THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) said that the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) realignment plan in Davao City is already 95 percent final.
“This is also the subject of our presentation with the Office of Councilor Jesus Joseph Zozobrabo. We have three major areas that are of our concern, the Holcim Philippines, Monteritz Classic Estates and the South Pacific Gold Course,” Transportation Assistant Secretary Eymard Eje said in a phone interview on Wednesday, February 13, 2019.
He said that after the three major concerns of DOTr are settled, the MRP realignment plan will be ready and final for construction of the project.
However, the homeowners of Monteritz appealed before the 18th City Council on Tuesday that the realignment be moved further away from the premises which the DOTr said to be no longer possible.
“We tried to locate areas with lesser impact doon sa mga naapektuhan para naman maging successful. We cannot really eliminate the affected, talagang mayroon,” Eje said, adding that they cannot change the realignment plan just because a certain group of people demanded it.
“To be direct sa concern ng Monteritz, the Town Plaza na sinasabi nila, it will be a big development. Why did we consider Monteritz? Dahil walang single na bahay na magigiba. Nasa loob kasi dadaan ang railway sa isang kalsada lang ng Monteritz,” he said.
Meanwhile, there will be properties affected in Monteritz and Eje assured that they will be compensated.
“Everybody who will be affected will be compensated. Lagi naman tayong may just compensation,” he said.
The allocated budget for road right of way (RROW) compensation in Davao City alone is P2.4 billion and a total of P3.3 billion for Tagum-Digos segment.
“We are expecting na may mga changes. Hopefully, we will not encounter the need for increase, sana nga bumaba pa ang budget need for compensation, but we will see,” Eje said.