LGUs' road clearing operations begin; DILG validation in January

Quezon City, Philippines – Road clearing operations have begun as the presidential directive to clear roads of illegal obstructions known as Road Clearing (RO) 2.0 was scheduled to resume on November 16, 2020 which should be implemented for sixty (60) days nationwide except in areas under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) or higher and areas that are affected by flooding due to recent typhoons experienced in the country.

With the directive ordering the resumption of road clearing through the (Department of the Interior and Local Government) DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-27, the department told implementing agencies to adhere to safety health protocols to avoid transmission of Covid-19 virus.

“Bagaman patuloy ang serbisyo publiko at mga inisyatibo para manumbalik ang sigla ng ekonomiya, buhay at kalusugan pa rin ang pinakamahalaga. Panatilihin ang disiplina sa pagsusuot ng face mask at face shield, i-sanitize ang mga kamay at dumistansya ng isang metro sa bawat isa,” DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said.

“The road clearing operations are needed to ensure orderliness as we revive local economies without being complacent against COVID-19. Our transition to the ‘new normal’ calls for the need to ensure that our roads remain safe, accessible, and free from illegal and potentially hazardous encroachments,” Año said clarifying further that RO 2.0 is also exempted in villages, subdivisions, barrios, or along road, streets, or alleys declared under localized ECQ or MECQ.

As per MC 2020-27, Local Government Units (LGUs) under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) should be able to fully implement road clearing operations which means the implementation of all components of road clearing – removal of road and sidewalk obstructions, conduct of road inventories, physical removal of road obstructions without prejudice to the property rights of the affected stakeholders, crafting and implementation of displacement plans, rehabilitation, and maintenance of cleared roads, and creation of a grievance mechanism.

Meanwhile, LGUs under GCQ shall do a partial implementation of road clearing operations limited to the actual or physical removal or abatement of road and sidewalk obstructions that are considered hazardous to motorists and pedestrians like:

· unauthorized parked vehicles

· illegal structures

· nuisances, and

· any other structures erected along or standing on, made immovable or otherwise, that impede safe and convenient passage through public road or sidewalk.

The partial implementation also includes road clearing to establish bicycle lanes. Other RO 2.0 Exemptions Structures like CoViD-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) checkpoints and public emergency vehicles are exempted from RO 2.0 while the pandemic is not yet over, according to DILG Spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya.

Nevertheless, other structure or obstructions erected or caused by locally stranded individuals (LSIs) shall be dismantled upon their return to their intended LGU destination.

Additionally, all road closures currently set up by barangays without enabling ordinances nor approval from concerned authorities shall be removed and cleared to ensure unhampered public conveyance.

Barangays, under ECQ or MECQ may put up such road closures subject to the approval of concerned authorities and that on December 15, all barangays should submit a report on their road clearing operations. Meantime, the validation of provincial, city and municipal compliance with the road clearing operations shall be conducted on January 18 to 22, 2021.

DILG Validation Teams shall also be validating Tricycle Route Plans in their respective areas to ensure that alternate routes are provided to tricycles that are prohibited by law from operating in national highways across the country.

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