CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7) said that the barangays in the region already know about their roles in the new road clearing directive as early as January 2020.
In a statement, Lawyer Ian Kennethe Lucero, the chief of the Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division of DILG-7, said that even though the new memorandum was released by February 7, 2020, the barangay chiefs were already advised about it a month earlier.
The DILG issued the first advisory on January 8, 2020 to the barangay chiefs appraising them of the roles of punong barangays and sangguniang barangay members relative to the Presidential directive to clear roads of all illegal structures and constructions/obstructions.
The barangay officials were not precluded to begin the implementation of the road clearing directive before its official start on February 16, 2020.
“So as early as January, the barangay officials have conducted road clearing and preliminary activities such as road inventory, coordination with the city and municipal governments, and determination of barangay public roads, among others,” said Lucero.
Lucero reminded the barangay chiefs that the memorandum will be effective starting Sunday, February 16 and that all local government units (LGUs) must follow the guidelines within a span of 75-days.
“Throughout the 75-day implementation, the validation team shall interface with the local chief executive or his representative for at least once every two weeks to discuss the implementation and compliance,” he said.
He said all validation reports must be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, through the Bureau of Local Government Supervision, not later than April 30, 2020.
Those who fail to follow the DILG directives may be issued show-cause orders for non-compliance. /rcg