DILG says it has not yet declared any LGU as 100% compliant with clearing order
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) stressed that it “has not yet declared any local government unit (LGU) in the country, including those in Metro Manila”’ as being 100 percent cleared from all forms of obstructions.
“We have not made any determination on which LGUs are fully compliant because the assessment of all LGUs will come after the 60-day deadline which will be on September 29, 2019,’’ DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said.
Malaya said the clearing operation is in compliance with the President’s directive and the department’s Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2019-121 to clear roads of illegal structures and constructions.
As stated in the memo, Malaya said being fully compliant is not just about conducting road clearing operations in primary and secondary roads.
For an LGU to be declared as fully compliant, Malaya explained “they should also enact or revisit ordinances related to road clearing and banning of illegal construction; prepare an inventory of roads within their jurisdiction; develop and implement displacement strategies; and cause the rehabilitation of recovered public roads’’.
Currently, the LGUs submit a report on their compliance on a weekly basis to the DILG Regional Offices (ROs) which consolidates and submits that to the DILG Central Office, particularly to the Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS).
“Hence, the data on the national summary of compliance with the MC is only based on “what is reported by the LGU” and is subject to validation by an assessment team from the DILG,’’ he added.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año has ordered the creation of validation teams to check on the compliance of the accomplishments of LGUs in the implementation of the MC on road clearing.
These teams shall be composed of the DILG, Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and civil society.
Similar to what he did in Metro Manila, Año has also assigned DILG Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries to the regions to closely work and coordinate with the DILG regional directors and LGUs, monitor actions taken, and emphasize that the road clearing is national in scope.