Aerial view of Ibango Central Elementary School, Marawi City during its demolition as part of the Debris Clearing Operations. Photo taken on April 23.
THE National Housing Authority (NHA) is continuously pushing itself to fulfill its commitment to the Maranaos — that is to complete the debris-clearing operations on August 30 in the Most Affected Area (MAA) in Marawi City.
NHA General Manager and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Secretary General Marcelino P. Escalada Jr. admitted that “the real challenge for the implementation of the clearing operation is the consent given by the owners as stipulated in the guidelines provided by the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM).” Specifically, structure owners must secure a demolition permit from the city’s Office of the Building Official before any clearing operation activity. “If residents would not consent to demolition, the Inter-Agency Committee on Debris Clearing (IACDC) will be the one which will evaluate/determine the status of their structures, whether for demolition or not,” GM Escalada continued.
GM Escalada, however, remains positive that the people will understand the purpose of the demolition and “a week or two weeks from now, many will be applying for permits.”
Furthermore, TFBM Chairman and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Secretary Eduardo del Rosario assured the IDPs during a two-day consultation dialogue in Lanao del Sur held last March with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within the MAA that unexploded ordnances (UXOs) and debris will be cleared first and “will be finished by August 30 to allow them (IDPs) to return to repair or rebuild their homes by the first week of September.”
NHA is one of the member-agencies responsible in rehabilitating Marawi while TFBM takes the lead role among the participating government agencies and partner organizations in implementing the rebuilding efforts.