IN HIS fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 22, 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the clearing of public roads of any obstruction.
Following this order, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a Memorandum Circular 2019-121 on July 29 giving local government units (LGUs) a 60-day ultimatum to clear the roads in their respective areas.
In a previous SunStar Philippines report by Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo, DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the memorandum circular covers the entire country.
“No local government is exempted from the directive,” he said.
The memorandum directs all governors, mayors, and punong barangays to exercise their powers to reclaim public roads that are being used for private ends, rid them of illegal structures and constructions, rehabilitate them by placing street names and street lights and carry out strategies to address possible displacement issues.
It also directs local chief executives to revoke permits that give authority to private entities to occupy public roads, alleys, and other thoroughfares.
Here in Davao City, the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) has already started with its initial phase of clearing the roads and sidewalks in Davao City. Dionisio Abude, CTTMO chief, said they have already sent letters to establishments to clear out illegal obstructions or their unit will personally remove these.
We, Dabawenyos, know the amount of obstruction along the streets and sidewalks in Davao City. Sidewalks in the city are being used as an extension by some establishments for their space. In turn, pedestrians had to walk along the road, sacrificing their safety. One clear example is that sidewalk at Davao Chong Hua High School that is lined by vendors. Due to most of the sidewalk being taken up by vendors, it is unable to cater to the heavy stream of people passing by. In the evening, pedestrians would have to walk on the road meeting incoming traffic.
Roads in some areas in the city have reservation markers to reserve that stretch for parking when it should not be used for parking in the first place. Some establishments are also using it as their extension for their businesses.
Davao City’s obstructed roads and sidewalks have been an issue for the city for a long time. There have been efforts to clear these roads and sidewalks but some people are stubborn and lack discipline and continue to obstruct our streets.
We hope that this time around the city will implement a stricter measure against establishments and individuals who continue to obstruct our roads and sidewalks.
It is good to note that Abude said violators will not only have their illegal structures and items removed, but they will also submit a recommendation to the Business Bureau Office to have their renewal application blocked. CTTMO will also file an obstruction case against non-compliant establishments.
With these warnings, we hope establishment owners and individuals will remove items obstructing the roads or sidewalks. We also hope that they will respect the law and cooperate with the authorities. To the authorities, we hope that they will make sure that the roads will be cleared from illegal structure or obstructive items.