The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) jointly inspected the construction sites for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System in Bulacan and Pampanga and cited significant progress in the right-of-way and site acquisition as well as the relocation of project-affected persons (PAPs).
On Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez lauded the efforts of the DOTr’s Right-of-Way and Site Acquisition (ROWSA) office in meeting the deadline to complete the processes by June this year.
Lopez said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the DOTr to speed up site acquisition to fast-track the construction of the NSCR and other big-ticket projects.
DOTr Assistant Secretary for ROWSA IC Calaguas and the ADB team visited the NSCR works in Abacan Bridge, Angeles Station, San Fernando Station, Extradosed Bridge, and the resettlement sites in San Fernando City, all in Pampanga, as well as the intended place for a relocation site in Calumpit, Bulacan.
“We are doing our best to finish the NSCR project. The DOTr is exerting all its efforts to meet the deadline in terms of site acquisition, construction, and relocation of families affected by the project. We sincerely thank ADB for supporting this project all the way,” said Asec. Calaguas.
The ADB is co-financing NSCR along with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). As one of the principal co-financing partners for the NSCR Extension Project—specifically the Malolos–Clark Railway Project (MCRP), the ADB conducts regular monitoring of the project’s implementation and its progress.
The DOTr is developing other relocation sites in collaboration with the National Housing Authority , Social Housing Finance Corporation , and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
