Full speed ahead for railroad, north and south.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Neal H. Cruz

SOME opposition senators have got their priorities screwed up. They are opposing the NorthRail because the project, they say, would displace the squatters along the railroad tracks. They give more importance to law violators than to the railroad that will benefit the whole country by making the transport of cargo and passengers faster and cheaper while decongesting the highways and roads of Luzon. The reason for their strange behavior, of course, is politics. By pretending to fight for the squatters, they are already courting their votes even if the next election is still more than two years away.

In the first place, the squatters will not just be ejected. On the contrary, they will be relocated to several housing projects from the squalid, congested and dangerous squatter colonies where they live only inches away from the railroad tracks and death. This, even if there is a law that says squatters on the right of way of government infrastructure projects (such as railroads) are not entitled to relocation or assistance. But the squatters along the tracks of the NorthRail can choose from relocation sites in Towerville, San Jose del Monte, Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela, both in Bulacan, or Rodriguez in Rizal.

The latter is just next door to Metro Manila and much bigger. It is a 2,500-hectare site for a mass housing project only 15 percent of which is occupied. It can accommodate 20,000 more families. And unlike other municipalities that don't want to be relocation sites for squatters, Rodriguez Mayor Pedro Cuerpo is inviting them to settle there.

Those who would like to go back to their provinces will each be given a P50,000 financial assistance under the "Balik-Probinsiya" program. They can use the money for transportation home, to buy a home lot, build a modest house, or as capital for a livelihood project.

Relocation is always the best choice for squatters. Those who were relocated to Pagasa in Quezon City, Sapang Palay in Bulacan, and other relocation sites are now glad they were relocated although they resisted it initially. These squatters are now modestly wealthy as the lots awarded to them are now worth many times what they paid for them. Many of them have flourishing businesses there.