ROCKY IGNACIO/PTV: Good morning, Malacañang Press Corps. Welcome sa Bangon Marawi Press Briefing. Today we have PIA Director General Harold Clavite to introduce iyong atin pang ibang guests.

DIR. GEN. CLAVITE: Thank you, Rocky. Good morning, ladies ang gentlemen. Maayong buntag, MPC.

Joining us today for another edition of the Bangon Marawi Press Briefing are Task Force Bangon Marawi Spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Toby Purisima; Mr. Joselito Bernabe, Senior Agriculturist from the Department of Agriculture; and of course from the Department of Public Works and Highways, Undersecretary Emil Sadain.

We start today with an update on livelihood efforts. More internally displaced persons of Marawi City have received training and assistance in farming, with the support provided by Go Negosyo-Convergys through a model farm project located in Barangay Linamon, Ditsaan-Ramain, Lanao Del Sur. For details of this project, let’s watch this video:

[VIDEO PRESENTATION]

Thank you. For additional updates, the Philippine Information Agency which co-leads alongside the Presidential Communications Operations Office the Task Force Bangon Marawi Information Management and Strategic Communications Support Group recently launched the ‘Bangon Marawi, Bangon Ranao’ radio program which is aired locally in Lanao Del Norte and Lanao Del Sur. The program is intended to regularly update the public on the rehabilitation/recovery efforts in Marawi, and this is hosted by our personnel from the Iligan-Marawi Communications Command Center.

Bangon Marawi, Bangon Ranao airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:15 to 1 P.M. in RMN-DXIC AM radio station. It is also live on Facebook page of Task Force Bangon Marawi and RMN-DXIC’s Facebook accounts. So far we’ve had guests coming from Task Force Bangon Marawi, including Field Office Manager Assistant Secretary Felix Castro and Joint Task Force Ranao Deputy Commander Col. Romeo Brawner.

Additional good news: Songwriter Vehnee Saturno on Friday signed a Memorandum of Agreement allowing the Task Force Bangon Marawi to use the song ‘Awit sa Marawi’ in all of Task Force Bangon Marawi activities. This was done at the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council office in Makati. Representing Task Force Bangon Marawi where Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario and Undersecretary Falconi Millar, including Assistant Secretary Avelino Tolentino and Assistant Secretary Leira Buan of HUDCC. The Voice Kids finalist Esang de Torres who lent her voice to the song attended and also performed during the MOA signing.

For more updates, I’ll turn you over to Assistant Secretary Toby Purisima.

ASEC. PURISIMA: Good morning, Malacañang Press Corps.

Here are the updates from your Task Force Bangon Marawi: 1,200 IDPs have received P10,000 each as salary under the Department of Labor and Employment’s “Tulong Panghanapbuhay Para Sa Displaced Workers” program or “TuPAD” for the labor they rendered in farming last December 2017 to February 2018. Beneficiaries are the internally displaced persons of Marawi City who are farmers and are staying in Balo-i, Lanao Del Norte. The financial assistance was dubbed as “Sagibo Salamat” or “a thousand thanks”.

The profiling of the beneficiaries was based on the certification proving that they are farmers which was issued by the Marawi City Social Welfare Development. Also, the Disaster Assistance and Family Access Card from the Department of Social Welfare and Development was also used for purposes of verification. Most of the recipients of the financial assistance are also beneficiaries of Go Negosyo-Convergys’ three-month intensive farm training, who are now farmers of Agri-Model Farm Site 1 in Barangay Abaga, Balo-i, Lanao Del Norte.

Furthermore, Go Negosyo and the Philippine Franchise Association in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Provincial Government of Lanao Del Sur and the City Government of Marawi launched the program “Franchise Intervention to Rebuild Marawi” or “FIRM” for internally displaced persons. In an effort to restore Marawi City’s once thriving business economy, FIRM provides Franchise and Entrepreneurial Seminars and offers Special Franchise Investment Packages. The program’s goal is to help rebuild the economic fabric of the city, by providing a viable investment option, promoting local trade activities, generating jobs in the community and giving opportunities to the residents of Marawi to revive their livelihood.

