Philippines, Japan ink ¥2-billion grant for Marawi rehab

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Japan on Tuesday sealed a ¥2-billion (about P970 million) grant for the restoration of the war-torn city of Marawi, which was stormed by ISIS-inspired terrorists last year.

The agreement was signed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Yoshio Wada, the chief representative in the Philippines of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The grant is the fourth aid package provided by Japan to the Philippines for the rehabilitation of the battle-scarred Islamic city.

“I would like to assure the ambassador and the chief representative of JICA that we are very keenly aware that these funds come from the taxpayers of Japan, and that we will honor them by not wasting those funds,” Dominguez said.

RELATED: 2 Chinese companies in Marawi rehab blacklisted by World Bank in 2009

In a rousing address to troops in October last year, President Rodrigo Duterte declared Marawi liberated from terrorists after five months of fighting that gave state forces their first taste of urban warfare.

The Philippine government has so far identified 902 priority projects for the revival of Marawi City and its surrounding areas, which are estimated to cost P55 billion.

The latest grant from Tokyo will cover infrastructure projects, particularly the construction of transcentral roads that need to be rebuilt immediately in the war-ravaged communities. Japan has so far provided the Philippines an estimated $36 million to assist in Marawi’s relief and rehabilitation. 

Meanwhile, Dominguez said the Philippine government is also considering holding a pledging session similar to what was done in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) to help fund the reconstruction of Marawi.