THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it signed an agreement with housing agencies to resettle 100,000 families who will be affected by the North-South Railway Project.

Secretary Arthur P. Tugade yesterday signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with officials of the Philippine National Railways (PNR), with Presidential Commission on Urban Poor (PCUP) Chairperson James Mark Terry L. Ridon, National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Marcelino P. Escalada Jr., Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC) President Arnolfo Ricardo B. Cabling, and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Eduardo D. del Rosario.

The government has set aside P54 billion to provide affordable housing to informal settlers affected by the railway project.

The main southern component of the rail line, known as the PNR South Long Haul, will run to Sorsogon.

“This is probably one of the most critical aspects of project implementation because we cannot start construction of the rails without the resettlement of the informal settler families,” DoTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan told reporters.

Mr. Batan said that the government will draft a resettlement action plan and will start the relocation within the first six months of 2018. Housing will be provided by the NHA and the SHFC.

“As soon as right-of-way is substantially achieved, we can start construction,” he told reporters. He added that the project adheres to the “no demolition” policy of President Rodrigo R. Duterte without inclusive relocation to a well-planned community.

The 600-kilometer Long Haul segment will start in Los Baños and will run through Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon. It is expected to cost P175 billion.

“The plan is to open segments which can be opened before 2022. We can operate first, for example, Naga-Legazpi, then Los Baños-Ragay,” Mr. Batan told reporters on the sidelines of the MoA signing.

The P124-billion Commuter Line segment has 23 stations and will now start from Solis-Hermosa in Tondo, Manila to Los Baños. It is expected to be completed in 2022.

The South Long Haul segment will be financed by a loan from the Chinese government, while the Commuter Line segment will be financed by a loan from the Japanese government. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

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