MARAWI CITY -- The construction of a public school and a central fire station inside the Most Affected Area (MAA) here will commence following the groundbreaking ceremony by the Department of Public Works Highways Region 10 (DPWH-X) held on Thursday.
The groundbreaking for the two projects is part of the ongoing rehabilitation program in the city after a five-month long war between government forces and Maute-ISIS in the 2017 Marawi Siege. Government structures were destroyed by bombs during the siege.
The four-storey integrated school building with 20 classrooms will be built in Barangay Moncado, Kadingilan on the former site of the Marawi City Pilot Elementary School and will be called Dansalan Integrated School, according to City Schools Division Superintendent Pharida Sansarona.
Sansarona thanked Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) and all agencies involved in the realization of the school building.
This is the first of the ten school buildings that will house a total of 200 classrooms that will be constructed by the Department of Education (DepEd) in tandem with the DPWH, said TFBM chair Secretary Eduardo del Rosario.
"This project is very important because it transcends everything. It gives meaning to all other projects because this will create the human resource that we need in order to deliver the other services by creating professionals, future leaders of Marawi City and the whole province of Lanao del Sur," said Del Rosario.
During the ceremony, Marawi City Mayor Majul U. Gandamra cited that continuity of education despite all hindrances should be a priority, and emphasized that the quality of education will have a great impact on the future of the city and the country.
He thanked the national government, through TFBM, by saying that "we are seeing a new light that will illuminate the minds of our learners in the road to excellence."
DPWH region 10 assistant regional director Engr. Rey Peter B. Gille said the amount of the said school building is P49.6 million and expected to be completed in nine months or in April, 2021.
This will be constructed simultaneously with the Marawi City Central Fire Station.
The establishment of an international standard fire station will cost P8.9 million which will start this July and is expected to be completed on December 17, 2020.
"Today, we break ground for the Marawi Central Fire Station and a four-storey school building as part of our continuous effort to restore the most affected area in Marawi City. We believe that these new buildings will be very vital in the development of this community because every advancement in infrastructure will carve a promising future," said Gille.