More SCMB Railway right-of-way deals inked
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has settled additional right-of-way issues hounding the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Railway Project covering 36 titled parcels of land in Pampanga.
The BCDA distributed the transfer certificate of title (TCT) documents to 17 lot owners from the municipalities of Porac and Floridablanca who had agreed to sell their lots so that BCDA could implement the railway project.
Under Republic Act No. 10752, more commonly known as the Right-of-Way Act, property owners affected by infrastructure projects must execute a deed of absolute sale with the implementing agency. The agency then facilitates the annotation of the deed on the TCT, which serves as legal proof of land ownership.
“The SCMB Railway Project would not succeed without the support of the landowners who yielded to the railway’s requirements. This development emphasizes affected landowners’ important role in the realization of the Luzon Economic Corridor vision,” said BCDA vice president and SCMB project director Jocelyn Caniones.
This marks the second batch of TCTs issued for the SCMB Railway Project, following the initial distribution of 68 certificates in November last year.
The SCMB Railway Project has a railway alignment of 26.9 kilometers in the municipalities of Porac and Floridablanca, affecting 519 lots. The BCDA has completed negotiations with 212 lot owners, with 163 already receiving either partial or full compensation to date.
As an integral part of the Luzon Economic Corridor, the 250-kilometer SCMB is envisioned to provide essential connectivity and freight transport services across four major economic points in Luzon – the Port of Subic, Clark International Airport, Port of Manila and Port of Batangas – which facilitate about 80 percent of the entire country’s port traffic.
