BACOLOD TO ASSIST DEMOLISHED BRGY HALLS

THE City Government of Bacolod will find a way to help the barangays whose barangay halls were demolished in compliance with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to rid public streets of obstructions to facilitate the orderly use of thoroughfares.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said they will assess the situation on how they could help the barangays such as Barangays 8 and 28.

He said they will check if they can find a city government owned lot for the construction of the barangay hall of the affected barangays.

“We will find a way, if there’s someone there who wants to donate a lot for the barangay, we also welcome it. In spite of the demolition, our barangay officials can still function with their works, we will deal on this matter on a case-to-case basis,” he added.

Leonardia noted that several illegal structures from various barangays were already demolished.

As of August 13, of 61 barangays in Bacolod City, only 48 barangays complied with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to rid public streets of obstructions to facilitate the orderly use of thoroughfares.

There are 13 barangays that failed to submit reports such as Barangays 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 26, 28, 34, 36, 37, 40, Pahanocoy, and Tangub.

The demolition of the illegal structures is in pursuant to Memorandum Circular No. 2019-121 dated July 29, 2019 of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) directing the local government officials, from the mayors down to barangay captains, to implement the clearing of roads.

In DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2019121 it stated that within 60 calendar days, significant results must be achieved, documented, and reported together with the efforts of the local government units to sustain the same.

Leonardia said that based on the initial report from the 48 barangays, there were a total of 3,761 illegal structures.

The barangay officials also distributed a total of 2,614 notices in various barangays to voluntarily demolish their illegal structures.

The City Legal Office (Clo)-enforcement Unit already demolished the illegal structures of about 235 vendors at Libertad Public Market yesterday.

The affected vendors were transferred inside the Libertad Public Market Annex Building.

Executive Assistant Ernie Pineda, cluster head on markets, earlier said that they are prioritizing the residents from Bacolod to occupy the space inside the Annex Building and all of them will be given one-meter-by-one meter inside the market.

Last week, hundreds of vendors from Burgos Public Market and Ballesteros Street in Central Public Market also voluntarily removed their illegal structures and they were transferred inside the public market.

The City Government will also hold a dialogue with the sidewalk vendors on August 27 to transfer them to the Vendor’s Plaza near to the Manokan Country.*