On the topic of relief, we would like to report that from March 2 to March 6, the Office of Civil Defense distributed 610 family packs to IDPs in 10 evacuation centers. This is in addition to the 352 family packs previously distributed in February. Another 290 family packs are scheduled to be distributed to 6 more evacuation centers today. These packs include kitchen wares, sleeping gears and hygiene kits.

On to housing news – the President inaugurated the Bahay Pag-asa Phase 2 in Barangay Mipaga, Marawi City last 28 February. This immediate shelter and accommodation housing complex features 60 single detached houses with individual kitchen, toilet and bath facilities. Each house measures 23.76 square meters.

The entire housing complex sits on a one hectare lot and which was made possible through the generous donations of the following: Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Chan of OISHI Tarlac Heritage Foundation and the Chinese Filipino Business Club Incorporated. The compound has a deep well, water storage facilities, electric power connections, a community center, a volleyball court, a basketball court, a children’s play room and learning center, parking lots and a 500 square meter ‘Hardin ng Lunas’ vegetable and herbal garden to ensure the comfort of the internally displaced people of Marawi City who will call this area home.

The Task Force Bangon Marawi support group for the comprehensive rehabilitation and recovery program conducted a Spatial Analysis Workshop last March 1 and 2 attended by representatives from various TFBM agencies and local officials of Marawi City. It aimed to hold the Task Force ensure that the locations of planned infrastructure and the sites to be covered by their proposed programs will consider special issues and be sensitive to the Maranao culture.

We would also like to report that the Vice President visited Lanao Del Sur last March 6. She attended a series of events in the province, among this were the groundbreaking of Angat Buhay Village in Barangay Sagonsongan, Marawi City; a dialogue with the IDP women dressmakers; and a turnover of livelihood subsidies in the Municipal Hall of Saguiaran.

Also on March 6, Resolution Number 754 allowing the implementation of National Government Agencies of programs, projects and activities in the Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program under the Task Force was approved by the Regional Legislative Assembly of ARMM in Cotabato City. The resolution shall hasten the assistance for the IDPs and the rehabilitation and recovery efforts in Marawi City while the crafting of the Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program or CRRP is ongoing.

On the development of the main—of the most affected areas, the process for the selection of the developer for the most affected areas is underway. We’re currently at the preliminary evaluation stage, negotiations would commence next week.

Thereafter original proponent status will be conferred on one of the developers. This will then be subjected to competitive challenge or what we call as the Swiss challenge. The best bid will serve as the developer for the project. The target date for the groundbreaking is May 2018; while project completion is scheduled on December 2021. We want to assure everyone that we will do this as fast as we can. But we will do it in the right manner and following the right procedures. That is all I have for you today. Thank you.

DIR. GEN. CLAVITE: Thank you, Asec. Toby. We would like to give the microphone to Mr. Joselito Bernabe from Department of Agriculture.

1. JOSELITO BERNABE: Good morning everyone. On behalf of Usec. Ariel T. Cayanan of Department of Agriculture, I will be presenting to you the updates of the rehab efforts of the DA in… relative to Bangon Marawi. Next please.

So these are the highlights of the accomplishments of our brothers and sisters in—from DA-ARMM. They’ve established two new vegetable production sites of 5.6 hectares, serving 700 IDPs in Kabasaran, Marawi City and Maliwanag, Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur. They also conducted the onsite training on organic vegetable producti0n to farmer beneficiaries on Barangay Danimbayan and Saguiaran. They also distributed 160 packets of assorted vegetables and 24 kilograms mung bean. We are also in partners with the UNFAO, so they have distributed around 2,425 bags of certified rice seeds, 2,624 bags of corn seeds and 5,049 sets of vegetable seeds.

