LGUs in NCR ‘confident’ on 100% compliance with road-clearing

MANILA, Philippines — Some local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila are confident that they have complied with the requirement of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)  to clear public roads of obstructions.

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said they are 100-percent compliant with DILG’s order for road-clearing which deadline lapsed last September 30 (Sunday).

“100-percent compliant tayo [We are 100-percent compliant.] In fact, we have submitted our compliance report so we are just waiting for the evaluation,” Zamora told reporters in a chance interview at San Juan City Hall on Tuesday.

“We monitored every single day for 60-day period so we are very confident in DILG [requirement],” he added.

Zamora  said the city’s residents are commending government’s efforts to rid streets and roads from obstructions.

“Of course, this is something very new to them. Siyempre, nasanay kung san san naka-park [They got used to parking everywhere]. Nasanay na puro obstructions sa mga sidewalk [They have gotten accustomed on obstructions at sidewalks.],” Zamora said. “Eventually, what we implemented sa San Juan, they realized, it is for the good of the community.”

Meanwhile,  the Parañaque City government, under Mayor Edwin Olivarez, also claimed that its public places, roads, and sidewalks were cleared of obstructions with the help of concerned agencies including City Environment and Natural Environment Resources Office, Mayor’s Additional Support Group, City Task Force, police and 16 villages in Parañaque.

“We are confident that we can make it and comply 100% with a concomitant agenda of maintaining and sustaining these operations and adopting the same as our regular city program for our people and community,” Nick Ferrer, Parañaque City public information officer, said in a statement sent to INQUIRER.net.

Manila’s government promised its residents that they will not halt its road-clearing operations even after the DILG’s deadline.

“Even after the deadline, the Manila City government will not stop clearing obstructions because that’s the job of the local government,” Julius Leonen, chief of Manila Public Information Office, said in a viber message to INQUIRER.net.

In a separate statement, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte appealed to barangay officials to maintain the cleanliness of streets and other public places.

“From the Mayor down to the Barangay, working together is crucial to achieve and sustain this goal. This is not just for 60 days but longer,” Belmonte said.

The DILG said it will issue “love letters” or show-cause orders to local chief executives whose governments are non-compliant with the road-clearing deadline to explain why they failed to comply with the order.

The department has yet to disclose the specific local government units that were 100-percent compliant of its order.    /muf

READ: DILG: LGUs ‘substantially’ compliant in road-clearing drive