More than 3,000 individuals stand to benefit from the project.
In a statement, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Lopez said that the construction of a relocation site in Calumpit, Bulacan, called “El Nuevo De Municipio de Calumpit,” will be expedited.
The said site will house families and individuals affected by the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System in various areas in Bulacan and Pampanga.
While assuring that the project is now being speeded up to allow future residents to immediately occupy the area as soon as possible, the transportation chief also noted that it will have “liveable” conditions with community recreational facilities for affected households.
This, as rhe project will feature a basketball court, parks and playgrounds, alongside six four-storey buildings.
“Malinaw po ang prayoridad ng Pangulo (Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.) at ng DOTr, na dapat may maayos na lilipatan ang mga kababayan nating maaapektuhan ng mga proyektong pang-transportasyon. Sisiguraduhin po nating walang maiiwang apektadong pamilya,” he said.
The transport chief also added that the DOTr has since partnered with the Calumpit local government for the construction of the relocation site, which can accommodate a total of 637 families from Calumpit and Malolos in Bulacan; and Apalit and Minalin in Pampanga.
Notably, the road embankment leading to the relocation site has been completed, with construction works set to begin in April 2026 and is slated to be completed in 2027.
The Calumpit local government will also oversee social preparations for the relocating families.
Aside from Calumpit, other relocation sites are also being developed for the northern portion of the NSCR, with a total of 4,515 informal settler families to be relocated in the north section alone. The other two sites are located in the City of San Fernando in Pampanga, and one in Cutud, Angeles City,
Meanwhile, in the south, 12,210 families will be relocated.
Other relocation sites are also being developed in collaboration with the National Housing Authority (NHA), Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), and Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), as per the DOTr.
For her part, Assistant Secretary for Right of Way and Site Acquisition (ROWSA) IC Calaguas said the DOTr-ROWSA office is committed to addressing issues concerning right-of-way for the timely completion of the relocation sites and the NSCR project.
“Napakalaki po ng suporta ng ating Pangulo at ni Secretary Lopez sa mga proyekto natin, kaya kumpyansa po kaming maaayos natin lahat ng issues sa right-of-way, at mabibigyan natin ng maayos na relocation ‘yung mga apektadong residente,” said Calaguas, who inspected the Calumpit site with Mayor Glorime Faustino and other local officials.
The NSCR will run from Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna, reducing travel time to less than 2.5 hours from the usual 4 hours via land travel between both stops.
The system will feature the country’s first Airport Express Service, which will connect CRK to Makati in less than an hour. The NSCR will also connect Clark to Alabang in less than 1 hour 15 minutes.
The right-of-way acquisition process for the north segment is also expected to be completed by June 2026.
