The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has not yet declared any local government unit (LGU) in the country that fully complied with their Memorandum Circular No. 2019-121 to clear the roads of illegal structures and constructions since their assessment and evaluation will be made after the September 29, 2019 deadline.
To recall, President Rodrigo Duterte himself during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) directed all LGUs to clear roads from any illegal constructions and obstructions that impede the flow of traffic within 60 days.
In a statement released recently by the DILG, they said that they will assess the LGUs after the deadline.
“We have not made any determination on which LGUs are fully compliant because the assessment of all LGUs will come after the 60-day deadline which will be on September 29, 2019,” a statement from the DILG states.
Currently, the LGUs submit a report on their compliance on a weekly basis to the regional offices of the DILG which consolidate and submit the same to the DILG Central Office, particularly the Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS). Hence, the data on the national summary of compliance with the MC is only based on “what is reported by the LGU” and is subject to validation by an assessment team from the DILG.
“As stated in the DILG Memorandum Circular 2019-121, being fully compliant is not just about conducting road clearing operations in primary and secondary roads. For an LGU to be declared as fully compliant, they should also enact or revisit ordinances related to road clearing and banning of illegal construction; prepare an inventory of roads within their jurisdiction; develop and implement displacement strategies; and cause the rehabilitation of recovered public roads,” the statement further stated.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año has ordered the creation of validation teams to check on the compliance of the accomplishments of LGUs in the implementation of the circular on road clearing.
These teams shall be composed of the DILG, Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and civil society.
“Nonetheless, we are pleased that the road clearing is proceeding smoothly nationwide,” the DILG said in a statement.
The DILG said that similar to its implementation in cities within Metro Manila, Secretary Año has assigned DILG Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries to the different regions in the country to closely work and coordinate with the DILG regional directors and LGUs, monitor actions taken, and emphasize that the road clearing is nationwide in scope.
With more than two weeks to go before the deadline on September 29, the DILG enjoins all LGUs in the country, not just those in Metro Manila, to continue and sustain the clearing of the roads for the benefit of the general public.
“The real test of the performance of the Local Chief Executives lies in their consistency of maintaining the cleared roads beyond the September 29 deadline with the support of the police and the barangays,” Secretary Año said in a statement.
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