NCR execs told: Focus On Covid-19

MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered local chief executives in Metro Manila to suspend road clearing operations and concentrate on efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.

“I want our LGUs (local government units), local chief executives to focus on this job so I suspend the road clearing operations for the time being and focus on this problem of stopping the spread of the (Covid-19),” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in a radio interview Saturday night.

Last February 17, Año gave all barangay executives 75 days to clear roads of obstruction, a directive spawned by President Rodrigo Duterte’s order during his last year’s State of the Nation Address.

Año also announced the suspension of cockfighting events and asked the local government units (LGUs) to refrain from issuing permits for these activities.

He also said LGU chief executives in the National Capital Region (NCR) will not be allowed to travel for the next 30 days.

“So they can focus on their jobs, we will suspend the foreign travel (authority) application for them,” Año said.

He also clarified that each Metro Manila city should have its own ordinance on the implementation of a curfew in line with the region-wide community quarantine.