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The House Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects begins its meeting to tackle infrastructure flagship programs by the DPWH for completion by 2028. Agatha Gregorio, ABS-CBN

Article (news)

Lawmaker suggests assigning right-of-way acquisition to LGUs to avoid infra project delay

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- House Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects Chairperson Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to look into assigning right-of-way acquisition to local governments instead of keeping the process with the national government to avoid delays.</p><p>During the committee’s meeting on Thursday, Garcia said around 90 percent of infrastructure project delay is due to right-of-way issues.</p><p>“Paano nangyayari? Paplanuhin natin ‘yan, feasibility study, i-a-award. ‘Yung part ng gobyerno para kumuha ng right-of-way hindi pa pala nakakausap kasi nga minsan nagkakaroon ng kasuhan. So ‘pag nagkaroon ng kaso sa korte, doon tumatagal,” Garcia said during the hearing.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/1/9/metro-manila-subway-s-right-of-way-90-percent-cleared-dotr-1252" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Metro Manila Subway&#x27;s right-of-way 90 percent cleared: DOTr</a></div><p>“So ma-budgetan ‘yan ang ating gobyerno, ‘yung right-of-way na ‘yan. Magkakaroon ng laban sa korte. After five years, may mananalo– kunyari ang gobyerno. Kaya lang ‘yung value ng property, nag-iba na. Hindi na papayag magbayad. So magkakaroon na naman ng delay,” Garcia added.</p><p>According to Marikina 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo, Garcia’s suggestion of bringing the responsibility down to the local level may require mandatory legislation as it entails the transfer of funds.</p><p>Garcia later told reporters he asked the DPWH to look into the possibility of signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) instead of passing a new law to implement this.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/9/23/marcos-signs-law-for-faster-right-of-way-acquisition-1829" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marcos signs law for faster right-of-way acquisition</a></div><p>“Baka walang anim na buwan, nasa posesyon na namin ‘yan, puwede na gamitin ang national government. At mayroon tayo ata, I&#x27;m not sure ‘yung exact figure, ‘pag-finile-an mo ng kaso ‘yan, nag-down– deposit ka lang ng 25 percent, puwede mo na gamitin ‘yung property. So mas mabilis kaysa umabot ng taon ang negosiyasiyon,” Garcia said.</p><p>The DPWH’s obligations for right-of-way have ballooned to around P100 billion, according to DPWH Undersecretary Ador Canlas.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/9/18/north-south-commuter-railway-project-advances-despite-right-of-way-issues-1359" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">North-South Commuter Railway project advances despite right-of-way issues</a></div><p>“But what complicated this problem is we had an amended right of way where the zonal valuation hindi na ginamit ‘yung market value. But the delay there was, you had to procure sino magde-determine ng market value,” Canlas said during the committee meeting.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>9 INFRA PROJECTS </strong></div><p>The DPWH looks to complete nine more foreign-assisted infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) within the Marcos administration, DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain said. </p><p>The projects for completion are listed below:</p><p>1. Central Luzon Link Expressway, Phase I</p><p>2. Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project, Phase I</p><p>3. Metro Manila Bridges Project (MMBP)</p><p>4. Reconstruction &amp; Development Plan for a Greater Marawi - Stage 2 (Emergency Assistance for Reconstruction &amp; Recovery of Marawi – Output 2)</p><p>5. Metro Manila Flood Management Project, Phase</p><p>6. Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Bridge</p><p>7. Davao City Bypass Construction Project – Package 1</p><p>8. Philippines Seismic Risk Reduction and Resilience Project (PSRRRP)</p><p>9. Panglao-Tagbilaran City Offshore Bridge Connector (PTCOBC)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>COORDINATION ON FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS </strong></div><p>Lawmakers also slammed DPWH over a supposed lack of coordination among district engineers (DE) on flood control projects to ensure these do not cause harm to other areas.</p><p>“Mangyayari sa distritong ‘to, okay ang ganda. Magaling tayo. Magaling ‘yung DE niyo diyan. Itatapon niya doon sa baba niya. Edi kawawa naman ‘yun, which is ‘yung nangyayari sa ‘min dati. Buti nga ngayon maayos na,&quot; Garcia said.</p><p>&quot;Kahit papaano, nag-uusap-usap na kami. So I mean baka puwede aralin niyo na rin ‘yang flood control, ‘yang issue na ‘yan para bumango naman ‘yung flood control,” he said.</p><p>“Bakit? Eh ‘yung nilagay na pumping station diyan, lalong sumikip eh… ‘Yang mga district engineers niyo magkuwentuhan naman. Idugtong niyo ‘yung mga project para hindi masayang ‘yung pera natin,” Garcia added.</p><p>The congressman also told the DPWH to talk to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) so politics do not get in the way of infrastructure project implementation.</p><p>“I think ang makaka-solve nito hindi batas. Ang makaka-solve nito, executive department. Kayong DPWH, tawagan niyo DILG. ‘Oh boss, ‘yung mayor doon, ‘yung congressman, bangga nang bangga. Wala kaming matapos na project,’ which I think kahit saan ‘yan– hindi lang sa Metro Manila…Ang point ko lang dito talaga gusto kong may matapos– hindi puro plano,” Garcia said.</p><p>According to Canlas, they try to address delays caused by permit requirements at the local level by invoking ‘ease of doing business.’</p><p>But Canlas still called for coordination on the secretary level among the DILG, DPWH and Congress to help resolve issues in building permits.</p><p>“We’ve already invoked ‘yung ease of doing business which only allows them three, seven, 21 days for simple, complex, and highly technical transactions. But when you invoke that, they will give us other reasons for them to issue the permit. Alam po ni Cong. Jojo ‘yan,” Canlas said.</p><p>Canlas continued, “Because you are actually amending the building permit law, I believe. The DPWH secretary as the national building official may be allowed to authorize district engineers or regional directors to act as building permits insofar as issuing building permits for nationally funded buildings. I don’t know if that materialized. It was one of the recommendations then.”</p>

<p>House Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects Chairperson Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. has asked the DPWH to look into assigning right-of-way acquisition to local governments instead of keeping the process with the national government to avoid delays.</p>

House Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects Chairperson Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. has asked the DPWH to look into assigning right-of-way acquisition to local governments instead of keeping the process with the national government to avoid delays.