Property owners affected/displaced by any infrastructure project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will have to submit all required documents based on the government law for right-of-way acquisition.
Implementing offices of projects such as the Lipa City-Padre Garcia Bypass Road, Batangas City-San Pascual-Bauan Bypass Road and Sariaya Bypass Road are pooling its efforts to assist all identified PAPs (project affected persons) in complying with the required documents according and as stated in R.A. 10752 or “The Right-of-Way Act”. The law states that the government may acquire real property needed as road right-of-way site or location for any national government infrastructure project through donation, negotiated sale, expropriation, or any other mode of acquisition as provided by law.
Financial assistance is readily available, but law dictates completion of documents before release of compensation. It is clear, therefore, that one of the reasons contributing to the delay in project implementation is the current right-of-way law.
An example of the effect of the stricter policy provided by the new law was the delayed release of the property appraisal report on August 30, 2017 for those affected by the Sariaya Bypass Road but was earlier requested on November 2016. Under R.A. 10752, only financial institutions accredited by the Central Bank of the Philippines (LandBank and Development Bank of the Philippines) can assist with land valuation. Numerous requests nationwide submitted to accredited financial institutions in reality are not being prioritized because this is not their main function.
R4A reported that the 12-km Sariaya Bypass Road is due for completion in the 3rd quarter of 2019. The processing of documents of 186 claimants are still ongoing due to pending submission and completion of documents. It has a total ROW obligation amounting to P2.6 M or 15% of the total allotted funds for ROW. It must be stressed at this point that early completion of the bypass will ease traffic congestion by providing alternative access from Sariaya to Lucena City and its coastal barangays.
For the Batangas City-San Pascual-Bauan Bypass Road, which is included in the three (3)-year Rolling Infrastructure Program (TRIP) of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), has 56% accomplishment with RROW obligation amounting to P195 M. With the current 2-hour travel time from Bauan to Batangas City, the bypass project which started on year 2017, is one critical project that would greatly lessen the traffic woes in the area.
Lipa City-Padre Garcia Bypass Road, has two (2) road sections. For the first section, which is a road opening with drainage and slope protection, is already 100% complete. The second section, with existing ROW issues has registered 6% accomplishment at this time.
Furthermore, with the creation of the Legal Division last May 2018, all affected property owners are assured that the Regional Office will be extending assistance to all those needing legal assistance and advise to ensure early payments of just compensation.
These projects with great impact to the livelihood of the CALABARZON residents are all in support to modernize the country’s infrastructure backbone and address the worsening traffic in the major choke points in the whole region.