President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has resorted to the old way of dealing with right-of-way (ROW) issues in the country to obtain and finish the big infrastructure projects in the country faster.
In a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council-Infrastructure Sector Group (PSAC-ISG) in Malacañan on Wednesday but was only shared with the public on Thursday, Marcos said that lawmakers agreed to bring back the previous and existing process of securing the ROW.
Getting a right-of-way currently meant getting a writ of possession after paying the owners of the affected land 15 percent upfront.
"We had a briefing on the flagship projects and the delays --- there is indeed a significant delay in the right of way. I spoke to the Solicitor General about it. I spoke to the House Speaker and the Senate President and I said there is a bill. There's a house bill that’s going through the process that wants to amend the right-of-way process," Marcos said.
"What we suggest (is to) just bring back the old process. There should be a turnover after you pay 15 percent. If you want to argue about valuation, whatever it is, then go ahead. But the project can already begin. So, (the legislators) agreed to that," Marcos added.
The President said the executive branch will draft an accompanying bill for the Senate to file when deliberations resume. He mentioned that this bill will serve as the basis for the final draft that will be produced in Congress.
The government is reverting to the old system, which he described as reasonable, involving a 15 percent upfront payment before land turnover. He added that landowners can pursue any legal actions they deem necessary if they feel justified.
Rogelio Singson, a member of the PSAC-ISG, informed the President that there is no issue regarding cost since the government is offering the market price. The problem, he explained, lies in the actual process.
The PSAC has recommended the creation of a dedicated Right-of-Way (ROW) Technical Working Group (TWG), similar to the Inter-Agency Committee for ROW for national railway projects, involving critical agencies. This is intended to streamline the acquisition of ROW for key Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) such as toll roads, airports, and seaports.
Some of the key IFPs of the DPWH and DOTr that are encountering ROW issues include the Cagayan de Oro Diversion Road Extension (Junction Sayre Highway-Manolo Fortich-Malitbog-Claveria-Eureka, Gingoog City Road); the Davao City Bypass Construction Project; the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge; the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project; and the EDSA Greenways Project.
