Ms. Marge Jorillo
                                                                                                                                               8114198

                                                                          

VP Noli turns over North Rail phase 1 to NLRC

23 December 2005

Vice President Noli “Kabayan” de Castro on Wednesday turned over to the North Luzon Railways Corporation (NLRC) the cleared 37-kilometer Philippine National Railways (PNR) right-of-way stretching from Kalookan to Malolos City, Bulacan following the completion of clearing operations for the first phase of North Rail. 

Structures originally tagged, described and indicated along the 37-kilometer PNR property have been completely cleared, and censused informal settler families have been relocated by the National Housing Authority (NHA).

According to the De Castro, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) which oversees the clearing and resettlement operations, the turnover will “pave the way for the implementation of the North Rail Development Project from Kalookan City to Bulacan.”
 

It took the NHA the better part of the year to finish clearing operations on the Bulacan segment of North Rail, prompting De Castro to comment that that the cleared right-of-way had been “the longest 37 kilometers I have had to cover so far.”
 

After clearing the Metro Manila segment of North Rail stretching across Kalookan, Malabon and Valenzuela, De Castro led work on the Bulacan segment from late May up to December 10 this year, going through challenges such as bad weather, funding issues and resistance from small groups that are opposing the resettlement plan.
 

The Vice President hailed the success of phase 1 in paving the way for the North Rail project and in providing shelter security for over 20,000 informal settler families occupying the right of way from Metro Manila to Bulacan.
 

“This is an important accomplishment for the housing sector, just as this turnover is an important development for the North Rail project,” he said.

 

De Castro added that the second phase, which involves clearing the Pampanga alignment and relocating some 19,500 families will begin next year.