19 March 2018, Marawi City, the Philippines – The Government of Japan and UN-Habitat have exchanged notes to signify their partnership on a post-conflict shelter rehabilitation project, with financial support of USD 10 million from Japan. project, focusing on peacebuilding through community-driven shelter and livelihood recovery, aims to support people displaced by the Marawi conflict, which took place from May to October 2017, in the recovery of shelter and community infrastructure. In order to contribute to the peacebuilding process and sustainable development, the housing and infrastructure components will be supplemented by peace-promotive capacity development and livelihood support.
UN-Habitat Philippines Habitat Programme Manager Christopher Rollo and Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines His Excellency Mr. Koji Haneda present the signed exchange-of-notes after a handover of construction equipment by Japan to the Philippines’ Department of Public Works and Highways, in support of Marawi rehabilitation efforts.
This project will be implemented using a community-driven approach to empower households whose homes have been completely destroyed, by providing training that helps them become active actors in rebuilding their homes and communities.
Shelter reconstruction support will be provided for 1,500 affected households that will be organized under the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) of the national government through the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC). Transcending this community-focused approach is the development of a city-level recovery and reconstruction plan, including the local shelter plan, that will situate the role of the families and communities in the overall rebuilding of the city.
Complementing shelter recovery, the project will also provide livelihood support by training households in construction, small-scale enterprise development, and other similar skills. Capacity-building for communities will also be at play as they get training on project, business, financial management, with a strong mindfulness for gender balance, peace building, and social development mainstreamed into the training.
The project endeavours to ensure that all related activities are carried out in a manner that helps strengthen or rehabilitate the social fabric and promote peacebuilding among families and communities in relation to the wider community of Marawi and the region.
One of the project’s components is community development through capacity-building with a mindfulness for culture, gender balance, and peace-promotive activities.
While shelter reconstruction will directly benefit 1,500 families, the project collectively targets a broader range of stakeholders, about 4,000 households, who will benefit from complementary activities like the construction or improvement of community infrastructure (water, sanitation, road, multipurpose centers), community development support, livelihood assistance, and peace and development initiatives.
The project, slated to run for a year, will be implemented by UN-Habitat in collaboration with several partners such government agencies and offices such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the Social Housing Finance Corporation, the Office of Civil Defense, and the Task Force Bangon Marawi; with the local government of Marawi; and with the homeowners’ associations in participating communities.
