Right-of-way issues still hamper ODA-assisted projects in Philippines

RIGHT-OF-WAY (RoW) bottlenecks are stalling the rollout of official development assistance (ODA)-funded infrastructure projects, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Philippine Country Director Andrew Jeffries said.

- Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

“The problems that are ongoing — right of way, land acquisition and the like, are problems faced globally, that’s not a unique problem in the Philippines,” Mr. Jeffries told Business World on the sidelines of an event on Oct. 6.

He cited densely populated areas such as the Clark region through Metro Manila to Laguna, where the ADB-funded Malolos-Clark Railway, part of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), is located.

“The government in particular is very adamant that progress be made quickly, and they’re anxious to show tangible results during this administration. We're working hard with them to make sure that happens,” Mr. Jeffries said.

The acquisition of RoW from landowners for National Government infrastructure projects is mostly hampered by disputes over property valuation.

Department of Transportation (DoTr) Acting Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez said the newly signed Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way Act (ARROW) as a key tool in resolving land acquisition issues.

The agency also expanded its workforce, tightened coordination with the local government units for RoW acquisition.