VP NOLI PUSHES FOR NORTHRAIL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
October 20, 2006

DON'T forget the families.

This was the resounding reminder given by Vice President and concurrent Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro to the officials of the Northrail Corporation, Chinese government, and the contractors for the national railway improvement project which officially started in Caloocan yesterday.

Speaking during the launching of the construction activities for the phase 1-section 1 of the northrail project, De Castro urged the parties involved not to forget the sacrifices of the 19,672 families "who gave way with no fight' to implement the project.

"Let us not lose sight of the human development aspect of the project. Lest you forget, this month we are celebrating the month of overcoming extreme poverty," De Castro pointed out.

De Castro said he views the project as a way by which more opportunities and better life would be provided to the people especially the poor.

"The families whom we relocated have done their share of sacrifices. I know because I was there every step of the way. I witnessed their difficulties and their sufferings until now," he said.

The Vice President called on Northrail president Jose Cortez Jr. to make good on the latter's commitment embodied in a memorandum of agreement that the informal settlers would be prioritized in the job placements that will be available for the project.

He said HUDCC has started training the informal settlers for that purpose.

"Aasahan ko ito dahil commitment ko na rin na matugunan ng maayos ang pangangailangan na pangkabuhayan ng ating mga kababayang nalikas para matupad ang proyektong ito," he added.

Aside from Cortez, the event was also attended by Chinese Ambassador Li Jinjun, House Speaker Jose De Venecia, China National Machinery and Equipment Group (CNMEG) chairman Ren Hongbin and mayors of various localities from Valenzuela and Bulacan

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