The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said it has ramped up the right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Railway Project as it has distributed another 36 transfer certificate of titles (TCTs) to landowners affected by the project in Pampanga.
With this, BCDA has completed the negotiations with 212 lot owners out of the 519 affected, translating to 40 percent of the delivery of ROW, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
Of the 212 lot owners, 163 have received either partial or full compensation, BCDA said but declined to elaborate.
This is the second batch of TCTs turned over by the BCDA for the SCMB Railway Project, following the initial distribution of 68 certificates in November last year, BCDA added.
Under Republic Act 10752 or the Right-of-Way Act, the owner of properties affected by a project and the implementing agency shall execute a deed of absolute sale, with the implementing agency facilitating the annotation of the deed of absolute sale on the TCTs.
TCTs are legal documents that serve as evidence of ownership of registered land.
The SCMB Railway Project has a railway alignment of 26.9 kilometers in Porac and Floridablanca, affecting 519 lots in these municipalities.
As an integral part of the Luzon Economic Corridor, the 250-km SCMB Railway will provide essential connectivity and freight transport services between four major economic points in Luzon, namely, the Port of Subic, Clark International Airport, Port of Manila and Port of Batangas.
The feasibility study for the project will be jointly undertaken by the United States, Sweden and the Asian Development Bank.
