(Courtesy of PNR Facebook)
MANILA – The committee created to streamline the process of land acquisition will accelerate big-ticket rail projects in the country due to several right-of-way (ROW) challenges of such projects.
In a statement on Tuesday, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista said the Inter-Agency Committee for ROW Activities for National Railway Projects was created by President Ferdinand R. Marcos under Administrative Order (AO) 19.
“It will help us bring back the glory days of the Philippine Railway system,” Bautista said.
Under AO 19, the committee is tasked to study and devise an efficient and collaborative mechanism to streamline the process of land acquisition necessary for the implementation of all railway projects.
The committee will handle the implementation of railway policies and projects, as well as craft and approve project-specific policies and programs.
“The committee must also identify appropriate services or programs concerning land acquisition and other ROW activities, such as livelihood, income restoration, and resettlement,” he said.
The DOTr Secretary will serve as the committee’s chair while the Secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) will serve as co-chair.
Members of the committee include the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
In addition, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) will serve as the committee secretariat. (PNA)
