ROADS in Mandaue City, once congested with illegally parked vehicles, are now visibly clear following the intensified citywide operations of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team).
According to Team head Hyll Retuya, the ongoing campaign against illegal and overnight parking has brought significant improvement to several major streets. Since the intensified enforcement began on Sept. 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 specifically highlighted E. Del Rosario St. and S.B. Cabahug St., two main roads that previously faced issues with vehicles parked 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 the key to success is consistency. Enforcement officers continue to patrol and conduct “roaming” operations across various areas in Mandaue every night.
“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 explained.
He noted that each week, Team expands its focus area and operations recently began in Looc, where more vehicles were 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 St. used to be full of parked cars, but now it’s almost like a ghost town, no one parks there anymore.”
Assurance
Retuya assured the public 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 — and the sidewalks to pedestrians because that’s what the national law requires,” he explained.
He stressed that 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 campaign’s implementation, 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, making them cleaner, safer and more accessible for everyone. / ABC