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Wednesday, February 25, 2004
No demolition yet for railroad dwellers
By Jay Dooma Balnig
* There will be no movement on the clearing of the railway trail until next month, PRI General Manager Hannibal Lepardo says
* But the consortium's heavy equipment will arrive in Loboc port soon after the groundbreaking and prior to that, the squatters' areas will be cleared
OCCUPANTS of Panay Railways Inc. tracks from Iloilo City to Roxas City will not face demolition yet before the groundbreaking for the P23.5-billion railway rehabilitation project tentatively set March 16.
There will be no movement on the clearing of the railway trail until next month, PRI General Manager Hannibal Lepardo said.
The groundbreaking site not has been finalized yet but they are choosing between La Paz, Iloilo City and Passi City.
The PRI is also checking on President Arroyo's availability during the scheduled groundbreaking rites, Lepardo said.
If not March 16, they will schedule the activity from that date to March 27.
After the groundbreaking rites, a German, French and Austrian consortium will start with the project, which involves the rehabilitation of the 117-kilometer alignment between Iloilo and Roxas.
The project, supported by Iloilo City Rep. Raul Gonzalez Sr., also includes the integration of the existing railway line with the airport of international standards in Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area as well as with routes of buses bound for Aklan.
The consortium's heavy equipment will arrive in Loboc port soon after the groundbreaking and prior to that, the squatters' areas will be cleared, Lepardo said.
He said the government has to find a relocation site for those affected by the railway clearing.
PRI records show there are close to 4,700 squatters and tenants occupying its properties from Iloilo to Roxas.
A total of 2,231 are considered active and 985, active. Those who have no contracts reach 1,472.
Last week, lawyer Romeo Gerochi asked the City Council to pass an ordinance blocking the revival of the railroad system in Iloilo City based on the clamor, he said, of thousands of city residents.
Gerochi, who is seeking a congressional seat, said he represents Iloilo City residents whose houses are situated along the railroad from Ungka to Lapuz as well as a "substantial number of residents of the City of Iloilo who will be affected by the rehabilitation project."
He added that "the entry of the railway system will aggravate the traffic condition and cause inconvenience."
(February 24, 2004 issue)
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