Filipinos in the Saudi capital have expressed appreciation for the $5 million grant donated by the Kingdom through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) for rehabilitation and community development projects in Zamboanga City.

“The grant shows the benevolence of the Kingdom. It also shows its friendship toward the Philippines,” said Abdulgaffar Dimalutang, an employee at a local bank who comes from Marawi City in Mindanao.

Zamboanga City was damaged in attacks by followers of Nur Misuari, founding chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), last year.

“We are very thankful to the Kingdom. Some of my relatives’ houses in the area were damaged,” said Eli Mua, chairman of the United OFWs.

“The Kingdom has been very kind to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the Philippines and to our Muslim brothers in Mindanao,” said Alex Bello, OFW Congress president.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said that it had been informed by Director-General Hasan Alatas of the SFD Technical Department of the availability of a grant amounting to $5 million in a recent report.

The report added that Rogelio L. Singson, secretary of Public Works, held a meeting in Manila last December with the SFD Technical and Financial Mission, headed by Mohammad Al-Arifi, project consular and director-general of Asia Region, and discussed the possibility of a grant for the construction of a mosque, Islamic school, water supply pipes, a sewage system and homes that were damaged.

Singson said that the additional financial assistance will put into action the Zamboanga City Road Map to Recovery and Reconstruction (Z3Z).

Z3Z is a concept plan developed by the national government in partnership with the UP Planning and Development Research Foundation Inc. (UP PLANADES) and Zamboanga City to pave the way for the rehabilitation of villages that were severely affected by the conflict. These include Rio Hondo, Mariki and Sta. Catalina, among others.