The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is speeding up land acquisition for two major rail projects: the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).
In partnership with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), the agency finalized 345 expropriation cases during a three-day workshop in Clark, Pampanga. This is the largest batch of legal filings processed in DOTr’s history.
The move supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to speed up flagship infrastructure projects by resolving land acquisition delays.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the effort will help accelerate right-of-way acquisition, especially along the Clark–Malolos section of the NSCR and key sites for the MMSP.
Since March 2025, right-of-way acquisition for the NSCR North segment has increased from 7.59% to 65.5%. For informal settler families, 58.51% (1,537 out of 2,647 households) have received compensation.
Meanwhile, cleared right-of-way for the MMSP has reached 90.80%, up from 51%.
The NSCR North (Malolos–Clark) is expected to begin operations by 2028, with the southern section targeted for completion by 2031. The MMSP is scheduled for completion by 2032.
