A total of 159 informal settler families affected by the Mindanao Railway Project received house-and-lot units in Tagum Train Village during a turnover ceremony led by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Tagum City Government in Barangay Mankilam.

DOTr Assistant Secretary IC Calaguas and Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy awarded the housing units to beneficiaries displaced by the railway project’s Tagum segment. Under the program, beneficiary families will pay a monthly amortization of P1,500 for 25 years before gaining full ownership of their homes.

Calaguas said the DOTr remains committed to implementing the Mindanao Railway Project, with priority now focused on completing the right-of-way acquisition and land acquisition phase before construction begins.

Once completed, the railway is expected to provide a fast, safe, and reliable transport system linking Tagum, Carmen, Panabo, Davao City, Sta. Cruz, and Digos, while supporting economic growth across the Davao Region.

Mayor Uy thanked the DOTr for ensuring that families displaced by the government’s flagship infrastructure project were provided with permanent relocation. He also urged beneficiaries to preserve their new homes and refrain from selling them.

The turnover also included the signing of a Deed of Donation and a Supplemental Memorandum of Agreement between the DOTr and the Tagum City Government to ensure the proper management of the resettlement site. Earlier, beneficiaries attended a lot assignment orientation as part of the relocation process.