215 families displaced by NLEX project get in-city relocation

At least 215 families in Valenzuela City affected by the construction of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Phase 2-C5 Northern Link project were transferred last week to an in-city relocation site in Barangay Punturin.

Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian personally welcomed the residents of Sitio Kaingin in Barangay Gen. T. de Leon to their new homes at the Northville I-A housing project in Barangay Punturin. 

Gatchalian visited the in-city relocation to make sure that the basic needs of the residents in their new neighborhood are adequate.

“As soon as we’ve finished constructing more units and their papers have been duly processed, we shall accept more relocatees,” National Housing Authority (NHA) project engineer Juancho Corpuz said.

A total of 802 qualified beneficiaries from Sitio Kaingin are expected to transfer to the newly built houses at Northville I-A. 

“The target is to clear the area and relocate the people within the month since the construction of Segment 8.1 of Phase 2 of the NLEX-C5 interconnection project will begin soon,” City Housing and Resettlement Office head Ellen Reyes said.

The site is near schools and the soon to be constructed Valenzuela City government-funded Valenzuela East Emergency Hospital. 

The relocation of the families in areas affected by NLEX-C5 project is being conducted by the NHA, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

Gatchalian provided relocated families with P1,000 food allowance. The residents expressed gratitude to the local government for their new homes in time for Christmas and the New Year.

The project aims to connect C-5 Road directly to NLEX using a cloverleaf interchange, which will be constructed in Valenzuela City, Gatchalian said. 

Also known as C5 Interconnection, Phase 2 is a 22-kilometer extension of the 84-kilometer expressway that will stretch from the northern portion of C5 at the University of the Philippines to Malabon City. Segment 8.1 is targeted for completion by the first half of 2009. – Jerry Botial, Pete Laude