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Recent Updates c/o of Mithril Cloud:


Pandacan Bridge area


Pandacan Bridge area


Paco


Workers on the Paco-Vito Cruz leg


Workers on the Paco-Vito Cruz leg


Vito Cruz


Buendia


Buendia


Buendia


Pasay Road


Pasay Road

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WOWPhilippines

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Noli reports completion of RR tracks clearing
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080421122442.html

With the relocation of the last 10 informal settler families living along the railroad tracks in Sta. Cruz, Manila, Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Noli de Castro has turned over last Friday the cleared portion of the Sta. Cruz segment of the South Manila Commuter Rail to the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

De Castro announced the completion of the clearing operations in the Sta. Cruz segment after his inspection of the area, which has been completely cleared of all structures.

A total of 910 families have been relocated from their informal settler communities in seven barangays since the start of the operations in September, 2007. Of these families, 903 were transferred to their new homes in Marilao and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan and Trece Martires City in Cavite.

The remaining seven families received financial assistance to return to their hometowns under the "Balik-Probinsya" option.

"No family was left behind. Everyone was taken care of," De Castro said.

The Vice President said aside from providing them with shelter and security, the relocated families will also be given assistance through livelihood and employment programs in the resettlement sites.

"We have partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and other government agencies to provide free work training, as well as employment and livelihood opportunities to the relocatees," he said.

He said the continued upgrading of basic facilities in the resettlement communities is being attended to, including the regular conduct of medical missions in these areas to address the health concerns of the relocatees.

"There are also various initiatives from non-government organizations (NGOs) and People’s Organizations such as the Gawad Kalinga, the Homeless People’s Federation, academic institutions, and foundations, to undertake community improvements and value formation programs," De Castro said.

He said the completion of clearing operations is a big step for the Northrail-Southrail linkage project, a flagship project of President Arroyo, which will restore and modernize the PNR lines from Central Luzon to Southern Luzon.

"We are clearing the way for an important project that will spur the development of Central and Southern Luzon, as well as providing decent and secure homes for the informal settlers," he said.

"So far, we have cleared the north and southrail right-of-way of 46,040 informal settlers --- 23,173 from the Northrail traversing Caloocan North all the way to Calumpit, Bulacan, and 22,867 from the Southrail, mainly from the Manila-Makati-Taguig segments, as well as from Cabuyao and Sta. Rosa in Laguna.

" We hope to complete the clearing of the Tondo and Caloocan-South segments by end of May. Currently, we are also undertaking social preparations for affected families in the Muntinlupa and Parañaque segments."

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WOWPhilippines