Press Release

The newly completed segments of the Marawi Transcentral Road can help drive economic activities in Marawi, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said following the inauguration at the end of September, of the road network under the 2-billion yen Program for the Support to Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Marawi City and Its Surrounding Areas.

The completed portions of Marawi Transcentral Road was supported through JICA grant assistance for the rehabilitation of the Islamic City after it was left in rubble in the 2017 siege. Prior to the conflict, Marawi City was a trading hub known for its towering mosques and busy commercial streets. Said construction of 18.97-kilometer road aims to catalyze growth and economic opportunities, as well as to sustain peacebuilding initiatives in the city.

"JICA hopes that the project will promote economic development in areas that were devastated by armed conflict in 2017. Building quality road infrastructure in conflict-affected areas will not only promote better transportation options but more importantly, also encourage revival of trade and investment activities in Marawi," said JICA Chief Representative AZUKIZAWA Eigo.

Bacong-Iligan-Marawi Road and other sections of the Marawi Transcentral Road were reconstructed and rehabilitated through JICA assistance. Photos courtesy of DPWH

The JICA assistance is aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 that aims to revitalize Mindanao's economy and is a component of the Japanese bilateral aid agency's Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the Philippines.

Following this, JICA expressed its continued support to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in implementing the Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao (RNDP-CAAM), which is financed by ODA loan. JICA announced that the detailed design study of the 19.8-km Marawi Ring Road is also ongoing while the civil works for Phase III of the MTR project is currently at 14.4% accomplishment rate. RNDP-CAAM also covers the construction and improvement of other access roads in the region.

To complement this support, JICA is supporting via grant the detailed design study for the Matanog-Barira-Alamada-Libungan Road (Matanog - Barira Section) and Tapian-Lebak Coastal Road, which is expected to be completed soon.

Since 2002, JICA has been supporting peace and development in Mindanao. In fact, the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) has implemented key projects in Mindanao to help people realize the dividends of peace and improve their quality of life.

Other than infrastructure, some of these projects zero in on water supply, agriculture, education, and capacity building to strengthen organizations and institutions in conflict-affected areas.