SAGONSONGAN, Marawi City (MindaNews / 26 Oct) – Five hundred to 600 transitional shelters for Marawi residents who lost their homes in Ground Zero during the 154-day siege, will be able to move into their transitional shelters here by first or second week of December, their certificates of award to be handed over by President Rodrigo Duterte himself, Housing Secretary Eduardo del Rosario said.
Del Rosario visited the 14-hectare transitional shelter site here Wednesday, where only four pre-fabricated 22-square meter houses have been installed by a Korean contractor.
He said two groups of displaced residents can avail of the temporary housing: “yung walang babalikang lupa at walang babalikang bahay, at yung merong lupa pero walang mababalikang bahay” (those who do not own lots and have no more houses to return to, and those who have lots there but have no more houses).
An initial 1,175 houses will be constructed, half of which will be done by mid-December, he said.
“We’re looking for four contractors. Hatiin sa kanila (this will be divided among them. The three are here), Del Rosario said of the initial 1,175 shelters. “We’re still looking for one (contractor).
Each contractor, he said, will handle between 250 to 300 houses, hence he is confident the objective to finish around 500 to 600 by mid-December will be met.
He said they are requesting the local government to look for land so site development can begin “para every month, continuously we can have 100 to 200 more houses.”
The three contractors, he said, will have the same model as the pre-fabricated house installed by the Korean contractor, Danny Seo, whose local partner is Golden Gate Construction. Seo told MIndaNews while they were unloading the “sandwich panels” on October 6 that they would install 265 houses.
The pre-fabricated house is made of concrete flooring, walls and roof made of “sandwich panels” — styrofoam pressed between light metal sheets — and has a toilet and kitchen sink within the 22 square meter structure. The lot per unit is 36 square meters. Installation takes only a day.
“Basically the three contractors will have one model” while the city government, will build houses “like this but much better than this one para makaabot tayo ng marami by December.”
“It will be better than this. We’ll be using better materials,” del Rosario added.
Del Rosario was referring to the LGU model house where he spent a few minutes for quick meetings with representatives of the local government and contractors. The LGU model house has an iron sheet roofing, walls made of hardiflex panels and floor made of coco lumber as the posts are elevated a few meters from the ground.
The three contractors thus far, are Golden Gate Construction, Ce
lsius Engineering Services and the city government.
The pre-fabricated houses installed by the Korean contractor costs 160,000 pesos per unit while the LGU model house, he said, will cost “less than 100,000.”
But the representative from the local government said the cost would be a little bit more since del Rosario wants “better materials” to be used. They estimate the cost to be at 130,000 pesos.
Del Rosario foresees that that the building of permanent shelters, will start “first quarter next year.”
He said reports about land ownership issues at the transitional shelter site “have been resolved.”
“There are some claims but I think we should make an announcement that this is a military reservation. Once you have not proven ownership with title since 1953, therefore your claim is not valid. So we will base on that premise that this, all this area is a military reserve and it belongs to government
Del Rosario vowed transparency in the housing projects.
“Everybody is free to scrutinize all transactions,” he said.
No bidding was required for the projects but contracts were awarded to those with lowest canvassed price, he said.
President Duterte has been invited to turn over the houses to the beneficiaries “first week or middle of December.”
Road construction in this transitional shelter site is ongoing and is 42% completed.
Task Force Bangon Marawi, the inter-agency task force for the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi and other affected areas, had earlier said that for every 1,000 housing units, common facilities will be provided such as mosque, madrasah/school building, recreational facilities, health and day care centers, wet and dry market, livelihood center, police barangay outposts and transport terminal.
The transitional shelter site is about a kilometer away from the welcome arch of Marawi City. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)