RIGHT-OF-WAY (ROW) acquisition for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) has reached 90.76 percent, with at least 56 percent for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) North Segment done by the end of 2025.
The acquisition is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to expedite land acquisition for the thousands of commuters who will benefit from both transport projects.
In a statement on Friday, January 9, Department of Transportation (DOTr) acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the ROW acquisition for the MMSP was only 51 percent complete as of February last year.
On the other hand, the number of acquired properties for the NSCR North Segment increased from 38 parcels in February to 1,143 in December 2025.
“Noong 2025, talagang banner year para sa right-of-way natin dahil mas binilisan pa natin ang land acquisition para agad na mapakinabangan ng mga komyuter itong subway at NSCR (In 2025, it was a banner year for ROW because we accelerated land acquisition for the benefit of commuters of the subway and NSCR),” Lopez said.
The accelerated acquisitions were accomplished under the leadership of former DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon and incumbent acting Secretary Lopez through addressing major bottlenecks in the MMSP, including Varilla Properties, properties in White Plains, Corinthian Gardens, and Metrowalk.
In addition, the ROW and site acquisition (ROWSA) project is being implemented through key initiatives such as the appointment of DOTr Assistant Secretary for ROWSA IC Calaguas, who oversees land acquisition for these projects.
ROWSA personnel were also increased from 200 to 900, while capacity building and training projects were also held to enhance their knowledge and skills.
ROWSA for the NSCR North Segment is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
For the NSCR South Segment, four of the 19 stations’ ROW have been cleared — namely EDSA, Cabuyao, Santa Rosa, and the Banlic Depot. (PNA)
