Muntinlupa resident criticizes relocation plan for affected families due to NSCRP

On December 20, the Muntinlupa Urban Poor Affairs Office (UPAO) reported that the first batch of relocatees affected by the North-South Commuter Railway Project (NSCRP) consists of 1,916 individuals, referred to as persons affected by a project (PAP).

Meanwhile, according to Perforio Bohol, who lives in Brgy. Putatan just near the municipality, said that the community around his area has around 2,000 residents which will be affected by the displacement due to the NSCRP.

Based on the data given by Muntinlupa UPAO, only 429 PAPs were identified in Brgy. Putatan as part of the first batch.

San Pedro, Laguna chosen for NSCRP relocation

Eight out of nine barangays in Muntinlupa will be impacted by the NSCRP.

In an interview with Muntinlupa Mayor Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon, he confirmed that the relocation for the affected residents of NSCRP will be in San Pedro, Laguna.

“Currently, very little land is available in Muntinlupa for in-city relocation. If any land is available, it’s either small or expensive. As a result, we are compelled to consider locations outside the city. Fortunately, there is a property in San Pedro offered to us,” Mayor Biazon said.

The NSCRP is a 163-km long railway designed to connect key cities in Metro Manila with neighboring regions in the north and south. In the south, particularly those living along the railway tracks in Calamba, will also be relocated to the said area in San Pedro. The relocation site spans less than five hectares.

“For us, it’s acceptable—it’s close enough to be considered in-city since Muntinlupa is easily accessible from there,” Mayor Biazon added.

Other properties were also considered before San Pedro, including one in General Trias, Cavite.

Mayor Biazon noted that studies are still ongoing, and the property in General Trias remains available for consideration. He also emphasized that the national government, particularly the Department of Transportation, as the project manager, should take the lead in engaging with the affected communities, given that they have the most detailed knowledge of the project.

In 2020, the Muntinlupa LGU established the Local Interagency Committee (LIAC), chaired by Mayor Biazon, to oversee the relocation of households affected by the NSCR, as well as other projects in the city.

However, Mayor Biazon clarified that their primary role would be as a coordinating body working alongside the national government. For example, when the DOTr visits, barangay officials or UPAO representatives are present to assist.

“While they’ve engaged with communities, what’s challenging with projects coming from the national government is that they often hold dialogues for compliance purposes. However, these are not always sufficient. For example, they may claim to have conducted dialogues, but some affected areas are not allowed to be heard,” said Mayor Biazon.

In April, Philippine National Railway chair Michael Macapagal said that the relocation of informal settlers along the NSCR route in Metro Manila would begin soon, noting that there had already been a directive from Malacañang and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista to relocate affected persons to the same provinces or municipalities where they initially resided.

Bohol confirmed this and said that the PNR told them they could not be displaced unless proper relocation arrangements were in place.

So far, the NSCRP has cleared the old tracks, and there are areas in the city where they have already installed posts, such as at the Alabang terminal.

When Bohol was informed of the relocation to San Pedro, he recalled what the DOTr had told them about the payment process.

According to him, it was unclear at first because they were initially told that the relocation would be free. However, in subsequent meetings, they were informed that they would have to pay to secure a slot and rent the offered relocation housing.

“That’s what some people are refusing because, at first, they were told it was free. But now they’re saying we’ll have to rent, and it’s a long term—30 years. It seems my child will lose his job before the payments are even finished. He doesn’t even have a family yet. So how will we pay? What if my child loses his job? Will he just pass that obligation on to his children?” Bohol lamented.