Japan surveys roads in war-ravaged Marawi

MARAWI CITY - - Japan government, through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has facilitated survey in this war-ravaged city for the immediate examination and repair of damaged roads and ensure smooth full return of displaced people here, officials said.

Salma Tamano, public information officer, said the survey has already initiated on February 13 and expected to be completed next month in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in coordination with the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur.

Japan has extended assistance for Marawi on the smooth returns of the Internal Displaced People and the repairing of road infrastructures damaged during the last year conflict.

“This is in their support on rehabilitating and revitalizing the local socio-economic after the city suffered from the five-month war between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the local terrorist group,” Tamano said.

“The war left much of the infrastructure in ruins. Some of the road network suffered severe damage and there is data lacking which could state exact length, location, type and severe of damage, and other necessary information to come up with the rehabilitation plan,” she said.

The survey attempts to capture the magnitude of damages through checking on road inventory and its surface, drainage and its conditions, including its roughness through the use of high-tech system called DRIMS (Dynamic Response Intelligent Monitoring System).

When the survey completed, a road project designed to be completed for the span of three years will commence, Tamano said.

The project is called “ring road” covering road networks in this city and other nearby municipalities such as Piagapo, Saguiaran and Marantao, she added.

On May 23, Marawi was abandoned by hundreds of thousands residents when armed groups clad in black attacked the city and the raised flag of international terrorist group, Islamic State (IS). The attackers were aiming to extend IS territory in the Philippines but failed when Armed Forces of the Philippines retook the city on October 23.