MANILA – Road clearing operations are resuming in areas with less restrictive community quarantine on Nov. 16, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.
Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said their Secretary Eduardo Año issued Memorandum Circular No. 2020-145 mandating local government units to clear roads of obstructions until Jan. 15, 2021.
“Nagpalabas na po si Secretary Año ng memorandum. Ang road clearing program na sinuspinde natin noong Marso ay babalik muli starting Nov. 16,” Malaya said over at the Laging Handa virtual press conference on Wednesday.
Based on the memorandum, areas under modified general community quarantine or new normal will fully implement it, while those under general community quarantine will partially implement the memorandum.
Among the Western Visayas areas under MGCQ and will fully implement the DILG memorandum are Iloilo province, Negros Occidental, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Guimaras.
On the other hand, Iloilo City and Bacolod City, which were recommended to be under GCQ for the entire November by the Inter-Agency Task Force, will partially implement the road clearing order.
On July 29, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular 2019-121 directing all governors, mayors, and punong barangays to exercise their powers essential to reclaim public roads, rid them of illegal structures, rehabilitate them by placing street names and street lights, and carry out strategies to address possible displacement issues.”
The said memorandum was extended by the DILG in November 2019 but it was suspended in March this year with the country being hit by coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
The DILG came up with the memorandum after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered during his State of the Nation Address in July, 2019 the clearing of major roads with obstructions./PN
