THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) expects to finalize this month an agreement with the Villar Group of Companies on the donation of parcels of land needed for the construction of the Las Piñas station of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project.
A total of six parcels of land are to be donated by the Villar Group, two of which turned out to be mortgaged.
In a meeting Friday with Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Villar Group representatives agreed to DOTr’s three non-negotiable terms for the land donation: granting of an unconditional permit to enter; waiver of subrogation to protect the government against liabilities; and cancellation of the mortgage on the properties that are included in the donation.
“This development is good for DOTr, LRMC (Light Rail Manila Corp.), LRTA (Light Rail Transit Authority) and the Villar Group, but best for the commuting public,” Lopez said.
The Villar Group also expressed confidence that the necessary documents, including the memorandum of agreement, right-of-way acquisition agreement, and deed of donation will be signed within the month, paving the way for the start of construction of the project as early as next year.
LRMC president and CEO Enrico Benipayo, who was present at the meeting, noted the government’s seriousness and sense of urgency in resolving the remaining issues, noting that thousands of commuters would have been affected had the agreement to build the Las Piñas station was not reached.“I think a major hurdle has been finished,” he said.
Also present at the meeting were DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan, Assistant Secretary for Railways Eduardo Danilo Macabulos, LRTA administrator Hernando Cabrera, LRMC chief technical advisor Scott Anderson, and Cavite Extension Project execution manager Carlos Tan.
