By Hannah Torregoza
The measure seeking to consolidate all housing agencies in one department is awaiting President Duterte’s signature.
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, chair of the Senate urban planning, housing and resettlement, said the proposed creation of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development was sent to Malacañang on January 16.
Once signed into law, the Department will combine the administrative functions of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the planning and regulatory functions of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).
“The creation of the department will serve as a response to the problem of divided agencies that is managed only by a council to better address the housing problems of the country,” Ejercito said.
Under the proposed Act, the adjudicatory function of the HLURB will be transferred to the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC).
The National Human Settlements Board will exercise the powers and functions of the attached agencies regarding policy and program development.
“The Department will act as the primary national government entity responsible for the management of housing and urban development,” Ejercito explained.
“There will be a formulation and implementation of a more coherent and holistic plan for the housing sector,” he added.
The reelectionist senator said the Philippines is facing more than two million housing backlogs last year. The figure is projected to balloon to 6,571,387 by the end of 2022.
Organized housing
Ejercito envisions a housing department that would create the roadmap for housing and urban development, leading its implementation and setting the general direction through each and every project with clear functions, policies, budget and financing.
Once passed into law, the Department’s powers and functions include: inventory of idle lands, inventory of housing stocks and list of beneficiaries; and providing technical assistance to provinces, cities and municipalities in building their capability to undertake housing and urban development and management.
The Department will be tasked to assist the local government units (LGUs) in the utilization of the socialized housing tax and other sources of funds for housing which shall be exclusively used for new settlement projects.
Part of the Department’s mandate is to own and administer government-owned lands, whether owned by the national government or any of its subdivisions, instrumentalities or agencies, including government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCC) and their subsidiaries.
The Department will also be tasked to formulate and prescribe land use planning and zoning standards and regulations for the guidance of cities and municipalities; develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the establishment of government centers in the country, among others.
It will also be responsible for recommending new legislation and amendments to existing laws as may be necessary and “promote, accredit and regulate the use of indigenous materials and technologies in the housing construction as well as open roads of subdivisions to the public when the general welfare requires it upon consultation with stakeholders,” Ejercito said.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/01/23/housing-and-urban-devt-bill-awaits-prrds-signature/
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
PNR evaluating train service to Nueva Ecija
THE Philippine National Railways (PNR) is looking to expand train service in Central Luzon, with authorities evaluating rail systems extending to Nueva Ecija.
PNR General Manager Junn B. Magno said that the company is to bring railway projects further north, with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) tapped to study a Northeast Commuter Line.
“PNR has alignments from Cabanatuan to Balagtas (Bulacan). We asked NEDA already to conduct a feasibility study for a Cabanatuan to Makati line. That will be the Northeast Commuter Line,” Mr. Magno told reporters late Monday.
The NEDA is also evaluating prospects to set up a train line from Cabanatuan to Bulacan as well as San Jose, Nueva Ecija to Tarlac City which will then be connected to the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
The state-owned railway is slated to implement the NSCR starting this year, which is a 147-kilometer (km) railway stretch split into three segments worth a total of P628.42 billion.
The NSCR project includes a 38km train line from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan; a 53km line from Malolos to Clark; and another 56km line from Manila to Calamba, Laguna.
Once completed, travel time from Central to Southern Luzon is expected to be trimmed to 1.5 hours from the current five hours by bus.
“And then possibly, they are doing feasibility study of the Cagayan railroad through a Caraballo Mountain tunnel — we’re studying that,” PNR’s Mr. Magno added, noting that his agency is currently focused on developing transport modes for the “Greater Capital Region.”
The NSCR railway project is currently the biggest infrastructure project rolled out by the Duterte administration under its “Build, Build, Build” program. Construction of the Malolos-Tutuban line is slated to start in February.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and Japan International Cooperation Agency Director-General Shigenori Ogawa signed the first loan agreement for the long-haul commuter line worth P80.47 billion on Monday.
Partial NSCR operations is targeted by 2022, while full service is scheduled by April 2023.
Other train projects in the pipeline include the Metro Manila subway; the Light Rail Transit extension lines to Cavite and Masinag, Antipolo City; the Metro Rail Transit line 7 to City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; and the Mindanao railway. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez
https://www.bworldonline.com/pnr-evaluating-train-service-to-nueva-ecija/
PNR General Manager Junn B. Magno said that the company is to bring railway projects further north, with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) tapped to study a Northeast Commuter Line.
“PNR has alignments from Cabanatuan to Balagtas (Bulacan). We asked NEDA already to conduct a feasibility study for a Cabanatuan to Makati line. That will be the Northeast Commuter Line,” Mr. Magno told reporters late Monday.
The NEDA is also evaluating prospects to set up a train line from Cabanatuan to Bulacan as well as San Jose, Nueva Ecija to Tarlac City which will then be connected to the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).
The state-owned railway is slated to implement the NSCR starting this year, which is a 147-kilometer (km) railway stretch split into three segments worth a total of P628.42 billion.
The NSCR project includes a 38km train line from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan; a 53km line from Malolos to Clark; and another 56km line from Manila to Calamba, Laguna.
Once completed, travel time from Central to Southern Luzon is expected to be trimmed to 1.5 hours from the current five hours by bus.
“And then possibly, they are doing feasibility study of the Cagayan railroad through a Caraballo Mountain tunnel — we’re studying that,” PNR’s Mr. Magno added, noting that his agency is currently focused on developing transport modes for the “Greater Capital Region.”
The NSCR railway project is currently the biggest infrastructure project rolled out by the Duterte administration under its “Build, Build, Build” program. Construction of the Malolos-Tutuban line is slated to start in February.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and Japan International Cooperation Agency Director-General Shigenori Ogawa signed the first loan agreement for the long-haul commuter line worth P80.47 billion on Monday.
Partial NSCR operations is targeted by 2022, while full service is scheduled by April 2023.
Other train projects in the pipeline include the Metro Manila subway; the Light Rail Transit extension lines to Cavite and Masinag, Antipolo City; the Metro Rail Transit line 7 to City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; and the Mindanao railway. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez
https://www.bworldonline.com/pnr-evaluating-train-service-to-nueva-ecija/