Adiong questions delay in water supply restoration in Marawi

“When will the water flow?”

This was the question that Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong posed when detailing the delayed repair of water supply to areas affected by the Marawi siege, nearly 10 years after the war concluded.

The lawmaker said that rehabilitation for families that were displaced in gunfire did not merely entail rebuilding structures, it also required for individuals to be given the opportunity to live their lives with “dignity.”

“The rehabilitation of Marawi was never simply about rebuilding structures alone. It was about restoring lives. It was about giving displaced families the opportunity to return home with dignity,” Adiong expressed.

“It was about ensuring that the promise of recovery reached every resident who suffered from the devastation of war,” he added.

While housing and electricity have been duly addressed in the area, Adiong said that the government has yet to fully restore a source of water for the inhabitants of the city.

The development comes despite the government having allocated “substantial resources” to fix the issue under the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), which it had tasked to implement several projects.

Adiong noted that P39.99 million had already been released to LWUA from the Department of Budget and Management since November 2017 under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRMF).

“The funding was intended for the construction of water supply system projects in transitional shelter sites in Barangay Sagunsongan, Marawi City,” he said.

Following the initial funding, LWUA was reportedly provided additional funding in 2018 amounting to P144.35 million which was intended for the creation of a water supply and sewerage system.

Another amount of P111.9 million was provided for the rehabilitation program in December 2020, numerous other contracting firms such as Bauer International Philippines and Geneo Drilling and Construction Corporation were also tapped for the project.

Adiong said that projects for the rehabilitation of water supply in Marawi were scheduled for completion in 2025, a deadline that was subsequently extended to May 2026.

Despite the timelines being shifted, Adiong expressed disappointment over the fact that there was seemingly no completion on the part of LWUA for its commissioned projects.

“As of 2026…LWUA's own project status reports showed that while several components of the Marawi Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction program had been initiated, many critical facilities necessary for a fully functioning water and sanitation system remained incomplete,” the lawmaker said.

Adiong reiterated that despite numerous contracts being entered for the restoration of water sources for the people of Marawi, the people “continue to wait for the delivery of a reliable and sustainable water system from LWUA.”

“How many more deadlines must pass before the people of Marawi finally receive water? How many more reports must be submitted before a faucet in a Marawi household actually produces clean water?” he posed.

He questioned why LWUA was able to implement and accomplish its projects in other areas in a timely manner while seemingly undermining the needs of the Marawi people who are still reeling from the effects of the war.

“The people of my city deserve more than LWUA’s promises. They deserve results. They deserve water. They deserve the services that have been promised for them. For almost nine years, we are still waiting,” Adiong explained.