Do not park your cars or motorcycles illegally or else risk having them towed by authorities following the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to clear the streets from obstructions causing traffic congestions. CDN FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines—It may be a challenge for Cebu City to complete the removal of street obstructions within the 60-day period given by President Rodrigo Duterte.
But Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said they are utilizing all resources available to reach the deadline.
On Monday, July 29, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año revealed that a department order was officially released mandating mayors to conduct clearing operations.
READ: 60-day countdown for LGUs to clear public roads starts Monday – Año
“Whether the deadline is enough or not, we will just do our best. Not all cities have the same sizes and magnitude of garbage or informal dwellers,” said Labella.
The Mayor said he is yet to meet the personnel of the Public Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enchancement (PROBE) and Department of Public Services (DPS) to discuss the areas that will be prioritized for the clearing operations.
The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) has recently started clearing the streets of illegally-parked motorcycles and cars, which contribute to traffic congestions.
Labella said they will be implementing ways to make sure that the streets are cleared of vehicles and other obstructions even after the 60-day deadline passed.
“It doesn’t have to be 60 days. It has to be throughout the year. We will do away with that ningas cogon attitude,” said Labella.
Meanwhile, along with the clearings conducted by the city government, the DPS has also encouraged the street dwellers to help the city clean the rivers through the food-for-work program.
The food-for-work program will allow street dwellers to collect garbage in exchange for canned sardines.
Labella reminded the volunteers to never swim in murky and dirty rivers because it is unsanitary and they may risk catching infectious diseases.
“They may be very excited to help the government clean the rivers, but please do not swim in those waters. It is unhealthy,” he said. / celr