DOTr eyes June completion for NSCR north ROW

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is targeting to complete the right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) North segment by the end of June.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Friday the agency is confident of hitting its target as the ROW acquisition pace improved in 2025, compared with early progress levels for both projects.

“2025 was truly a banner year for our right-of-way efforts because we sped up land acquisition so commuters can immediately benefit from the subway and NSCR,” Lopez said.

As of December 2025, the DOTr has acquired 90.76 percent of the required ROW and properties for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), while at least 56 percent of the land has been cleared for free and buildable ROW for the NSCR North segment.

It was a sharp increase from February 2025, when ROW acquisition stood at only 51 percent for the MMSP and just 2 percent for the NSCR North segment.

For the NSCR North segment, the number of acquired properties rose to 1,143 as of December 2025, from just 38 parcels in February 2025.

For the NSCR South segment, four of the 19 station ROWs have been cleared—EDSA, Cabuyao, Sta. Rosa in Laguna, and the Banlic depot—allowing construction to proceed in these areas.

According to Lopez, the DOTr will continue to accelerate the right-of-way and site acquisition (ROWSA) process through key reforms.

Last year, it appointed Assistant Secretary for ROWSA IC Calaguas, expanded ROWSA personnel to 900 from 200, and boosted capacity-building programs to speed up negotiations and settlements.