简体中文
By APD writer Melo M. Acuña
MANILA, Oct.14(APD) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved today a US$ 408 million financing package to help the government in rebuilding the southern Philippine city of Marawi and help its residents regain their respective income generating activities.
Under its Emergency Assistance for Reconstruction and Recovery of Marawi package it includes a US$ 300 million quick disbursing loan to finance selected programs, projects and activities under the government’s Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program from local governance and peacebuilding, housing and settlement, business and livelihood as well as social services.
A second loan of US$ 100 million will finance the reconstruction and rehabilitation by the Department of Public Works and Highways of damaged infrastructure in the city, including 25 kilometers of roads and 1,709 meters of bridges and viaducts.
According to the ADB statement, the infrastructure will be built back better, more climate resilient, and will incorporate gender-responsible and inclusive physical design features to enable safe use by women, children, elderly and people with disabilities.
It was learned many internally displaced people (IDPs) are slowly returning to Marawi and surrounding towns after the five-month siege in 2017 which claimed over 1,000 lives. It was learned the delivery of basic social services and educational resources for children of IPDs have yet to catch up with the needs of the local residents.
ADB Vice-President Stephen Groff led a team of ADB staff on a visit to Marawi City recently and met with local officials, residents at a transitional shelter and students at a makeshift school and to see firsthand the damage at the heart of the city.
“In my interaction with residents of Marawi, they expressed their desire for a better future for their children. We hope that through this new ADB loan and grants package, we can help transform Marawi into a thriving economic center in southern Philippines, where people live in peace and prosperity,” Mr. Groff said.
Aside from the loans, ADB will provide US$ 8 million in grants to restore and rehabilitate water supply systems in 19 barangays (villages). A portion of the grants will also construct local health units with facilities that meet or even exceed national standards, procure mobile medical clinics, update emergency employment and livelihood programs as well as deliver primary education in IDP communities.
ADB Country Director for the Philippines Kelly Bird said it is imperative to immediately implement and roll out the programs and focus on helping young Maranaos “regain a sense of normalcy in a safe environment, which the people have been looking forward to.”
“A key component of our grants assistance will equip temporary learning places with better equipment and resources. We will also provide them with culturally-sensitive psycho-social support and peace education,” Mr. Bird said.
He added mobile health facilities will also be deployed to areas where IDPs reside to ensure their access to primary health care.
It was learned that ADB’s support to Marawi’s rebuilding is aligned with its new Country Partnership Strategy, where up to US$ 1 billion in development assistance is set to be prepared from 2018 to 20121 to respond to poverty and income inequality in Mindanao.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
