THE City Government of Bacolod will start the improvement or rehabilitation of the reclaimed public roads in various villages this first quarter of the year.
City Engineer Belly Aguillon said the city government will allot an estimated P150 million for the improvement of the reclaimed public roads and they already identified these areas that were reclaimed after the demolition of the illegal structures.
She said Mayor Evelio Leonardia directed them to prioritize the main thoroughfares in the city.
These areas are along Lopez Jaena Street from Burgos to Libertad streets, and San Sebastian Street among others.
Aguillon noted that they are now preparing the program of works for the implementation of the project.
“We have and estimated P150 million funds, but it’s not enough to complete all the affected areas in the city,” Aguillon said.
The demolition of the illegal structures is pursuant to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular 2019-121, directing the local government officials, from the mayors down to the barangay captains, to implement the clearing of roads.
Based on validation report dated October 18, 2019 of the DILG, Bacolod City achieved 87 percent medium compliance.
Executive Assistant Butch Soliguen, cluster head on social services and barangay affairs, said Bacolod City has a total of 11, 517 illegal structures, 9, 966 of which were demolished while some were not removed because of the legal issues.
He said on Friday, all the barangays also submitted their report on the road clearing operations within their areas of jurisdiction.
“They should sustain the road clearing operations or else they will be charged by the DILG for administrative or criminal sanctions,” he added.
Ma. Joy Maredith Madayag, director of DILG-Bacolod, earlier said that they were tasked to monitor and to recommend for administrative or criminal sanctions for uncooperative and non-supportive local officials and employees and that includes the barangay officials.
“It is clear that the barangay captains are primary responsible for this program, the maintenance and sustainability of the cleared roads. They have to sustain the cleared roads because the next program will be the rehabilitation of these cleared roads and the barangays will be primarily involve in the rehabilitation of these roads,” she said. (MAP)