By Edith Caduaya
(Continued from yesterday)
Mayor Majul Gandamra said these developments in Marawi City, which survived a five-month siege by terrorists allied with the Islamic State, will never happen without the help of the national government.
![A stronger Marawi rising By Edith Caduaya (Continued from yesterday) Mayor Majul Gandamra said these developments in Marawi City, which survived a five-month siege by terrorists allied with the Islamic State, will never happen without the help of the national government. “We are hurt if people in Manila said Marawi is a ghost city. We are slowly building our lives back. We were never abandoned by government. President [Rodrigo] Duterte made true his promise to rebuild Marawi,” Gandamra said. Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chair Eduardo del Rosario said: “The government is not sleeping. We are doing as planned with the support of the people.” Hasmina Dipatuan, an official of Mindanao State University, said: “You can see many housing units here inside the teachers Village here in Marawi, dumarami ang pumupunta dito, makita nyo. Tingnan nyo ang paligid, iba na ang Marawi ngayon, natutuwa kami dahil may military na, sana huwag na silang kukunin dito sa Marawi.” “Those saying that Marawi is a ghost city are people not from Marawi. It hurts us. We are here, we are not ghosts. We do not understand why they speak in our behalf to tell lies. They should stay and live here, so they will know, we are here,” she added. For Concepcion Semante, 62, who once enjoyed a booming business inside the Marawi Commercial Complex, the Marawi siege is a lesson learned. “We lost our business, but we will rise again, magaan na sa loob namin na babalik na kami. I am happy at makaplano na kami ano ang dapat na gagawin sa aming lupain, naka-phobia dahil sa nangyari pero natuto na kami. I am happy, magaan na sa loob, makita na namin ang bahay namin, puwede na kaming magsimula, kabuhayan namin nawala, pero babangon kami.” National Housing Authority General Manager Marcelino Escalada “is always here, he makes sure that everything is properly coordinated and is done according to the plan which they presented during the public hearing last April,” the mayor said. “Lahat ng gusto ni Pangulo pinapaabot sa amin ni Mr. Escalada, at lahat ng stakeholders kinoconsulta,” he added. The mayor said there are delays in the rehabilitation because certain protocols and processes must be observed to keep everybody secure and safe. Recently, NHA and Marawi City led the groundbreaking for the construction of 2,000 permanent shelters that are set for completion in March 2020. The houses will be built on the 39-hectare land that will cater to 2,000 families. The land was purchased by the NHA, which will also undertake the land development, while the construction will be financed by the San Miguel Corp. (SMC) Foundation. Escalada assured that the rehabilitation timeline remains on target. “The instruction of the President is clear. The NHA works on the temporary shelter and permanent houses, for us also to supervise the debris management, we have the marching order and we are working as scheduled,” he emphasized. According to Escalada, funds were only released in 2018 to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to finance the rehabilitation and restoration of Marawi after the assessments of the area. The process of rehabilitation of Marawi “must be structurally sound and culturally sensitive,” Escalada said. Del Rosario has assured the people of Marawi that his agency will flesh out the government’s promise. Establishing a new Marawi is a big challenge not only to the government but also to the Meranaws, especially as a new edifice will rise from the ruins of war, which killed many. “We have the blueprint, the new one, this is drawn from the consultations and discussion with Marawi residents and stakeholders. It is crafted from the culture of Meranaws and we agree on it,” Escalada stressed. Gandamra said the Teachers Village inside the Mindanao State University campus is a testament that Meranaws are one in rebuilding their city. “So how are we a ghost city?” the mayor added, as he stressed the big help of the soldiers’ presence and the martial law in Mindanao. “Now we know everybody getting inside Marawi,” the mayor said. In September 2016, Duterte promised “a stronger Marawi will rise again.” It is well on its way there. [end]](http://www.manilastandard.net/panel/_files/image/New_Images/featured_image/2019/August/27/stronger_marawi_rising.jpg)
"We are hurt if people in Manila said Marawi is a ghost city. We are slowly building our lives back. We were never abandoned by government. President [Rodrigo] Duterte made true his promise to rebuild Marawi," Gandamra said.
Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chair Eduardo del Rosario said: “The government is not sleeping. We are doing as planned with the support of the people.”
Hasmina Dipatuan, an official of Mindanao State University, said: “You can see many housing units here inside the teachers Village here in Marawi, dumarami ang pumupunta dito, makita nyo. Tingnan nyo ang paligid, iba na ang Marawi ngayon, natutuwa kami dahil may military na, sana huwag na silang kukunin dito sa Marawi.”
“Those saying that Marawi is a ghost city are people not from Marawi. It hurts us. We are here, we are not ghosts. We do not understand why they speak in our behalf to tell lies. They should stay and live here, so they will know, we are here,” she added.
For Concepcion Semante, 62, who once enjoyed a booming business inside the Marawi Commercial Complex, the Marawi siege is a lesson learned.
“We lost our business, but we will rise again, magaan na sa loob namin na babalik na kami. I am happy at makaplano na kami ano ang dapat na gagawin sa aming lupain, naka-phobia dahil sa nangyari pero natuto na kami. I am happy, magaan na sa loob, makita na namin ang bahay namin, puwede na kaming magsimula, kabuhayan namin nawala, pero babangon kami.”
National Housing Authority General Manager Marcelino Escalada “is always here, he makes sure that everything is properly coordinated and is done according to the plan which they presented during the public hearing last April,” the mayor said.
“Lahat ng gusto ni Pangulo pinapaabot sa amin ni Mr. Escalada, at lahat ng stakeholders kinoconsulta,” he added.
The mayor said there are delays in the rehabilitation because certain protocols and processes must be observed to keep everybody secure and safe.
Recently, NHA and Marawi City led the groundbreaking for the construction of 2,000 permanent shelters that are set for completion in March 2020.
The houses will be built on the 39-hectare land that will cater to 2,000 families. The land was purchased by the NHA, which will also undertake the land development, while the construction will be financed by the San Miguel Corp. (SMC) Foundation.
Escalada assured that the rehabilitation timeline remains on target.
“The instruction of the President is clear. The NHA works on the temporary shelter and permanent houses, for us also to supervise the debris management, we have the marching order and we are working as scheduled,” he emphasized.
According to Escalada, funds were only released in 2018 to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to finance the rehabilitation and restoration of Marawi after the assessments of the area.
The process of rehabilitation of Marawi "must be structurally sound and culturally sensitive,” Escalada said.
Del Rosario has assured the people of Marawi that his agency will flesh out the government’s promise.wEstablishing a new Marawi is a big challenge not only to the government but also to the Meranaws, especially as a new edifice will rise from the ruins of war, which killed many.
"We have the blueprint, the new one, this is drawn from the consultations and discussion with Marawi residents and stakeholders. It is crafted from the culture of Meranaws and we agree on it," Escalada stressed.
Gandamra said the Teachers Village inside the Mindanao State University campus is a testament that Meranaws are one in rebuilding their city.
"So how are we a ghost city?" the mayor added, as he stressed the big help of the soldiers’ presence and the martial law in Mindanao.
"Now we know everybody getting inside Marawi," the mayor said.
In September 2016, Duterte promised “a stronger Marawi will rise again.” It is well on its way there.
