Completed road projects crucial in Marawi recovery

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 17, 2021): Completed road projects crucial in Marawi recovery

FINISHED. The 18.97-kilometer Marawi Transcentral Road Phase 1 in Lanao Del Sur was completed on Sept. 29, 2021. The project was financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency for 2 billion yen or PHP970.97. (Photo courtesy of DPWH)

The Department of Public Works and Highways Unified Project Management Office has finished the 18.97-kilometer Marawi Transcentral Road phases 1 and 2 in time for the fourth-year commemoration of the liberation of the Lanao del Sur City from ISIS-linked terrorist groups.

The project was financed for 2 billion yen or approximately PHP970 million by the Japan government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the Program for the Support to Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Marawi City and Its surrounding Areas.

As a member agency of the Task Force Bangon Marawi created under Administrative Order No. 3 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte on June 28, 2017, DPWH spearheads the implementation of national roads.

“The newly paved Marawi Transcentral Road has improved the mobility of people and for better access to goods and services,” DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain said in a news release on Sunday.

DPWH Acting Secretary Roger Mercado and Sadain attended the commemoration activity, graced by President Rodrigo Duterte, at the city’s Rizal Park on Saturday.

Mercado, Sadain, and project managers Francisco Sawali and John Dominique Pulido also inspected the ongoing civil works under phase 3 of the transcentral road project.

“The main thrust of the project visit is to gauge the contractors’ level of performance and progress made so far in the implementation of the projects,” Mercado said.

Phase 3 project is an 18.78-kilometer road rehabilitation in four contract packages (CP), also funded by JICA under the official development assistance loan financing for Road Network Development Project, and is targeted for completion by May 2022.

The other ongoing phase 3 components are the 4.87 kilometer road covering Cabingan-MSU Campus-Amai Pakpak Avenue (Road 6), MSU Campus-Matampay-Marantao Road (Road 7), and Rapasa-Bayaba Road (Road 20); 4.92 kilometers along Emie-Sagonsongan-Linao-Lantian Road (Road 9-1), MSU-Bubo Road (Road 13), and Rantian-Paling Road (Road 14); 4.34 kilometers composed of Linao-Alinan Road (Road 15), Emie-Sagunsungan-Linao-Rantian Road (Road 9-2), Rorogagus-Mipaga Road (Road 25), and Bito-Mipaga-Marawi Road (Road 26); and 4.65 kilometers that covers Bacong-Poona-Marantao-Marawi Road (Road 2-3), Bito-Rorogagus-Guimba Road (Road 11), and Tampilong Road (Road 28).

Under the Asian Development Bank financing, the DPWH will also implement the construction of a 21.87-kilometer project that includes the 1.6-kilometer Malabang Viaduct, construction of three bridges along Rorogagus Road, and five other projects under the Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan.

Marawi was flattened by the five-month war but government rebuilding efforts allowed the city to rise again.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1156919