DILG to order 75-day extension of nationwide road cleanup drive

MANILA, Philippines — The government plans to extend the nationwide road clearing operations by 75 days to maintain what it was able to achieve in the 60-day cleanup campaign.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said on Wednesday that a new memorandum circular would be issued soon.

“We’re still finalizing [it]. We should make a formal announcement soon,” Malaya told the Inquirer.

He said that the renewed directive would also cover all local government units (LGUs) because “we want to sustain our gains so far.”

Malaya made a similar announcement at the Manila City Hall, saying the DILG would intensify cleanups and the antidrug campaign in a bid to instill a culture of discipline in Filipinos.

On July 29, the DILG issued a memorandum circular directing all mayors to reclaim all primary and secondary roads in their areas by clearing these of obstructions within 60 days. The deadline expired on Sept. 29.

Data from the DILG’s Bureau of Local Government Supervision showed that of 1,516 LGUs, 387 were highly compliant with the memorandum circular, 635 were given medium compliance ratings while 393 had low compliance ratings. —With a report from Nikka G. Valenzuela