Duterte creates inter-agency task force for Marawi rehab

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 3): Duterte creates inter-agency task force for Marawi rehab

President Rodrigo Duterte has created an inter-agency task force for the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi City and its immediate environs affected by the rebellion.

As per Administrative Order NO. 3 signed by Duterte last June 28, the task force will be known as Task Force Bangon Marawi and will be headed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana with Public Works Secretary Mark Villar as co-chair.

Other members of the task force include the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as well as the secretaries of the Departments of Education, Budget and Management, Energy, Health, Information and Technology, Interior and Local Government, Science and Technology, Social Welfare and Development, Trade and Industry, and Transportation.

Completing the members are the heads of the Local Water Utilities Administration, Mindanao Development Authority, National Electrification Administration, National Housing Authority, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Office of Civil Defense as well as the Secretary of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary and the chief of the Philippine National Police.

In the meantime, Lorenzana said that Task Force Bangon Marawi is now preparing the mechanism to go into the rehabilitational recovery as soon as the fighting stops in Marawi.

“So the first thing that we would do after the fighting stops is to clear the areas of any left IEDs (improvised explosive devices) or any explosives. After which, we are going to allow the return of the civilians, of the residents of Marawi,” he said during the Mindanao Hour press briefing in Malacañang.

“So we now have a mechanism for as long as tumigil na ‘yung bakbakan diyan, mag-start na kami ng rehabilitation. In fact with this document (AO 3), we can now start stockpiling construction materials for the rehabilitation of Marawi,” Lorenzana said.

The head of Bangon Marawi said that besides rebuilding the city’s infrastructure like lights, water, roads, bridges and government buildings, the task force also aims to immediately restore banks and business establishments.

“One of the things that we would like to restore immediately are the stores so that when the residents go back then they have places to buy their provisions. Also the banks, if we can restore the banks, so that the banking system or the businesses of the area will resume,” he said.

“We will involve the local government leaders there, the mayors, the governors, the barangay captains, because we are going to establish a defense mechanism so that the event for the past month in Marawi will not be repeated,” Lorenzana said.

Meanwhile, he assured that the rehabilitation of Marawi would not be politicized.

“Kaya siguro ako ang inutusan ni Presidente dahil wala naman akong political ambition. I will involve the politicians, especially the Mayor the Governor and the Vice Governor as well as the officials of the affected towns. But the decision will be resting on the chairman of the rehabilitation which is me,” Lorenzana said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/998600