The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) have successfully concluded a three-day writing workshop that produced 345 finalized expropriation cases, a key step in right-of-way (ROW) and site acquisition for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
Record-Breaking Workshop
In a statement on Thursday, acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez announced that the workshop, held from April 14 to 16 in Pampanga, was the largest in DOTr history with 191 attendees. He emphasized that this initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to expedite the construction of major transport infrastructure projects.
“Sa partnership nating ito with OSG, lalong mapapabilis ang ROW at site acquisition para sa mga big-ticket projects ng DOTr,” Lopez said, highlighting the acceleration of land acquisition for critical projects.
Impact on Rail Projects
The mass drafting of expropriation pleadings is expected to significantly speed up land acquisition along the Clark-Malolos corridor of the NSCR and for critical sites of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP). Expropriation pleadings are legal documents filed in court to initiate the process of taking private property for public use.
As a result, ROW acquisition for the NSCR North section has surged from 7.59 percent in March 2025 to 65.5 percent currently. “Kailangan na natin ito paspasan para umandar na ang konstruksyon ng mga transport projects at mapakinabangan na ng mga pasahero,” Lopez added, stressing the urgency to benefit passengers.
Key Details
- The NSCR North section (Malolos-Clark segment) is slated to be operational by 2028, while the NSCR South section will be completed by 2031.
- ROW for the MMSP has reached 90.80 percent and is expected to be completed by 2032.
- To date, 1,537 out of 2,647 informal settler households (58.51 percent) have received compensation.
DOTr Assistant Secretary for ROW and Site Acquisition IC Calaguas noted that the legal pleadings cover land properties essential for flagship rail projects. “These are all crucial right-of-way parcels for NSCR and MMSP. To the men and women of OSG, please continue to be our partner in attaining 100 percent right-of-way for our rail projects,” Calaguas said.
