The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Wednesday said the newly-formed Inter-Agency Committee for Right-of-Way (ROW) will speed up the completion of major railways.
DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the committee would directly address concerns over land acquisition which often hamper the implementation of railway construction.
Bautista said the initiative, outlined in Administrative Order (AO) 19, would be a huge boost to the country’s railway system and “help restore its former glory.”
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 order also directs the committee to coordinate the implementation of railway policies and projects and craft and approve project-specific policies and programs.
It must also identify appropriate services or programs concerning land acquisition and other ROW issues, such as livelihood, income restoration and resettlement.
Bautista sits as chairman of the committee with the secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) as co-chairman.
Member-agencies of the committee are the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General.
State-owned Philippine National Railways will serve as the committee secretariat.
Key infrastructure projects in the administration’s transportation sector agenda include the Metro Manila Subway Project, North-South Commuter Railway System, Mindanao Railway Project and PNR South Long Haul.
These projects are designed to enhance mobility and connectivity and stimulate growth centers beyond the urban-industrial area.