The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is expecting an increased economic activity in Marawi City following an aggressive development of its road systems.
DPWH Secretary Roger G. Mercado said Friday, Feb. 18, that the construction of various road infrastructures in Marawi City will "not only promote better transportation" but also "encourage the revival of trade and investment activities" in the area nearly five years after it was flattened by the May 2017 siege.
The DPWH continues to promote economic development in the areas devastated by the armed conflict by implementing the Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao (RNDP-CAAM) and Emergency Assistance for Reconstruction and Recovery of Marawi (EARRM), according to DPWH Undersecretary and Build Build Build Chief Implementer Emil K. Sadain.
The RNDP-CAAM is financed by the Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) while the EARRM is being funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Sadain explained.
Both are flagship infrastructure projects under the "Build, Build, Build" program.
Sadain inspected the on-going civil works of the Marawi Transcentral Roads Project Phase 3 under the RNDP-CAAM on Thursday.
The road project covers 18.78 kilometers and is divided into four contract packages (CPs) that are being implemented by the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Roads Management Cluster 1 (Bilateral).
The first contract package or CP-3A was 32.5 percent complete and covers a total length of 4.87 kms. It was awarded to Fiat Construction Services and M.M.A. Achiever and covers the Cabingan-Mindanao State University (MSU) Campus-Amai Pakpak Avenue (Road 6), MSU Campus-Matampay-Marantao Road (Road 7), and Rapasa-Bayaba Road (Road 20).
Meanwhile, the CP-3B which has a total length of 4.92 kms was already 31.7 percent complete, Sadain said. It covers the Emie-Sagunsungan-Linao-Rantian Road (Road 9-1), MSU-Bobo Road (Road 13), and Paling-Rantian Road (Road 14) which are under the contract of Kouzbary Builders and Renren Trading and Construction Services.
On the other hand, the CP-3C project was already 45 percent completed. It has a total length of 4.34 kms and was awarded to Al Hussein Construction. Included in the contract are the Linao-Alinan Road (Road 15), Emie-Sagunsungan-Linao-Rantian Road (Road 9-2), Rorogagus-Mipaga Road (Road 25), and Bito-Rorogagus-Guimba Road (Road 26).
Lastly, the CP-3D project, with a total length of 4.65 kms, is at 30.8 percent completion. It was awarded to CDH Construction and covers Bacong-Poona-Marantao Road (Road 2-3), Bito-Rorogagus Road (Road 11), and Tampilon Road (Road 28).
Sadain reminded the contractors to ensure the provision of adequate drainage facilities to prevent or reduce premature damage of road by avoiding water ingress on concrete.
Meanwhile, civil works have started for the rehabilitation of the existing 5.29-kilometer Transcentral Roads in Lanao Del Sur and 4.71 kilometer MSU Roads under EARRM and are being implemented by the UPMO RMC 2.
Sadain said that other project components under the EARRM include the construction of 4.32-km new Transcentral Roads with drainage, three main drainage channels with a total length of 6.21 kms., the construction of the Rorogagus Bridge and replacement of three other bridges, and slope protection and rehabilitation on Marawi Bito Road and Lasureco Road.
Meanwhile, the 2.4-kilometer Malabang viaduct is under feasibility study, he added.
The detailed engineering design of the 19.8 km Marawi Ring Road under JICA loan is also on-going, he nited.
The DPWH has earlier completed in 2021 the construction of an 18.97-km road network under the two-billion yen program for the support to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City and Its surrounding areas.