginagawa ng TFBM at naaddress namin yung concerns niyo. And I think sa mga issues and concerns that we discussed today nakita niyo naman na very direct ang ating mga sagot dahil very transparent ang ginagawa ng TFBM,” Del Rosario said to the IDP leaders.

[You will know what TFBM has been doing and we have also addressed your concerns. And I think in the issues and concerns that we discussed today, you saw that our answers are very direct because TFBM is very transparent.]

He is hoping that, through the dialogue, the IDPs will become the mouthpiece of TFBM and share to their respective communities that TFBM’s intention is pure and it is sincere in rehabilitating the city.

The Kapamagusai sa TFBM was initiated by the Information Management and Strategic Communication Support Group headed by the Presidential Communications Operations Office through the Philippine Information Agency. (APB/PIA Lanao del Sur) 

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TFBM inaugurates newly-repaired Masjid Darussalam in MAA

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur–The Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) inaugurated the second mosque rehabilitated inside the Islamic City’s most affected area.

TFBM chairperson Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario led the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Masjid Darussalam in Brgy. Raya Madaya on Thursday, July 22. He was joined by city mayor Majul Gandamra and mosque administrator Yasir Pangadapun.

Del Rosario said the repair and/or reconstruction of mosques in the war-torn city were in compliance with the directive of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to prioritize the restoration of the different mosques in the MAA.

He said the TFBM ensured that this instruction of the President will be implemented and completed so they took the necessary efforts and coordination so that they can generate funding for the restoration of mosques.

Masjid Darussalam is one of the religious sites damaged during the 2017 Marawi siege. Its repair was funded through donations from private developers involved in the housing sector nationwide.

Pangadapun expressed gratitude to the Duterte administration through the TFBM for restoring Masjid Darussalam.

Mayor Gandamra likewise conveyed his thanks to TFBM for looking for ways to rehabilitate mosques in the city.

He also thanked private donors who became instruments in the repair and reconstruction of damaged religious sites. He cited the importance of mosques in the identity of Muslims stressing that every community should have this infrastructure.

Meanwhile, refurbishment works for the White Mosque, Marinaut Masjid, and Grand Mosque, as well as the reconstruction of the Dansalan Bato Mosque, continue. (APB/PIA Lanao del Sur)

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Marawi rehab on track despite pandemic, bad weather

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur–The head of the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) remains confident that the rehabilitation of Marawi City is on track and it will be completed as targeted despite delays caused by the coronavirus disease (Covid)-19 pandemic and bad weather conditions.

In a press conference on Thursday, July 8, Secretary Eduardo del Rosario admitted that the pandemic and weather conditions in Marawi have adversely affected the progress of the rehabilitation.

He cited the stoppage of work during the enhanced community quarantine, workers getting infected with the virus, and the implementation of health protocols as some of the pandemic-related factors that affected the ongoing rehabilitation works.

The second challenge now which has been ongoing for the past few months is yung weather condition in Marawi City. Every time I go there yung project site namin napakaputik, hindi makapagdeliver ng supplies, hindi makapagtrabaho yung ating mga workers ng continuous. Kaya iniemphasize namin na let’s do some overtime , at ang mayor ng Marawi City bumili siya ng mga electric generators so that they can work in the evening to compensate due to the bad weather condition prevailing now in the city,” he said.

[Every time I go there our project site is very muddy, supplies can’t be delivered, our workers can’t work continuously. So we emphasized doing some overtime, and the mayor of Marawi City even bought electric generators so that they can work in the evening to compensate due to the bad weather condition prevailing now in the city.]

The TFBM chief said that they have to contend with these two challenges but workers, implementing agencies, and contractors are doing their best to mitigate and ensure that projects started last year will be completed by December 2021.

Secretary Del Rosario, who also heads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, reassured that projects which started July to September last year will be completed by December 2021. This, he said, is about 60-70% of the total projects to be constructed.

On the other hand, all the projects that started late last year and early this year will be completed next year, within the term of the President. (APB/PIA Lanao del Sur)

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200 IDP-learners receive allowance from Islamic Relief

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur–Some 200 displaced learners here received their five months allowance from the Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) – Philippines under the Support to Education and Empowerment of Vulnerable Children Affected by Calamities (SEEVCAC) project.

Sittie Jamairah Disomimba, IRW-Philippines Iligan Area Office Programme Manager, said the P1,250.00 allowance for the months January to May 2021 was released on June 30 in two (2) school sites in the city.

“The schools are Ibango Central Elementary School catering to learners of Rorogagus Transitory Sites 1 and 2 in Barangay Rorogagus while the second one is the Saksi Orphanage Learning Center/Litahfidil Quran alKareem situated in Barangay Cadayonan and catering to orphans,” she said.

According to her, the targeting of the two schools was done in collaboration with the Task Force Bangon Marawi last November 2020 during the launch of the project.

“Apart from the monthly stipend for a year, the learners will also be provided with school materials and supplies as well as school uniforms for the orphans while the teachers will be provided with teaching materials and training support,” she added.

The schools will also be supported with a water system, school equipment, and office furniture and supplies.

The SEEVCAC is a one-year project funded by the Islamic Relief-United States of America. It aims to address vulnerable children’s access to equitable and quality education as well as their protection in a post-armed conflict-affected context vis-a-vis the worldwide health crisis. (APB/PIA Lanao del Sur)

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