MALACAÑANG GAVE assurance yesterday that evacuees from Marawi can transfer to transitional shelters before the year ends, even as troops continue to miss government-declared deadlines for clearing out the remaining Islamic State-inspired militants who still have control over parts of the city. In a press briefing, Kristoffer James Purisima, Deputy Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, said once the first portion of the transitional shelters is done, evacuees would immediately be allowed to move in. Mr. Purisima said about 14 hectares have been allotted for the project, with 1,500 housing units and common facilities. At the same time, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Land Registration Authority are preparing to conduct a survey of the entire city, he said, as part of the reconstruction program. — Rosemarie A. Zamora

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