ROADS in Mandaue City, once congested with illegally parked vehicles, are now visibly cleared following the intensified operations of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team).
Team head Hyll Retuya said their ongoing citywide campaign against illegal parking, especially overnight parking, has brought significant improvement to several major streets.
Retuya said that since the start of their intensified enforcement on September 29, 2025, nearly 100 vehicles have already been clamped.
“So far, so good in terms of how our operations are going, especially with our focus on illegal parking and overnight parking,” Retuya said. “In the past, there were many areas that looked like car storage spaces, with vehicles parked 24/7. But by God’s grace, those streets are now cleared and orderly.”
Retuya particularly highlighted E. Del Rosario Street and S.B. Cabahug Street, two of the main roads that used to be filled with parked vehicles day and night.
“Those streets were once difficult to clear, but now, they’re finally clean. I’m really happy that we’ve solved the issue there,” he said.
The Team chief emphasized that their key to success lies in consistency.
Every night, enforcement officers continue to patrol and conduct “roaming” operations across various areas in Mandaue.
“We’ve even extended our operations to other locations. My approach here is citywide, we want this program to be implemented throughout the city,” he said.
He said that each week, Team expands its focus area. Just recently, operations began in Looc, where vehicles were also clamped.
Although occasional violations still occur along E. Del Rosario and S.B. Cabahug, Retuya noted that the incidents have become rare.
“There are even areas now where we no longer need to clamp vehicles because they’re already cleared,” he said. “For example, R. Colinas Street used to be full of parked cars, but now it’s almost like a ghost town, no one parks there anymore.”
Retuya assured that the agency is committed to maintaining the cleared roads, a promise he said he made to Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano.
“I gave my word to Mayor Ouano that this program will be maintained. Eventually, motorists will find proper places to park. We just need to give the roads back to their rightful users the vehicles passing through, the sidewalks to pedestrians because that’s what the national law requires,” he said.
He said roads and sidewalks maintained by the government are for public use, not for private vehicle storage.
“That’s why I’m following the law strictly. Parking on public roads is prohibited, especially if those are government-owned roads,” he said.
Since the implementation of the campaign, Team’s nightly patrols have resulted in fewer violations.
Retuya said the decrease shows that people are becoming aware of the rules.
“After we clamp vehicles, the violations lessen because drivers realize it’s really not allowed. It’s painful to enforce, but we have to teach them a lesson,” he admitted.
He reminded motorists to be responsible before buying or owning a car.
“If you’re going to buy or even loan a vehicle, make sure you have a parking space. It’s unfair to inconvenience other people by occupying public roads that don’t belong to you,” he said.
Retuya emphasized that the Team’s mission is not to penalize for the sake of punishment but to promote discipline and order.
“We’re just returning the roads to the people who need them,” he added.
Through sustained nightly patrols and community cooperation, Mandaue City’s streets are beginning to show lasting results, cleaner, safer, and more accessible for everyone. (ABC)