THE Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) cleared 19 out of 41 identified roads in the city of obstructions, an official said Monday, October 7.
These areas are Roxas Boulevard, Quirino Avenue, Quezon Boulevard, Jacinto Extension, Guerrero Street of Brgy 24-C, Dacudao Avenue in Agdao, Kilometer (Km) 7 Bangkal to Balusong in Matina, Bago Aplaya, Bankerohan, Matina, Ulas to Talomo, Kms 5 and 6 of Buhangin, Angliongto Street, Araullo Street of Jacinto Extension, Jacinto Street, and Bangoy Street.
CTTMO head Dionisio Abude said the city is already 46.34-percent compliant to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular 2019-121, which gave local government units (LGUs) a 60-day ultimatum to clear the roads in their respective areas.
Abude said their operation has continued even after the lapse of the 60-day ultimatum last September 29.
"Padayon gihapon ta sa atong operation. Since naa pa ta areas nga wala pa naclear. (Our clearing operation continues, since there are some areas in the city that weren't yet cleared)," he said after the flag raising ceremony at the City Hall of Davao Monday.
Among the obstructions CTTMO is clearing are illegally parked vehicles, illegal vendors, illegal terminals, street dwellers, barangay structures or outposts, store encroachments, shanties or house encroachments, garbage dumps and rice grain dryings, among others.
Abude, meanwhile, said there are some store owners, particularly street vendors, who pleaded for them to return on their spot, days after they voluntarily vacated their spot.
"Daghang nanghangyo sa amo nga pabalikon sila sa ilang pwesto. Pero mahulog nga dili na ta katuohan ingkaso pabalikon sila (Many of them pleaded to our office to allow them to return to their spot. We cannot do that. No one will believe in us in our enforcement if we allow them to return there)," he said.
However, there have been no reports yet of violators re-occupying these cleared areas, the official said as establishments who would continue to install illegal structures will have their businesses cancelled at the City Business Bureau.
"Kung naa gani mu-attempt og balik, didtoa na nato ipatuman ang atong legal remedies (If there are still those who would attempt to return to these vacated areas, we will now be imposing our legal remedies)," Abude said.
DILG-Davao Regional Director Alex Roldan, in a previous interview, said LGUs are mandated to enforce the issued memo, which was issued days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the clearing of public roads of any obstruction during his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) last July 22.
"Ang sidewalk man gud para kana sa mga tao. Maong kami nangusog gyud nga ipatuman kini aron mahawan kini from any obstruction (Sidewalks are intended for pedestrians. We are strongly implementing the issued memo to have these places cleared from obstructions)," Roldan said.