President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has signed Republic Act No. 12289, or the Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way (ARROW) Act, which seeks to speed up land acquisition for infrastructure projects while ensuring fair compensation for affected landowners and families.
Enacted on Sept. 12, the new law amends Republic Act No. 10752, the Right-of-Way Act of 2016, and introduces updated guidelines on valuation, expropriation, and relocation.
Property prices will be based on the valuation system under the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act of 2024, or, in its absence, the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s zonal value and the assessed value of improvements.
For untitled lands, owners must submit tax declarations, certifications from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and other documents.
The ARROW Act also requires implementing agencies to deposit 15 percent of a land’s market value with the court when filing an expropriation case, alongside the full replacement cost of improvements and compensation for crops and trees.
It directs the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development to coordinate with local governments in resettling displaced informal settlers.
For public-private partnership projects, right-of-way procedures must comply with the PPP Code of 2023. The law also holds private entities accountable for violations, making company officials liable for penalties.
The measure expands the agencies drafting its implementing rules to include the Departments of Agriculture, Interior and Local Government, Agrarian Reform, Environment and Natural Resources, and Economy, Planning, and Development, among others.
It also adds provisions on ancestral domains, relocation of utilities, foreign-assisted projects, and public disclosure of right-of-way information.
The Marcos administration has said the measure will help address delays in its “Build Better More” infrastructure program.
