BACOLOD City – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) here reminded village officials of their roles to sustain the city’s gains during the 60-day road-clearing operations.
“You are hereby reminded to perform your roles in the continuing maintenance and sustainability of the cleared roads within your respective jurisdictions,” DILG-Bacolod director Ma. Joy Maredith Madayag said.
Madayag cited anew Memorandum Circular (MC) 2019-121 dated July 29 and MC 2019-176 dated Oct. 4 as the basis for barangay chairpersons and council members to perform their responsibilities in the conduct of road-clearing operations.
“Revisit approved ordinances and make them consistent with existing city ordinance, and other related laws and policies pertaining to road-clearing operations and collaborate with the city mayor for the harmonization of efforts in the clearing of roads of illegal structures and obstructions,” she said.
Interior secretary Eduardo Año gave mayors 60 days “to exercise their powers essential to reclaim public roads, which are being used for private ends, and in the process, rid them of illegal structures and obstructions.”
Año released another directive, which provides for the transfer of responsibility to the barangays the task to watch illegal occupants of the cleared roads.
Madayag told village officials to ensure a peaceful, smooth, orderly, and continuous implementation of the road-clearing operations, such as the conduct of information dissemination campaign, forum, or assembly and to mobilize the village watchmen to conduct monitoring.
“Ensure to maintain and sustain the cleanliness of all cleared roads within your respective jurisdictions,” Madayag said.
She added compliance would be monitored through the submission of reports every fifth day of the month starting Feb. 5.
Based on the DILG validation report as of Oct. 18, 2019, Bacolod obtained a compliance rating of 87 percent in the 60-day road-clearing operations.(With a report from PNA/PN)