Next please. Ah, next slide. For our—for the BFAR-ARMM, the lists of accomplishments: they have conducted around 315 technical assistance, these are post-harvest such as fish smoking then the construction of peace fish ponds; they have also distributed around 547 units of fishing gears or paraphernalia’s; 502 units fishing pots, 45 spear guns and 50 units non-motorized Bangka; there is also an ongoing construction of 2 units smoke house. And these are the pictorials of the actual distribution of fishing gears and the units of fish pots. These are the training assistance they have conducted… just a snapshot.

So these are the latest updates from the Department of Agriculture Central office: We have allocated around 45.89 million worth of production support services still waiting for the NCA from DBM; We have 30 units of farm tractor for procurement process this year for the Army agricultural engineering companies, this is in partnership with DND. There is no MOA yet and the guidelines will follow. The DA-ARMM already distributed around 4,500 bags of (unclear) white corn seeds, then the remaining 60,000 bags will be distributed in time for the March to April planting season. That’s all for the Department of Agriculture.

DIR. GEN. CLAVITE: Thank you, Mr. Bernabe. We would like to call on Undersecretary Emil Sadain from DPWH.

DPWH USEC. SADAIN: Okay. Good morning, Malacañang Press Corps. I have actually two reports here with me. The sub-committee report on the constructions and the reconstructions and development plan for a greater Marawi. But I’ll be leaving both electronic parts and hard copies to the Press Corps.

Now just to sum up all this things: from the Day 1 of the creation of the Task Force where DPWH has been a major agency in putting some more actions on response team. The reconstruction sub-committee is actually headed by Secretary Mark Villar, of which me as his alternate. We have been working through with the first 60 hectares development for the 1,200 houses… temporary shelters in Sagonsongan. And we have actually completed the development of these sites and constructions of the houses done by the committee for housing under NHA is already about 1,000 units; so leaving around 200 units to complete by end of March. And other done that since there are already people living with the President’s turnover sometime last year, there were a lot of—I mean, commerce or resettlement from the IDPs who are now occupying these resettlements sites.

And part of the activities also done by DPWH is the transport of potable water from the 6 Water Lorries that we had in DPWH in coordination with the OCD. For the mean time, Fil Invest is still doing some digging of deep well but they are targeting actually by early April, they can have a good source of potable water that will supply the reservoir right there and then in the resettlement site.

Now other activities of DPWH covered also the 37 kilometers clearing of national and provincial roads to and from Marawi City, specially the line of roads from Iligan to Marawi and Cotabato to Marawi as well.

So that also includes the cleanings of some major municipal roads and city roads ‘no. In fact, continuously since we have some already recipient of this equipment from China, sometime last year when it was turned over to us, plus the in-house equipment we had in DPWH, we’re actually continuously working through with more clearing works even in new roads opening.

This coming March 15, there will be another 27 sets of new equipment. But this time, it will come from government of Japan. There’s an activity for turnover on March 15, 10 o’clock. I hope the Malacañang Press Corps can be present at that occasion. So this also includes the turnover of about 26 vehicles to the Task Force by Mitsubishi Company, and a grant from Japanese government also for the UN Habitat Program.

Now other than these interventions, DPWH is working through also closely with other financing donors like ADB and JICA to attain a more comprehensive plan of development. Because we saw the needs for development plans, not only addressing the Post Conflict Needs Assessment on infrastructure requirements, but also the development plans that would address basically the 72 barangays, outside of the 24 barangays covered by the ground zero. Basically Marawi City has a total of 96 barangays ‘no.

The master plan for the private concessionaires for the development of the 24 barangays for ground zero is actually being carried out by the Task Force ‘no. Of course, DPWH is part of those.

By this coming Monday, the 6 evaluations for the 6 proposals will be submitted by the Bangon Marawi Technical Working Group to the Bangon Marawi Selection Committee. And hopefully by April, we can go for publications for bidding for a Swiss challenge as mentioned by Toby a while ago.

