MANILA – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) completed a three-day writing workshop that resulted in 345 finalized expropriation cases as part of right-of-way (ROW) and site acquisition for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
In a statement on Thursday, acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez said the workshop is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s order to fast-track the construction and completion of the country’s 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 (Through this partnership with the OSG, we’re accelerating ROW and site acquisition for big-ticket projects of the DOTr),” Lopez said.
Expropriation pleadings are legal documents filed in court to initiate the process of taking private property for public use.
He noted that the mass drafting of these legal documents will significantly expedite land acquisition along the Clark-Malolos corridor of the NSCR, as well as critical sites for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).
The recent workshop is said to be the largest in DOTr history, with 191 attendees, setting a benchmark for departmental cooperation and project scope.
To date, ROW acquisition for NSCR North has risen sharply, from 7.59 percent in March 2025 to 65.5 percent at present.
“Kailangan na natin ito paspasan para umandar na ang konstruksyon ng mga transport projects at mapakinabangan na ng mga pasahero (We need to rush this so that construction for transport projects begins and passengers benefit from it),” he said.
The workshop was held in Pampanga from April 14 to 16.
During the event, DOTr Assistant Secretary for ROW and Site Acquisition IC Calaguas said the legal pleadings cover land properties that are essential to the advancement of 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.
To date, 1,537, or 58.51 percent of 2,647 informal settler households have received compensation.
The NSCR North section, which covers the Malolos-Clark segment, is slated to be operational by 2028, while the NSCR South section will be completed by 2031.
On the other hand, ROW for the MMSP has reached 90.80 percent and is expected to be completed by 2032. (PNA)
