The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has teamed up with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to accelerate the implementation of key infrastructure projects, including the North-South Commuter Railway Project (NSCR) and the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).
The collaboration, which includes a write workshop on expropriation cases, is expected to fast-track right-of-way and site acquisition for the flagship projects.
DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the mass drafting of expropriation pleadings is key to meeting the President’s order for expedited project completion.
“We thank the OSG for working with us to expedite the acquisition of right-of-way for the projects we are working on. The President has ordered the expedited completion of these projects, so the DOTr will do everything to follow our timeline and for passengers to benefit immediately,” said Lopez.
The workshop, led by DOTr assistant secretary for right-of-way and site acquisition IC Calaguas, aims to expedite the drafting of pleadings for 137 expropriation cases.
Calaguas noted that the total amount of land acquisition for these cases is P1.068 billion, involving 40,488 square meters (sq. m.) in the north segment and 25,194 sq. m. in the south segment of NSCR and 3,177 sqm for MMSP.
The MMSP, billed as the Philippines’ “Crown Jewel” of the mass transit system, will cut across eight cities stretching from Valenzuela City to FTI-Bicutan in Parañaque City with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
The 33-kilometer and 17-station rail line is expected to cut travel time between Quezon City and NAIA in Pasay City from 70 minutes to just 35 minutes.
Once operational, the underground railway system is projected to service up to 370,000 passengers daily.
The NSCR, a flagship project under the “Build Better More” program, is a mega railway network spanning 148 kilometers, with 37 stations and 464 train cars.
It encompasses three segments: PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos), PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark) and PNR Calamba (Solis-Calamba). The project will run across 26 cities and municipalities and aims to serve over 800,000 passengers daily once fully operational. The Clark to Valenzuela segment of the NSCR System will begin operations by 2028.
