The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)  will start validating starting today (Monday) the compliance of local government units (LGUs) with Road Clearing 2.0 or the program to clear roads of obstructions.

The validation will be from February 16 to March 2, 2020.

DILG Officer-in-Charge (OIC) and Undersecretary Bernardo C. Florece, Jr. said that the DILG will be fair in the road-clearing validation but will point out the deficiencies so that this can be acted upon soonest by the LGUs.

“One of the strategies that we will adopt is that once a road is cleared by the LGU, a contract is drawn up and signed by the Barangay Captain who then is now responsible for maintaining the cleared roads. There will also be an exit conference with the mayor so that he is advised of the results of the validation,” he said.

He also said that no-parking signs and visual cues must be placed in cleared roads so residents do not go back to their old ways.

Florece acknowledged that with the arrival of vaccines for the coronavirus disease 2019, LGUs may have their hands full but he nonetheless challenged them to comply with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to clear road of obstructios.

February 16 to March 2 is the validation period for all provinces, cities, and municipalities, while March 9 is the deadline for all DILG Regional Offices to submit their respective compliance data and forms as well as attachments to the DILG Central Office-Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS).

The Department, through the BLGS, will ensure that all LGUs adhere to the principles of road clearing, even beyond the validation period, making it a whole-year-round program. Personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bureau of Fire Protection, as well as representatives from civil society organizations, will be part of the local validation teams.

ROAD DISCIPLINE

Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan E. Malaya also urged LGUs to include the promotion of road discipline and education in line with the conduct of their road clearing operations.

According to Malaya, a total of 38,725 vehicular incidents have been recorded by the PNP from November 1, 2020 to February 1 this year.

Malaya stressed the road clearing and safety operation is a year-round activity that requires sustained effort and implementation.