The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has extended for another week the previous January 15 deadline for the local government units (LGUs) to comply with the agency’s “Road Clearing Operation 2.0 (RCO 2.0).
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said that the one week reprieve now set on January 22 was made by the agency after the LGUs appealed an extension for them to comply with their road clearing operation duties.
With the weeklong extension, Malaya said that the DILG has now set the validation date to January 25.
“We extended the deadline for RCO 2.0 because these are extraordinary times; we are in a pandemic and LGUs have a lot on their plate. We understand the request so the Department granted it,” Malaya said.
Last year, the DILG announced the resumption of RCO 2.0 on November 16, 2020, giving the LGUs 60 days to comply with President Duterte’s directive to rid streets of illegal obstructions and ‘to return roads and major thoroughfares to the people.’’
With the extension of the deadline, Malaya said the DILG “is giving LGUs more time to ensure full compliance with the program issued through DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-145.’’
“This is, in a way, a little help to the LGUs as so that they have more time to comply with the President’s directive,” he added.
In 2019, 101 out of 1,245 LGUs nationwide were found non-compliant to the road clearing directive of the President and were issued show cause orders with 15 administrative cases filed by the DILG.
“The RCO 2.0 remains to be one of the major programs of the DILG, kaya naman, we aim to maintain the same standards as before,” Malaya reiterated.
Through DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-145, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said RCO 2.0 is different, depending on the quarantine classification of a certain area.
“Full implementation of the RCO 2.0 is enforced in areas under the MGCQ (modified general community quarantine) and the New Normal or Post Quarantine Scenario. Partial implementation is executed by LGUs under GCQ while in areas under MECQ and ECQ, the RCOs is suspended,’’ the DILG said.
Validation Teams
Prior to the start of the validation period on January 25-February 5, 2021, Malaya explained the DILG shall create Validation Teams (VTs), in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), for each province, city and municipality.
He emphasized that the VTs will also be crossed-posted to ensure the impartiality of the validation process.
“This time around mayroon tayong VTs na established at cross-posted, meaning, kung taga-Quezon City sila hindi sila puwede mag-validate sa QC, dapat nasa Taguig City sila o alin mang ibang lungsod (we have VTs that were established and cross-posted meaning if they are from Quezon City (QC) they cannot validate in QC. They should be in Taguig City or in any other localities),’’ he explained.
He added their LGU of assignment during the validation must not be their original LGU of designation or residence.
Malaya said the VTs will be composed of a representative from the DILG; the PNP; the BFP; and, one representative from a civil society organization (CSO) or the local media.
“VTs for Component Cities and Municipalities may be cross-posted within their respective provinces while for Provinces, Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs), and Independent Component Cities (ICCs) may be cross-posted within the region,’’ the DILG noted.
To reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and other health risks, Malaya said “that DILG Regional Directors are also enjoined to consider the minimization of travel in the cross-posting of the VTs.’’
Among the validation requisites are the actual removal of road obstructions; enactment of an enabling ordinance; conduct of an inventory of road obstructions; crafting and implementation of a displacement plan; rehabilitation of cleared roads; creation of a grievance mechanism; as well as the tricycle route plan.