But in parallel to this, I would like to inform also, the Reconstruction Committee under DPWH is also working through with, we call it the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Plans for a Greater Marawi that covers the 72 barangays outside of the ground zero. Meaning, these are actually the same areas although these were not actually—I mean as compared to the MAA, where there was a heavy damage. But most of the IDPs that comes back to Marawi are actually residing in the 72 barangays.

And there’s a need—in the map shown here, there’s a need to construct at least 5 major components: first, is the blue circle line, we call it the Ring Road – that’s actually 19 kilometers stretch, 4 lanes road that would connect from the eastern side of Lake Lanao Circumferential Road towards Saguiaran, Piagapo, Marantao, all the way to Marawi City to the west coast sections of the Lake Lanao Circumferential Road. That’s about 19 kilometers, four lanes, and it’s a new construction roads that will give us an easy access from East-to-West area or even from Iligan section and from Cotabato City side.

So other than that, to get into the inner sections of Marawi City, there are the 45 kilometers trans-central roads in different locations ‘no. These will easen up the transport network… the connectivity that will be more accessible now to the motorists and to the residents within the area.

And there is also third component, the water supply system where we need to rehab and expand, to include the 35 barangays of the 72 barangays outside of the ground zero. Basically these 35 barangays, doesn’t have a potable water supply ‘no. In the past when the siege took place, there were some impact on the explosions that gives actually the transmission or distribution line disconnected. And that also weaken up the supplies of potable water supply.

Now under this plan, the water supply will be part of the rehabilitation works as well. Then 3 major emergency… we call it common facilities. The common facility per set, this includes school buildings, public market, health center and house of worship. Meaning for Sagonsongan relocation site in the upstream section, one set will be constructed in that area; another set will be within the 72 barangays; and another set is nearby the 24 barangays on the ground zero. So that gives us a more better pictures where people may go through ‘no, especially on the schools and public market that were actually damaged in the 24 barangays within ground zero.

And the last component is the 1.6 kilometer Malabang Viaduct, on the southwest portion of the Marawi City. That is where the motorists or the public can come in. If you are actually coming from Zamboanga Del Sur/Del Norte and Cotabato, that’s the only route that leads you towards the Narciso Ramos Highway.

Now all these 5 components actually, runs to a total of P11 billion. We have done so much coordination with JICA; and JICA pledged around P1 billion pesos as a grand component. In fact this coming Monday, we’ll be having some discussions again. And part of the fund also—I mean covering funds for the constructions will become from the emergency funds of ADB. Last Monday we had a fruitful discussions where Secretary Del Rosario was there also in ADB with some top officials of ADB.

We’re discussing about the proposals, implementations. In fact these proposals now is actually with NEDA, and NEDA committed to do the evaluations this March and April. So all the way to the approval, and we saw the projects can take off the ground for implementation on the third quarter of this year ‘no, later part of the third quarter of this year – meaning September or early—for first month of fourth quarter or October. So that’s the target. The construction will run for about 2 years of implementation.

So in the implementation here, you could see the difficulty there is actually on the right of way, especially on the Ring Road for 4 lanes. But we had also a good discussion with the 4 towns, particularly the mayors of Saguiaran, Piagapo, Marantao, and even Mayor Gandamra of Marawi City. Basically about 80% of the Ring Road, actually is under military reservation areas, and we don’t see much difficulty on that except on some improvement or farmland that might be affected. But we can compensate that using the proper way of acquiring right of the acquisition.

For the Trans-Central Road, the 45.5 kilometers Trans-Central Road, that is actually existing roads where bridges have to widen to optimize the available space within these prescribed road section. Meaning we have 4 design options for the Trans-Central Road. It varies the width from 7 meters, 8, 9 and 10 meters. So there will be no displacement of families, there will be no payment on right of the acquisition. What we can make here, is a road that has its own carriageway, shouldering and drainage. Sa ngayon kasi wala siyang drainage actually, so you could see even for a simple flooding, it just run through the street ‘no. But in this plan, it can actually address all those things ‘no.

