President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 鈥擯PA POOL
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered faster rehabilitation efforts鈥攕pecifically on electricity, water, and housing鈥攊n Marawi City.
Marcos gave the order to the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Sr. during a sectoral meeting on Tuesday.
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鈥淵ou seem to have solutions to most of the issues. 鈥榊un na lang, 鈥榶ung installation of the power, and I think, more importantly, 鈥榶ung tubig. (Just that, the installation of the power, and I think, more importantly, the water.) We have to get that done as quickly as possible,鈥� Marcos said.
鈥淲ala tayong magagawa 鈥榩ag walang water supply. 鈥榊ung brownout, you can live with it. 鈥榊ung walang tubig, hindi talaga,鈥� he added.
(We can鈥檛 do anything if there鈥檚 no water supply. You can live with a brownout. But having no water, you really can鈥檛.)
Pangandaman, for his part, explained to Marcos that there was a delay in the implementation of the Bulk Water Supply Project by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) in the war-torn city due to legal challenges.
He said the issue is being addressed by the government and that the LWUA vowed to finish the project before the year ends.
Pangandaman also said the previous administration鈥檚 deal with some private landowners to use their property for five years pending the construction of permanent shelters has already lapsed.
With this, Marcos ordered Pangandaman to seek contract extensions from private landowners to accommodate the victims.
Pangandaman said they would work with local government units regarding this.
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Marcos, during the meeting, mentioned that now is the right time to adopt a more systematic approach to the Marawi recovery efforts, following the issuance of Administrative Order 14, Series of 2023.
This order institutionalized the rehabilitation efforts in the city and streamlined the functions of implementing government agencies involved.