TASK Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) on Friday moved its groundbreaking on Marawi City’s rehabilitation from August to September, as it finalizes its deal with developer Power China.
“We are now saying that it will be on Sept. 19, the groundbreaking, But it will not affect our target deadline of completing the most affected area rehabilitation by December of 2021,” Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chair Eduardo D. Del Rosario told reporters in a press briefing.
According to HUDCC undersecretary Falconi V. Millar, the Bangon Marawi selection committee is currently undergoing negotiations with Power China, which is expected to be completed “by end of next week.”
The TFBM initially was looking at Chinese-led Bangon Marawi Consortium(BMC) as partner. Mr. Del Rosario denied the disqualification of the BMC had to do with its being previously blacklisted by the World Bank.
“I would like to clarify that blacklisting has no relevance with the negotiation because they were cleared already by World Bank as early as 2012, 2013. And they have projects in other countries. World Bank projects. It was not the issue,” he said.
“Before, we were negotiating with the Bagong Marawi Consortium. And because of our issues on legal, financial and technical capacity of the developer, we declared an unsuccessful negotiation because they were not able to comply with all the required technical, financial and legal requirements,” Mr. Del Rosario also said.
With the present negotiation with Power China, the HUDCC chair said, “As of now, it’s (the rehabilitation) about P16.8 billion. But the nitty-gritty of the negotiation on the details, it will be undertaken starting today and we hope to complete it by next week.” — Charmaine A. Tadalan

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