The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it is speeding up the construction of relocation sites in Bulacan and Pampanga for families affected by the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the DOTr, other government agencies, and local government units to fast-track the building of safe and livable housing for displaced families. The relocation sites will include better homes and community facilities.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the relocation site called “El Nuevo De Municipio de Calumpit” will provide proper housing for affected residents. He assured the public that no family will be left behind.
The DOTr is working with the Calumpit local government to build the site, which can house 637 families from Calumpit and Malolos in Bulacan, as well as Apalit and Minalin in Pampanga. The road embankment leading to the site has been completed. Construction of housing units will begin in April and is expected to finish by 2027. The Calumpit local government will handle social preparations for families who will transfer.
The project will include six four-story buildings, along with a basketball court, parks, and playgrounds.
In total, three relocation sites are being developed for the northern section of the NSCR—two in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, and one in Cutud, Angeles City. About 4,515 informal settler families in the north and 12,210 families in the south will be relocated due to the railway project.
Assistant Secretary for Right of Way and Site Acquisition IC Calaguas said the DOTr office is working to resolve right-of-way issues to ensure the timely completion of both the relocation sites and the railway project.
Other relocation sites are also being developed in partnership with the National Housing Authority, Social Housing Finance Corporation, and Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
The NSCR is one of the government’s major transport projects aimed at improving train travel between Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
