Residents may be displaced due to MRT7 depot construction

Residents in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City may have to be relocated as the construction of the Manila Metro Rail Transit 7 (MRT7) depot has started, according to a 24 Oras report by Sandra Aguinaldo.

Emerita Veras, who has lived in the area for ten years, said the government already bought the property to be used for the construction of the MRT7 depot.

"Papaalis na nila po kami dito...kailangan na daw po ito ng government kasi sa government daw po ito. Sana po mabigyan po kami ng tirahan at konting tulong," Veras said.

Giovanni Lopez, the DOTr Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation, assured there is a prepared resettlement action plan for the displaced residents.

Recently, two courts in Quezon City issued a writ of possession in favor of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 (SMRT7).

In the report, the DOTr and SMRT7 attempted to acquire property in San Juan del Monte for the depot, but this did not push through. Instead, they bought property in Barangay Lagro.

The construction of the depot is part of the MRT7 project, which is almost halfway completed.

According to the DOTr, the MRT7 will connect Quezon City to San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan through a 23-kilometer railway line.

With the new railway line, travel time from Bulacan to North Avenue, QC will be cut to 35 minutes.

The MRT7 will be connected to the LRT-1 line, MRT-3 and the proposed Metro Manila Subway at the Common Station in North Avenue. — Angelica Y. Yang/ BAP, GMA News