On March the 4th, 2021, the National Housing Authority in Region XI announced on their Facebook page that the 875 informal settlers in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur that would be affected by the Mindanao Railway would be relocated by the NHA in anticipation of the start of railway construction.
This was revealed at an inter-agency meeting led by NHA Region XI District 1 Head Engr. Oscar Sayman and Engr. Mark Robert Marter, Principal Engineer A.
During the meeting, the hosts shared the following organizational structure for the Mindanao Railway.
Also present at the inter-agency meeting was the Presidential Committee for the Urban Poor (PCUP), which wrote about the meeting on its Facebook page. During the meeting, the PCUP highlighted the importance of Republic Act 7279, which laid out guidelines for how to protect the rights of affected informal settlers.. The PCUP’s post also highlighted that the mayor of the Municipality of Sta. Cruz issued Executive Order No. 08 series of 2021 to support the implementation of the railway.