The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has inked an agreement with concerned housing agencies on the relocation of around 100,000 informal settler families (ISFs) in Los Baños, Naga, Legazpi, Sorsogon, and Batangas that will be affected by the construction of the North-South Railway Project (NSRP) South Line also known as PNR South expected to start next year.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and officials of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Friday with Presidential Commission on Urban Poor Chairperson, James Mark Terry Ridon; National Housing Authority General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr.; Social Housing Finance Corporation president Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling; and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairman Eduardo del Rosario.
The MOA will enable government agencies to provide affordable housing assistance for ISFs that will be relocated due to the construction of the railway project.
“Talaga pong kinakailangang ma-relocate ang ating mga kababayan na nakatira malapit sa riles, para sa kanilang kaligtasan,” PNR Chairman Roberto Lastimoso said.
“Ang MOA signing po na ito ay isang patunay na ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan ay nagtutulung-tulong para sa pagsasakatuparan ng mga pangako ng administrasyon, Tugade said.
For his part, Cabiling said, “We assure you that the houses that we will provide for the affected ISFs are livable, affordable, and inclusive.”
NSRP South Line, also known as the PNR South, covers Metro Manila to Legazpi City, Albay, plus a number of existing and proposed branch lines totaling to approximately 653 km.
It consists of commuter railway operations between Tutuban and Calamba and long haul railway operations between Tutuban and Legazpi, including extended long haul rail operations on the branch line between Calamba and Batangas and extension between Legazpi and Matnog. with PNA