ILOILO – Barangay captains must submit to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) monthly accomplishment reports on road-clearing operations.
The first submission is on March 3, said DILG-Iloilo provincial director Teodora Sumagaysay.
The report must state the barangay’s weekly road-clearing accomplishments (inventory of road obstructions that were removed) from Feb. 16 to March 1 or 2.
In Memorandum Circular 2020-027 on the continued implementation of the presidential directive to clear roads of obstructions, DILG spelled out the role of village chiefs: “All Punong Barangays shall be in charge of the conduct of road clearing operations in barangay roads and minor public-use streets within their jurisdictions, as well as the maintenance of other local roads turned over by the city or municipal government.”
Further, stated the DILG memo, “they shall harmonize barangay ordinances with this directive, collaborate and coordinate with the Mayor in regards to road clearing, and undertake information dissemination campaigns in their respective barangays. Reports on barangay compliance shall be submitted monthly to this Department.”
DILG gave barangay captains 75 days or until April 30 to clear roads in their respective jurisdictions.
The clearing operations now include local and tertiary roads.
“We recognize that the barangays have the No. 1 responsibility in keeping their roads obstruction-free so under Road Clearing 2.0 we will assess the performance of the barangays and file appropriate charges if necessary,” said DILG secretary Eduardo Año.
Memorandum Circular 2020-027 also mandates local government units (LGUs) to:
* enact or review existing ordinances in relation to the road-clearing operation
* conduct an inventory of roads within their jurisdiction
* implement a displacement strategy for those affected by the operation
* rehabilitate cleared roads
* establish a grievance mechanism in which citizens can report unremoved obstructions, provide suggestion, or voice out implementation concerns
Provincial governors are also directed to ensure the compliance of city and municipal mayors and conduct regular interface with the mayors to discuss the implementation of the directive. They are likewise tasked to ensure that provincial ordinances and issuances are in line with the DILG directive on the road-clearing operation.
City and municipal mayors are expected to monitor compliance of barangays in the road-clearing efforts of the national government.
Local chief executives who will fail to comply with the order will be given a show cause order.
Their response will be used to determine if administrative charges will be filed against them.
Also, rehabilitation of the cleared roads should also be maintained by the villages./PN
