PSAC recommends Right-of-Way Office for Philippine infrastructure

The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) suggested creating a new Right-of-Way Office to help speed up land acquisitions for infrastructure projects in the Philippines. This proposal was made during a meeting with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on March 20. The PSAC noted that delays in acquiring land often come from legal disputes, court backlogs, and inefficiencies in the government. They also mentioned issues like inconsistent funding and poor coordination among different agencies that slow down projects. President Marcos agreed that a dedicated ROW Office is necessary. He said that these delays lead to increased costs and the need for quicker solutions. The new office would work with various government agencies to handle disputes and ensure that priority sectors such as transportation and energy have their needs met. To improve funding for land purchases, PSAC proposed using a part of the Motor Vehicle Users Charge. They also recommended having multi-year budget allocations to ensure continuous funding. Additionally, they called for better planning between the Department of Budget and Management and national projects to secure needed resources upfront. Marcos also showed interest in looking into a pending Right-of-Way bill in the Senate to support these initiatives.