BAGUIO CITY – The city government through the City Engineering Office (CEO) reported that a total of 133 roads in various barangays in the city had been cleared of obstructions as of Sept. 30.
Majority of the obstacles removed were illegally parked vehicles as per the Barangay Compliance Report submitted to the Dept. of Interior and Local Government Baguio Field Office.
In an earlier report dated Sept. 27 or two days before the deadline set in the road clearing directive of President Duterte, the CEO also said that an initial stretch of of 25.648 kilometers of road, both national and barangay, had been cleared of obstructions in the city.
The initial report prepared by Asst. City Engr. Constancio Imson Jr. showed that clearing operations were conducted from Aug. 8 to Sept. 27, 2019 in two national roads covering 3.872 kilometers and in 44 barangay roads covering 2.776 kilometers.
The national roads were Gov. Pack and Marcos Highway while the 44 barangay roads were located in barangays Pinsao Pilot, Bayan Park Village, Quezon Hill Proper, Upper Quezon Hill, Loakan Proper, Sto. Tomas Proper, Upper QM, ABCR, New Lucban, South Sanitary Camp, Kias, Queen of Peace, Camdas, Trancoville, Happy Homes, Lower Quirinio Hill, Middle Quirino Hill, East Quirino Hill, Pinget, Central Guisad, Padre Zamora, Lower Magsaysay, Sto. Nino, Dizon Subd., DPS Compound, Engineer’s Hill, Gibraltar, Holy Ghost Proper, M. Roxas, Outlook Driver, Pacdal, St. Joseph, Upper Gen. Luna, Loakan, Bayan Park Village and Camp Allen.
In Marcos Highway, ten structures were reported to have been demolished while eight were partially torn down even as some of the 267 violators earlier identified and subject of demolition had begun to voluntarily remove their structures, according to Imson.
A final report on the compliance will be submitted after assessment accomplishments were completed, according to Engr. Januario Borillo of the CEO.
The operations were in compliance with the DILG Memorandum Circular 121-2019 issued in line with the President’s order in his fourth State-of-the-Nation Address for the clearing of roads nationwide issued on July 29, 2019 and which set a 60-day deadline for LGUs to comply.
As per the DILG press statement , LGUs, apart from conducting road clearing operations, must also “profile the various obstructions identified based on the road inventory and report the number and kind of obstruction for the information and action of concerned DILG Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries designated in their region”.
Moreover, LGUs “must 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.”
In the city, the ordinances related to road clearing and banning illegal constructions are Ordinance No. 7 series of 1984 entitled “An Ordinance Adopting a Comprehensive Transportation and Traffic Regulations in Baguio City” and Ordinance 18 series of 2016 or the Environmental Code of Baguio City.
DILG validation teams were formed composed of a DILG officer cross-posted from a different LGU, a representative from the local Philippine National Police unit; a representative from the local Bureau of Fire Protection Station; representatives from accredited civil society organizations; and a representative from the Media to review the accomplishments.
“Non-compliant LGUs will be issued show cause orders to explain their side before DILG Secretary Eduardo Año and their names would later be submitted to President Duterte.” ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
