Families now dwell in streets after Parañaque demolition amid pandemic

Despite the memorandum  circular released by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in April 2020 to postpone all administrative demolition and eviction activities, over 50 families in Parañaque City were rendered homeless after their houses near the coastal area of the city were demolished.

Urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) condemned the demolition on January 19 in a statement on Wednesday and called it a “heartless” and “illegal” incursion against the poor.

Kadamay said that the residents were initially housed in the local gymnasium temporarily, however, they were again evicted last Monday. Now they have set up encampments along roads as street dwellers.

The demolition was enacted to make way for the expansion of the LRT 1, according to Kadamay.

On Wednesday, the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino said the residents held a mobilization demanding accountability from the Local Government Unit of Parañaque. The group decried how the authorities have conspired to leave the families “homeless and without relocation.”

The groups cited DILG’s Memorandum Circular No. 2020-068 postponing any eviction related activities while the nation remains in a state of national emergency. President Duterte declared the nation to still be under state of calamity until September 2021 through Proclamation No. 1021.

The memorandum stated that “only the identified dwellings qualified under Section 28(b) of the Urban Development and Housing Act and related Section 4(s) of Republic Act 11469 otherwise known as the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act shall be allowed eviction or demolition.”

“Provided that the eviction or demolition of the identified dwellings are crucial in the general objectives stipulated in RA 11469,” it read.

“Provided further that prior to the conduct of eviction and demolition, LGUs shall provide interim shelter facilities for affected communities who will be demolished within the locality and finally provide financial assistance, relief, and other basic services,” it continued.

The memorandum also stated that “all local government units shall provide interim shelter facilities to all homeless families and/or individuals found in their respective jurisdiction, and appropriate financial assistance, relief, and other basic services.”

Manila Bulletin has reached out to Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez but he has not replied as of this writing.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/01/27/families-now-dwell-in-streets-after-paranaque-demolition-amid-pandemic/

Bagong train sets ng LRT1, planong i-test agad lalo't magsisimula na rin...

Train cars for LRT-1 Cavite extension starting to arrive

 THE Transportation department said Tuesday that it took delivery of the first batch of train cars from Spain and Mexico for use of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite extension.

“This means that after 19 long years of waiting, the LRT-1 Cavite extension is finally turning into reality,” the department said in a statement.

Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, funded the manufacture of the 120 fourth-generation light rail vehicles.

The train cars will be provided to the LRT-1, with Mitsubishi Corp. as the implementing contractor, the Embassy of Japan in Manila said in a separate statement.

Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), the private operator of LRT-1, said Spanish rail equipment manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles started the production of the train cars in Spain and Mexico in 2019, after winning a tender conducted by the Transportation department.

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“The train sets will arrive in batches, with at least one train set arriving every month until May 2022,” the company noted.

The Transportation department said on Jan. 18 that the LRT-1 Cavite extension project was 51.61% complete as of Dec. 31.

It also said the Cavite extension is expected to start partial operations by the end of 2021.

The P64.9-billion LRT-1 Cavite extension project, a public-private partnership venture that the National Economic and Development Authority board approved in November 2013, aims to add an 11.7-kilometer Baclaran-Bacoor, Cavite segment to the current 18.1-kilometer train line. The new stretch will have eight stations.

The first phase of the extension consists of a seven-kilometer segment with five stations between the Redemptorist Church area in Baclaran and Dr. Santos Ave. in Parañaque.

The remaining three stations are scheduled for completion in 2022.

Once LRT-1’s Cavite extension opens to the public, the DoTr expects daily ridership along the entire line to increase to 800,000 passengers from 500,000, and Baclaran-Bacoor travel time to be cut to 25 minutes from up to two hours.

LRMC is the joint venture of Ayala Corp., Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp. and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. It holds the P65 billion, 32-year PPP contract to operate LRT-1 and build its extension to Cavite.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. is one of three Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., maintains an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin

https://www.bworldonline.com/train-cars-for-lrt-1-cavite-extension-starting-to-arrive/