By: Emme Rose Santiagudo
MAYOR Jerry Treñas is dissatisfied with the 83 percent road clearing score of Iloilo City.
In a press conference on Monday, Treñas said road clearing operations in the metro will continue especially in areas with still-existing road obstructions.
“We are not satisfied. As a matter of fact kaina gani sang aga, ginistorya ko na si Love Joy Hosenilla, head of Task Force Anti-Squatting and lllegal Structures (ASIS), that there are certain areas nga nakit-an ko pa nga may mga obstructions and balikan nila ini nga areas,” he stressed.
The mayor said the 83% score is a bit low for the road accomplishments in the metro.
“We will continue because tam-an ka nubo ang 83%. There is definitely room for improvement. As I have said, sige-sige kita last Saturday sige libot nila sa iban nga areas,” he said.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) gave Iloilo City the 83% rate in its road clearing accomplishment, higher than the 70% passing score.
Before the validation, Treñas projected the city’s road clearing accomplishment rate to be between 95% to 100%
Treñas said one of the challenges in the city is to maintain the areas that were cleared by the road clearing operations.
“Ang challenge lang sa aton, wala kita sang dump truck so indi ta mabalikan ang mga na-clear or after naguba na ang isa ka obstruction waay na ta kabalik,” he lamented.
For this reason, the mayor said all areas that have been cleared will be revisited and be cleared.
“Ang plano ta ang mga areas nga naguba na sa sidewalks ipahakot ang tanan nga debris tapos ubrahon lang gid sidewalk para magamit sang mga tawo,” he furthered.
DILG-Bacolod City Director Maredith Madayag, who validated the city’s performance, said Iloilo City still has room for improvement.
In previous interviews, she emphasized the need for the city to rehabilitate the cleared roads in order to make the road clearing program sustainable.
“The areas that were reclaimed should be rehabilitated. The LGU should see it as an opportunity to possibly widen the roads because the parking areas are limited. They should put up signages and street lights, beautify it and improve the area,” she said.
Even after the road clearing order ended, Madayag said Iloilo City should continue its road clearing operations through its task force.
“They should sustain the gains and monitor the areas that were cleared. We will still continue monitoring the LGUs even after the deadline,” she said.
Madayag cross-posted with Iloilo City DILG Director Roy Defiño to validate the accomplishment report of Iloilo City alongside the validating team composed of representatives of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), civil society organization.
Meanwhile, Treñas said he already issued a memorandum last week tasking the barangay officials with the responsibility to sustain areas in their jurisdiction that were already cleared.
For his part, Defiño also issued a memorandum on October 9, 2019 directing all punong barangays in the metro to submit road clearing inventory and accomplishment with pictures every 15th and 30th day of the month starting October.
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte gave a 60-day ultimatum to all local chief executives through DILG to reclaim all public roads being used for private purposes and to clear all the illegal structures and road obstructions.
The deadline officially ended on September 29, 2019.
Recently, DILG announced that some 97 LGUs outside Metro Manila failed to pass the road clearing mandate.
