Gov’t forms body to resolve right-of-way woes of 2 flagship railway projects 

The national government has formed an interagency committee to deal with the delays in the construction of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) and the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR)  due to right-of-way issues.

According to Bernadette Reyes’ report on “24 Oras” on Friday, the 33-kilometer underground MMSP could affect more than 40 houses. 

“Kapag hindi mo na-deliver ‘yan magkakaroon ng delay. In fact, ayan ang one of the major reason bakit na delay mga projects natin, itong MMSP,” said Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista. 

(If you fail to deliver them, it will cause a delay. In fact, that’s one of the reasons there are delays in our projects such as the MMSP.) 

With a budget of P488.48 billion, the MMSP is considered the “Project of the Century.” Its 17 stations encompassing eight cities in Metro Manila are expected to serve around 500,000 passengers daily. 

It was originally targeted to operate in 2021. But the project is still at 16% physical progress, according to the DOTr. 

Once it partially operates by 2028, the MMSP will cut the travel time from Valenzuela City to Ninoy Aquino International Airport to only 41 minutes. 

Likewise, the 147-kilometer NSCR is also encountering right-of-way issues, particularly in the area of San Fernando, Pampanga. 

“Marami din pa tayong right-of-way problem doon sa NSCR particularly sa San Fernando, Pampanga but continuous naman yung ating mga trabaho doon. Tinutulungan naman tayo ng different agencies,” said Bautista. 

(We have many right-of-way problems in NSCR, particularly in San Fernando, Pampanga, but our work there is still ongoing. Different agencies are helping us.) 

The NSCR stretches from Calamba, Laguna to Clark, Pampanga, and will slash the travel time between the two cities to two hours from the current four hours. 

Around 800,000 passengers daily are expected to benefit from the railway project once fully operational. 

The West Valenzuela-Clark segment will be the first to open and will operate in the first quarter of 2028. 

The Japan International Cooperation Agency, meanwhile, said it is taking the necessary steps to speed up the project.—Vince Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News