DILG checking LGUs’ compliance with road clearing

CEBU, Philippines — Starting today, the Department of the Interior and Local Government will start validating whether local governments units have complied with the directive to clear roads from obstructions.

This after the department has granted a one-week extension of the deadline which was supposed to be on January 15, 2021 of the Department’s Road Clearing Operation 2.0 (RCO 2.0) following the requests by LGUs to give them more time to clear roads of obstructions.

DILG undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said that upon the request of local chief executives, the deadline was extended to January 22, 2021 with the validation starting January 25, 2021 until February 5, 2021.

According to DILG, among the validation requisites are the actual removal of road obstructions, enactment of an enabling ordinance, conduct of an inventory of road obstructions, crafting and implementation of a displacement plan, rehabilitation of cleared roads, creation of a grievance mechanism and tricycle route plan.

In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has ordered dismantling permanent structures and makeshift stalls on sidewalks and streets.

The mayor said ambulant vendors, who carry their tables with them, may display their good only during early morning and beyond that, vendors and hawkers are prohibited on the sidewalks.

In Mandaue City, the Mandaue City Enforcement Unit has issued over a hundred traffic citation tickets to vehicle owners, both motorcycle and four-wheels, for obstructing sidewalks in the different barangays.

The MCEU personnel also removed obstructions like sofa, plants, food stalls and garbage to free the footwalks.

Earlier, the DILG gave LGUs an ultimate deadline of March 2 to finish road clearing operations.

“The department is fully cognizant of the urgency for LGUs to prepare their vaccination plans against COVID-19 that’s why the road clearing timeline is extended anew. This is, however, the last extension to be granted,” Malaya said.

The DILG said crafting of a local vaccination plan, which should include a masterlist of eligible vaccine population, identification of possible vaccine centers and cold chain storages as well as other logistical requirements, should be a priority of LGUs. — JMD (FREEMAN)