Road Clearing Order: Only 9% got high compliance rate

CEBU, Philippines —  Of the 53 local government units (LGU) in Cebu, only five of them got high compliance rating of the road clearing order of the president, said the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

These include the cities of Bogo and Naga and the municipalities of Barili, Liloan and Samboan.

High compliance, according to the assessment and validation ratings of DILG Memorandum Circular 2019-121, means 91 to 100 percent.

The DILG had earlier disclosed that Carcar City and the municipalities of Badian, Carmen, Compostela, Ginatilan, Moalboal, and Pinamungajan failed to comply with the order of Duterte to clear their streets of obstructions.

These LGUs, that got less than 70 percent in the assessment and validation ratings, will be made to explain why they failed to comply with the directive.

There are 24 or almost half of the LGUs in Cebu that got medium compliance which means 81 to 90 percent ratings.

These include the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay, and the municipalities of Alcantara, Alcoy, Argao, Bantayan, Boljoon, Borbon, Catmon, Consolacion, Cordova, Dalaguete, Dumanjug, Madridejos, Malabuyoc, Oslob, Poro, Ronda, Santa Fe, Santander, Tabuelan, Tuburan and Tudela.

The remaining 17 LGUs got a low compliance which means 70 to 80 percent ratings that include the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Danao, Toledo, and the municipalities of Alegria, Aloguinsan, Asturias, Balamban, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Minglanilla, Pilar, San Fernando, San Francisco, San Remigio, Sibonga, Sogod and Tabogon.

In an interview, DILG-Central Visayas Director Leocadio Trovela said those who failed need not worry since they still have a chance to explain their side.

He said they should wait for the show cause orders that will be issued by the central office.

“Five days is sufficient time to explain. To be fair, nag-effort din naman sila, except that baka may mga difficulties,” he said, adding that these difficulties included getting rid of permanent obstructions.

He assured that the answer of these LGUs that failed in the assessment will be treated carefully.

Trovela said he was happy since 91 percent of the 132 municipalities and cities in the region passed in the validation.

“At least nakapasa. Mataas na yung 91. Ang hirap kaya nitong road clearing,” he said.

Secretary of Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año earlier said that no LGU garnered a 100 percent compliance score.

He considered the nationwide road clearing efforts to be successful with 75 percent of the roads in the inventory being cleared.

Although Cebu City got a satisfactory rating, Trovela said it needs to “step up” from “medium” to “high compliance.” The same goes to those LGUs that received low and medium ratings.

"Kulang pa rin sya kung sa directive ng President ang titingnan. Baka kasi yung medium maging low kasi baka bumalik yung mga na-clear,” he said.

Trovela said the present administration aims to sustain the clearing efforts by conducting quarterly monitoring, this time, at the barangay level.

He also encouraged the community to report to DILG those illegal structures that will hit the streets again. The public may call the Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division at 253-5473 or 253-5471.

Meanwhile, Governor Gwen Garcia said she feels for the different local government units who were confused as to the implementation and parameters of the road-clearing.

Garcia said the DILG should have taken a progressive implementation of the road-clearing order.

She added that they could have monitored the areas phase by phase so they could give their assessment to the different local chiefs of the different LGUs in the province. GAN (FREEMAN)