THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Davao has requested the DILG central office to extend the deadline for the Road Clearing Operation 2.0 (RCO 2.0).
DILG-Davao Director Alex Roldan said in a radio interview that based on their recent meeting with the road clearing committee, they will be submitting a letter to DILG officer-in-charge (OIC) Undersecretary Bernardo Florece, recommending the extension of the mandatory road clearing operation for all local government units (LGUs) in the region.
"Magpadala mi na ipadayon gihapon ang evaluation, kay naa man evaluation sa mga LGU, pero murag i-extend namo gamay tungod daghan kaayo'g problema sa Covid[-19] (We will be submitting a recommendation to the central office to give LGUs more time and that we will continue our evaluations per LGU)," Roldan said.
The DILG official added that some LGUs are still managing the Covid-19 situation in their area and are preparing for the possible arrival of the vaccines.
He said they understood that addressing the pandemic is the main priority of all LGUs at this moment and that they will be making considerations.
But he said road clearing must still continue and they will continue to evaluate the LGUs.
Roldan, however, did not elaborate on the new deadline for the road clearing.
The official, in a previous interview, said road clearing operations must resume following the easing of the quarantine classifications in the region.
Roldan said the central office had issued Memorandum Circular 2020-145, which mandates the full implementation of Road Clearing Operations 2.0 (RC0 2.0), from November 16, 2020 to January 15, 2021.
Based on the memorandum, the implementation for areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) will be under "full implementation," while for areas under GCQ, it will be partially implemented.
Currently, only Davao City and the entire Davao del Norte are under GCQ while the rest of the region is under MGCQ.
Roldan said since the region shifted to MGCQ, there are establishments that are building illegal structures along the roads.
DILG issued Memorandum Circular 2019-121 in 2019, a formal directive to LGUs to clear roads and sidewalks from obstructions within 60 days. The order was issued to all chief executives in cities and towns nationwide.
The directive came after President Rodrigo Duterte asked local officials to reclaim public spaces during his State of the Nation Address in 2019.
This was, however, suspended when the entire country was declared under a state of public health emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But with the gradual lifting of strict movement restrictions, Roldan said LGUs must also resume their duty.
"Despite the pandemic, dili nato kalikayan na atong kalsada is gi-occupy napud sa pila nga mga tao. So magpadayon ang road clearing (Some individuals have occupied the roads and sidewalks again. We have to continue with our road clearing)," Roldan said in a previous virtual presser.
He emphasized the importance of reclaiming public spaces, including sidewalks, because these are being used by pedestrians. This is also to address the traffic situation in some areas.