MARAWI CITY – Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) is committed to rebuilding the 31 mosques within the Islamic City’s most affected area (MAA) or ground zero.
TFBM Chairman Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario, who also heads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), stressed this during a recent visit to the war-torn Marawi City, while saying that the order came from no less than President Duterte.
“That is the order of our beloved President Rodrigo Duterte and that will be done,” vowed Del Rosario, who met with Marawi City clans serving as administrators of the two biggest mosques in the city, namely, the Dansalan Bato Ali Mosque and the Grand Mosque.
“We already have an inventory which of these sites that need total reconstruction and those that require retrofitting and repairs,” he added.
Sultan Nasser Sampaco, chairman of the Marawi Sultanate League composed of 23 clans serving as administrators of the Dansalan Bato Ali Mosque, already agreed with the TFBM for the demolition and rebuilding of the historic religious site.
The TFBM has allotted P105 million for the reconstruction of the mosque.
On the other hand, Del Rosario on Wednesday met with the Pangarungan clan who are the administrators of the Grand Mosque, and offered P135 million for its massive repair.
Based on assessments by government engineers, the Dansalan Bato Ali Mosque is already considered “structurally unsound”, thus the need to demolish the original structure and build a new and modern mosque. On the other hand, the Grand Mosque could be restored by a massive retrofitting and repairs.
Both Islamic religious sites were damaged by the five-month siege laid by the Daesh-inspired Maute terrorist ground in 2017. The conflict ended in the killing of more than 1,000 terrorists, government troops and civilians.
Apart from the two mosques, four other masjids are lined up as priorities for rehabilitation. “During our March meeting with the President, he mentioned that we give priority to the construction of the affected mosques. I am happy to announce that we got private donation for this,” Del Rosario said.
“This proves that we give primary importance to reconstructing the mosques as ordered by our President,” he added. The TFBM chief reiterated that the massive rehabilitation effort is on track and will be finished as scheduled by December 2021.