MANILA, Philippines – LUMIKHA si Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ng isang Inter-Agency Committee for Right-of Way (ROW) Activities para sa National Railway Projects para i- streamline ang proseso ng land acquisition na kailangan para sa implementasyon ng lahat ng railway projects sa bansa.
“The Inter-Agency Committee for ROW Activities for National Railway Projects (Committee) is hereby created to study and devise an efficient and collaborative mechanism to streamline the process of land acquisition necessary for the implementation of all railway projects,”ang sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos sa pagpapalabas ng Administrative Order No. 19, may petsang Marso 25.
Kabilang sa kapangyarihan at tungkulin ng komite ay “coordinating the implementation of railway policies and projects, crafting and approving project-specific policies and programs, and identifying the appropriate services or programs concerning land acquisition and other ROW activities, such as livelihood, income restoration, and resettlement.”
Tutukuyin din nito ang mga epektibong umiiral na polisiya, kasunduan, kontrata at iba pang kahalintulad na arrangements sa pagitan at hanay ng mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan, i- consolidate at i-mobilize ang agency resources para i-streamline ang “budgeting, deliberate and resolve issues, grievance at create technical working groups” para ipatupad ang kautusan.
Itinalataga naman ng administrative order (AO) ang Kalihim ng Department of Transportation (DOTr) bilang chairperson habang ang pinuno naman ng Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development ang tatayo bilang co-chair ng komite.
Kabilang naman sa mga magiging miyembro ng komite ay ang Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR; Department of Finance (DOF); Department of Budget and Management (DBM); Department of Justice (DOJ); at Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
Ang Philippine National Railway (PNR) ang magsisilbi namang Secretariat ng komite at dapat na mag-provide ng administrative at technical support sa body.
Pinahihintulutan naman ng Republic Act (RA) No. 10752, o “Right-of-Way (ROW) Act” ang gobyerno na “to acquire real property needed as ROW site or location for any national government infrastructure project through donation, negotiated sale, expropriation, or any other mode of acquisition.”
Sa ilalim ng Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 ng administrasyon at 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda nito, layon nito na paghusayin at ayusin ang Philippine transportation sector sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng “sustainable at affordable transportation options” na mag-uugnay sa mga komunidad sa economic, social at cultural centers.
Samantala, ang Metro Manila Subway Project, North-South Commuter Railway System, Mindanao Railway Project, at PNR South Long Haul ay kabilang sa mga pangunahing infrastructure projects ng administrasyon sa sektor ng transportasyon na naglalayong palakasin ang mobility, i-enhance ang connectivity at i- promote ang growth centers sa labas ng urban-industrial region. Kris Jose