So this will be actually a project that is—we are optimistic that it can take off, because the JICA and ADB has pledged a very strong commitment on this activity. In fact just like last Thursday, we brought in the ADB study team and their evaluation team to Marawi and we hold for a—we held a meeting with the Task Force Bangon Marawi where Asec. Castro was there also, and I chaired the discussion. It was a very fruitful discussion, and we saw that this will really be a go project by the fourth quarter of this year.

So, that’s all.

DIR. GEN. CLAVITE: Thank you, Usec. Sadain. Rocky?

ROCKY IGNACIO/PTV4: Okay, MPC question? Kay Asec. Toby Purisima. Na-establish ng PDEA iyong narco-terrorism. Since alam naman natin ang Marawi galing sa mga terrorism. So papaano ito iniha-handle ng Task Force?

ASEC. PURISIMA: Mayroong security sub-committee ang Task Force Bangon Marawi which is headed by the Department of National Defense and the Secretary of National Defense. So kasama ito sa whole of government effort at whole society effort ng rehabilitation and recovery ng Marawi City kasi kasama sa ire-rehabilitate natin at ire-recover natin at pagagandahin natin iyong governance structure pagdating doon. And again this is part of the Mindanao-wide effort for… in terms of good governance.

And so makakaasa kayo na kasama ang law and order and security sa inaaral at… sa patuloy na pinag-aaralan at ginagawan ng paraan ng Task Force, kasama rin dito ang governance. So that will make a difference in terms of that narcolist.

INA ANDOLONG/CNN PHILS: This is for either Asec. Toby or Usec. Sadain po.

Nabanggit na po ni Usec., na anim po iyong bidders who submitted proposals. Were there local developers who are participating in the process or puro foreign po ba, can you tell us?

ASEC. PURISIMA: Well at this point, we’re still in the process and would be in the process of negotiations. So we are not at liberty to disclose who the proponents are. And in any case, whatever happens to the—after the negotiation phase. Pagkatapos kasi ng negotiations mag—bibigyan kung sino man iyong developer na mapipili at this early stage, bibigyan siya ng original proponents status or OPS. Pero hindi ibig sabihin siya na ang panalo, na siya na talaga ang developer. Doon pa lang gagawin iyong Swiss challenge na tinatawag natin. So kung sino man iyong mapili na OPS or sabihin nating OPS developer, icha-challenge siya ng anyone and including even the others that submitted.

So maski iyong mga unang nag-submit puwede ring i-challenge iyong original proponent status. And that is the beauty of the Swiss challenge because malalaman talaga natin kung ano iyong optimal bid, kung ano iyong optimal specs na puwedeng gawin nitong mga developers na ito at para mapili ng Task Force ang pinakamagandang solusyon, pinakamagandang project proposal para dito at maraming agencies ang involved dito, hindi lamang ang HUDCC ang involved dito sa pagpili nitong proponent. Kasama rin natin dito, to name a few—to name a few kasama natin dito ang BCDA, kasama natin ang NHA, kasama natin ang NHA, DOF, NEDA, PPP Center, DPWH, DENR, DILG, OCD-Minda, Marawi City LGU and Lanao Del Sur provincial office. So marami tayong agencies involved.

Gusto natin itong gawin sa isang mabilis na panahon, nguni’t gagawin din natin ito ng tama. So makakaasa kayo na once we are at liberty to disclose more details, we will do so. But due to the nature of the negotiations we cannot do so at this point.

INA/CNN PHILS: Sir, can you just give as na lang po an idea on the extent of the development to be handled by the single—this lone developer that will be chosen in the end?

ASEC. PURISIMA: The main affected—the most affected areas previously known as the main battle area, this is composed basically of 24 barangays and is composed of around 200 to 250 square meters. So ito iyong ide-develop nitong developer na ito at maraming ni-require doon sa magiging developer. Kaya masusi talagang pinag-aaralan itong mga proposals nila.

INA/CNN PHILS: Ano po iyong the least na requirements?

ASEC. PURISIMA: There are 15 requirements. I don’t have them now but we will give you copies of those minimum requirements to be developed by that developer.

