Cebu City PROBE hopeful to pass DILG evaluation on road clearing

The DILG road clearing evaluation team. | Photo Courtesy of Cebu City PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Prevention Restoration Beautification and Enhancement (PROBE) team is confident that the city will pass the road clearing evaluation of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

PROBE head, Racquel Arce, said that the city may even get a higher rating this time as compared to the first evaluation in February 2020 because the street and ambulant vendors were not able to sell on the streets due to the pandemic.

Arce said that the moving obstructions of the road have been generally cleared giving her the confidence that the city will score higher than last time.

However, there are certain streets that have permanent structures still blocking the sidewalks, and this may be some points against the city.

PROBE justified the obstructions with letters to the property owners for voluntary demolition or removal as most of these structures are privately owned including a downtown university.

“Mayor Edgardo Labella himself ang nagsulat sa mga property owners nga kailangan na tangtangon ang permanent structures kay nakababag na gyod sa sidewalk,” said Arce in a phone interview with CDN Digital.

She added that the city government is coordinating with the private owners with the hopes of removing the obstructions sooner.

Arce also lauded the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) for successfully removing illegally parked cars, which had been one of the major issues in the first DILG evaluation a year ago.

The CCTO’s continuous crackdown on illegal parking has significantly improved the traffic flow on the major roads.

The DILG conducted the primary evaluations on March 2, 2021, at J. Panis Street of Barangay Kasambagan, Sikatuna Street, Pelaez Street, T. Padilla, Spolarium, Climaco, Tupas, A. Gabuya, Sabellano, and others.

The evaluation will end on March 16, 2021. /rcg