Water supply projects launched in Marawi schools

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines — Benefactors launched Friday water supply projects in ten school campuses in the conflict-stricken Marawi City.

About half of the more that 300,000 people displaced by the May 23 to Oct. 16, 2017 conflict in Marawi City that combined Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists instigated are children.

The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), the Pepsi Cola Products Philippines Incorporated (PCPPI) and the Lanao del Sur provincial government cooperated in setting up the 3,200-liter stainless steel cylindrical water tanks each in the 10 recipient schools.

Salma Jayne Tamano, provincial information officer, said Saturday school children in the ten campuses will now have a steady supply of clean water.

Representatives of the PDRF, the PCPPI and Lanao del Sur Vice Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr, turned over on Friday the water supply facilities to school officials.

Adiong said the Lanao del Sur provincial government is thankful to both entities, to the office of Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra and to the Task Force Bangon Marawi for helping them sustain their relief efforts benefitting conflict-affected sectors.

The same collaborating entities gave last August 28 the villagers in Buadi Itowa, Marawi City access to a 20,000-liter contiguous water reservoir they built as a common project.  

Dozens of barangays in Marawi City, capital of Lanao del Sur and a component province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, were devastated as a consequence of the five-month siege by Islamic militants.

The hostilities resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand, among them military and police personnel, displaced no fewer than 300,000 residents and left many centuries-old historic enclaves there in ruins.

Adiong said the humanitarian interventions of the PDRF and the PCPPI complements the relief and rehabilitation thrusts in Marawi City of the provincial government.