LEILA SALAVERRIA/PDI: For Asec. Purisima. Sir, earlier—official said that the groundbreaking for the reconstruction will begin in April. And now you said it will begin in May. So what’s the reason for the delay?

ASEC. PURISIMA: Una—actually on target pa naman tayo because the initial time table was late April to early May, so pasok pa naman iyan. Dahil siyempre nire-review natin iyong mga papel, iyong mga sinubmit ng ating mga proponents. Kung medyo natagalan iyong pag-review dahil lamang gusto natin maging masusi iyong ating pag-review.

So we are still on target, wala pa namang masasabing significant delay. Gusto lang siguraduhin ng technical working group at ng selection committee na tama iyong prosesong ginagamit at tama iyong pag-review nitong proposals na ito. Kung tutuusin nga, parang naka-second na nga ang mga various government officials at staff sa Task Force dahil araw-araw nagmi-meeting, araw-araw nag-uusap, araw-araw nag-e-evaluate ang technical working group at iyong selection committee. Kaya halos ito na talaga iyong ginagawa ng ating mga officials. I’m also participating in that technical working group. So we are ensuring that we review all the documents properly.

PIA GUTTIERIEZ/ABS-CBN: Kay Usec. Sadain po. Sir, doon sa meeting ninyo with JICA and ADB, mayroon po ba silang mga recommendations particularly sa pagbuo po ng comprehensive development plan ng Marawi?

USEC. SADAIN: Yeah. Basically what they really wanted is it should be actually project that is really needed for the Task Force Bangon Marawi program. And the proposal actually is geared towards inclusive economic growth for Marawi City. And it also give an advocacy for the role—advocates roles of the infrastructure development towards creating a new economic centers. Meaning, it’s not only the 24 barangays or the MAA that is the subject of development but also the neighboring barangays within Marawi City.

So it creates a new economic hub within the 72 barangays and its adjoining periphery towns like Sagaran, Piagapoa and Marantao. So the equipment also as they will be pledging for turnover this March 15 will augment actually the construction equipment fleet that we had in DPWH. So eventually this can cover even the equipment clearing operations within the MAA area. In fact the Armed Forces of the Philippines while they are actually working for the clearings of the IED, some equipment also from DPWH and from this grant are actually being used.

PIA/ABS-CBN: And also, sir, iyong 1 billion pledge ng JICA is it in dollars or pesos sir?

USEC. SADAIN: Yeah, that’s in pesos, Ma’am. The JICA wanted to cover the 45 kilometers Trans-Central Road. But since there’s only 4 billion pesos covered, this will actually fund portions of the 45 kilometers Trans-Central Road. The Trans-Central Road runs to a cost of about 2.5 billion pesos for the 45.25 kilometers road. So, but the 1 billion according to them may just be the start, there might be a continuing tranche also on the succeeding years.

PIA/ABS-CBN: What about ADB, sir, may i-plinedge din sila?

USEC. SADAIN: For ADB what is clear with them is they have 5 million US dollar grant. But that would cover some technical assistance and a hundred million soft loan package for the emergency funds. The total 11 billion may run to about 220 million US dollar. So nakikita namin doon, the hundred million funds might be augmented by the ADB as well. So to cover 200 million US dollars.

PIA/ABS-CBN: Thank you sir.

ROCKY IGNACIO/PTV4: Okay, MPC questions? Okay thank you, Usec. Sadain, sir Bernabe, Asec Purisima, DG Clavite, thank you.

DIR. GEN. CLAVITE: Yes, maraming salamat. And just to close, we’d like to encourage everyone to continue to follow Task Force Bangon Marawi in social media, nasa Facebook po tayo, Bangon Marawi PH, twitter and Instagram. Maraming salamat, Rocky.

ROCKY IGNACIO/PTV4: Okay salamat po. Salamat, Malacañang Press Corps. Balik tayo sa main studio sa Radyo Pilipinas and People’s Television Network.

###
Source: PCOO-NIB (News and Information Bureau)