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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider DOTr seeks OSG help to fast-track 137 rail expropriation cases

DOTr seeks OSG help to fast-track 137 rail expropriation cases

Published Nov 28, 2025 11:36 pm
(DOTr photo)
(DOTr photo)
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is collaborating with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to address more than ₱1 billion in right-of-way (ROW) issues that have long plagued the country’s major railway projects.
Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said his agency held a workshop with the OSG to seek their expertise in addressing expropriation cases involving ROW.
“We thank the OSG for working with us to speed up the acquisition of right-of-way for the projects we are undertaking,” said Lopez.
“It is the President’s directive to fast-track the completion of these projects, so the DOTr will do everything to follow our timeline and ensure that passengers can benefit from them as soon as possible,” he added.
The DOTr-led workshop aimed to attain the OSG’s assistance to hasten the preparation of pleadings for a total of 137 expropriation cases.
These cases involve parcels of land that the DOTr requires for the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway Project (NSCR) and Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).
The DOTr is looking to secure 40,488 square meters (sqm) in the north segment of NSCR, and an additional 25,194 sqm for the south segment.
The agency also needs 3,177 sqm for MMSP.
The total land acquisition cost for these cases is ₱1.07 billion.
Lopez said the mass drafting of pleadings is critical to accelerate the construction of both NSCR and MMSP, which have faced countless setbacks due to ROW issues.
Lopez earlier told reporters that they are working to complete all the ROW requirements for MMSP by the second quarter of next year.
He also said that all land acquisitions for the northern portion of NSCR will be finalized by mid-2026, while ROW for nine stations on the southern section are expected to be settled next month.
The DOTr most recently started ROW acquisitions for the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP), with Lopez ordering the swift processing of payments for landowners who have accepted the government's offer to buy their properties.
As of Nov. 26, 1,105 offers to buy have been accepted out of 3,548 total parcels, with 381 landowners already having signed the deed of sale.
Lopez said his agency is already in the process of completing other procedures to start the project “as soon as possible.”
He noted that the feasibility study for MRP, which is deemed outdated by many prospective investors, is now in the process of being updated to “ensure its viability and sustainability.”
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