DPWH to build tent city for Marawi evacuees

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will build a tent city on an 11-hectare property in Marawi City for at least 5,000 evacuees displaced by the siege. 

DPWH Lanao del Norte district engineer Khalil Sultan has been tasked to help build a transition shelter in Barangay Sagonsongan for the evacuees.

Sultan expressed hope they would complete the groundwork and improvement by the end of this month so the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Health could immediately start setting up tents for the evacuees.

Each tent measures 4x4 meters and can accommodate a family of eight or 10. 

Aside from grading and concreting the property, the DPWH will install water supply and build a kitchen area, washroom,  toilet, shower, mosque and other facilities.

The agency will also build a drainage system to prevent flooding.

“We have to build sturdy structures since the military said they still have to sanitize the city and the evacuees might have to stay in the tent city for six months or more,” Sultan said.

The tent city is necessary to decongest the evacuation centers, he said.

Work on the property owned by Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra started yesterday, but heavy rains could delay the work.

To speed up ground improvement, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar had equipment pulled out from five other regions in Mindanao and brought to Marawi.

Sultan said they have a dozen dump trucks, four backhoes, two bulldozers, two road rollers and three grader trucks to speed up their work. 

He said construction materials including those donated by the private sector and construction firms are ready and available anytime.

P2M for slain soldiers 

Business tycoon Lucio Tan has donated P2 million for soldiers killed in action in the Marawi siege.

 Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, spokesman for Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said Tan’s donation came from the Philippine Air Lines (PAL) Foundation.

Tan’s donation brought to more than P5 million the total amount contributed by concerned individuals and business groups for the military casualties. 

Padilla said the AFP received last Friday the P2-million check from Tan.

He said donations for displaced Marawi residents have amounted to P766,727.

A committee created to manage the cash donations for the slain and wounded soldiers has recommended to start giving each beneficiary P35,000.

Padilla said AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Año approved the recommendation. – With Jaime Laude