Chugging along •

DOTr bullish on Mindanao Railway Project amid setbacks

THE MINDANAO Railway Project (MRP) will proceed despite the funding challenges and right-of-way issues by residents possibly displaced by the multi-billion initiative started during the previous administration.

During the Bagong "We need to get approval Pilipinas Town Hall Meeting from NEDA kasi on Feb. 6, Department there is a change in cost of Transportation (DOTr) and possibly change its Secretary Jaime Bautista scope, 'yung alignment said they are in the process might change dahil nga of passing the feasibility may mga issue, yung rightof-way. study to the National We are also doing Economic Development it now," Bautista said. Authority (NEDA) XI for He said they are now the third segment of the working closely with the project. Department of Finance (DOF) to source out other possible funding in Asia and ASEAN after the Philippine government dropped initial talks with China for a loan package.

"We are attending to all the requirements of the project and we will make an announcement (for the timeframe) after we have settled all the issues," Bautista

added.

Jeremy Regino, DOTr Railways Sector representative, said, "The loan negotiations with China were terminated as it has been dragging on for years."

"In a negotiation on a government-to-government basis, we cannot just negotiate with other governments on the basis of diplomatic ties with them. Before we open up negotiation with others, we must have to formally terminate,"

Usec. Garry De Guzman of the Department of Human Settlements added that concerned government agencies, led by the DOTr, "are settling the right-ofway, as a counterpart for the government to seek funding for the project."

The P81.7 billion MRP Phase 1 covers 100 kilometers and includes eight railway stations linking

Tagum City to Digos City.

Based on their report, the project already released payments for landowners affected by the railway system and established the Tagumpay Train Village in Tagum City, involving 248 houses for project-affected families on a 4.26-hectare property.

Meanwhile, a total of P1.6 billion has been downloaded so far dedicated to right-of-way acquisitions.

BING GONZALES DEPARTMENT of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista gives updates on the ongoing land acquisition and settlement sites on Mindanao Railway Project Phase 1 costing billion during the Bagong Pilipinas Town Hall Meeting as part of the DOTr 125th anniversary at Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.