The Department of the Interior and Local Government has granted a one-week extension of the deadline of the Department’s Road Clearing Operation 2.0 (RCO 2.0) following requests by local government units to give them more time to clear roads of obstructions.
DILG Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said upon the request of local chief executives, the deadline for RCO 2.0, on Jan. 15, will instead be on Jan. 22 with the validation starting Jan. 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,” he said.
The DILG announced the resumption of RCO 2.0 on Nov. 16, 2020, giving the LGUs 60 days to comply with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to rid streets of illegal obstructions and “to return roads and major thoroughfares to the people.”
Malaya said with the extension of the deadline, the DILG is giving LGUs more time to ensure full compliance with the program issued through DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-145.
In 2019, 101 out of 1,245 LGUs nationwide were found not complying to the road clearing directive of the President and were issued show cause orders. Fifteen of these were filed with administrative cases by the DILG.
“The RCO 2.0 remains to be one of the major programs of the DILG, so we aim to maintain the same standards as before,” he added.
Through DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-145, Sec. 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 modified general community quarantine and the new normal or post-quarantine scenario.
Partial implementation is executed by LGUs under GCQ while in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine and ECQ, the RCOs is suspended.
Malaya said prior to the start of the validation period on Jan. 25 to Feb. 5, the DILG shall create validation teams in coordination with the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection for each province, city, and municipality.
These teams will also be crossed-posted to ensure the impartiality of the validation process.
He said their LGU of assignment during the validation must not be their original LGU of designation or residence.
Validation teams will be composed of a representative from the DILG, the PNP, the BFP, and one representative from a civil society organization or the local media.
Validation teams for component cities and municipalities may be cross-posted within their respective provinces; while for provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities they may be cross-posted within the region.
To reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19 and other health risks, Malaya said DILG regional directors are also enjoined to consider the minimization of travel in the cross-posting of the validation teams.
Among the validation requisites are the actual removal of road obstructions, enactment of an enabling ordinance, inventory of road obstructions, crafting and implementation of a displacement plan, rehabilitation of cleared roads, and creation of a grievance mechanism and tricycle route plan. – Press release
April 19, 2024
