Ms. Marge Jorillo at 8114198

North Rail relocation project accomplished in record time

01 December 2005

DESPITE delays, relocation of informal settlers up to the Bulacan segment of North Rail-the biggest project of its kind in Philippine history-will be completed in record time.

NORTHRAIL BULACAN SEGMENT RELOCATION COMPLETED IN RECORD TIME. Vice President and concurrent HUDCC chairman Noli "Kabayan" De Castro discusses with Balagtas Mayor Reynaldo Castro the completion of the Northrail relocation project in Balagtas during a site inspection visit. According to De Castro, the North Rail right-of-way up to Bulacan will be completely cleared by December 10 this year, and will be turned over to the North Luzon Railway Corp. (NLRC) (photo by Ruel Pira).

According to Vice President Noli "Kabayan" De Castro, Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), the North Rail right-of-way up to Bulacan will be completely cleared by December 10 this year, and will be turned over to the North Luzon Railway Corp. (NLRC). "As of end-November, we have already turned over the cleared R-O-W in Balagtas, Meycauayan, and Marilao," De Castro reported.

In a report to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the members of the Cabinet, De Castro said that the earlier projection to complete the project by the end of October was not met as relocation and clearing operations were hampered by various factors.

Despite the change in the timetable, however, President Arroyo lauded De Castro and all the agencies and groups involved for "completing the biggest relocation project in Philippine history in record time."

The Vice President led the relocation of 18,644 families from Metro Manila and Bulacan in less than one year. Only 342 more families under the original census need to be relocated.

Among the factors cited by De Castro for the delay are the continuous rains, cash flow issues and resistance from a small group of beneficiaries.

"We maximized the sunny days by deploying volunteer marshals to direct traffic in the relocation sites to facilitate families moving in, the flow of delivery trucks, as well as construction activities," he said.

Also affecting the completion date is the addition of 3,455 more families identified by the NLRC in Kalookan and Bulacan not included in the initial census who will need to be relocated.

For the next phase of the North Rail relocation project, census and tagging of part of the Malolos segment as well as in Apalit, Minalin, Sto. Tomas, San Fernando and Angeles in Pampanga have been completed, while those in Mabalacat and Calumpit are still ongoing.

Clearing of the Pampanga segment is scheduled within the first semester of 2006.