Manila, April 14 -- Irish Calaguas, a native of Angeles City, Pampanga, has been appointed as the new Assistant Secretary for Right of Way (ROW) Acquisition for Rail and Road at the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Calaguas took her oath of office Monday before her province mate, DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon.

In April 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Administrative Order 19, creating a ROW Committee tasked to study and devise an efficient and collaborative mechanism to streamline the process of land acquisition necessary for the implementation of all railway projects.

The order directs the committee to coordinate the implementation of railway policies and projects, as well as craft and approve project-specific policies ...