MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has inspected relocation sites in Angeles City and the municipality of Mexico in Pampanga, where housing units are being built for families displaced by the ongoing construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez told The Manila Times that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed the agency to ensure that project-affected residents are moved to decent relocation sites as the NSCR project progresses.
Lopez reported that the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the local government units (LGUs) in the province are working in close coordination to complete the remaining housing units at San Fernando View Residences and Casa Angeles by 2027.
"This is the President's standing order: accelerate the construction of homes for families affected by big-ticket projects like the NSCR,” the DOTr chief said.
“We thank the NHA and the Pampanga LGUs for their continued cooperation. We will keep a close watch on construction at the relocation sites so we can meet the target completion date and ensure that no affected families are left without a home," he added.
Irish ‘IC’ Calaguas, DOTr assistant secretary for right-of-way and site acquisition who led the inspection, said that the housing units are being built properly and that work in adjacent areas at San Fernando View Residences in Mexico, Pampanga, and Casa de Angeles in Angeles City is proceeding on schedule.
"We are monitoring the construction of the relocation sites continuously, and we are at full force together with the NHA and the LGUs to finish them promptly,” Calaguas said.
“We thank the LGUs for their cooperation and participation in our project, which will help speed up the completion of the housing units," the DOTr official said.
The relocation site at San Fernando View Residences (SFVR) in Mexico, Pampanga, consists of four low-rise, four-story buildings with 288 housing units for project-affected persons (PAPs).
SFVR Phases 1 and 2, comprising four buildings, are set for completion by November 2026, while SFVR Phase 4, comprising six buildings, is scheduled for completion by November 2027, according to the transportation department.
Mexico, Pampanga Mayor Rodencio Gonzales expressed full support for the project, noting that the completed NSCR will benefit a great number of commuters.
"Affected residents have been relocated here to the municipality of Mexico, and we welcomed them with open arms even though we know this is a very big responsibility,” Gonzales said.
In Angeles City, meanwhile, the DOTr, through the NHA, is building the city's first medium-rise relocation site—four-story, low-rise buildings with 615 housing units, targeted for completion in December 2027.
Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II likewise reaffirmed his support for the national government's infrastructure and relocation projects.
"The local government of Angeles thanks the DOTr for coordinating with the LGU on the programs and projects it has brought to us, and for its support for our relocatees, who will be given affordable housing,” Lazatin said.
