The City Traffic Management Office (CTMO) on Friday warned residents of Puerto Princesa “to clear, vacate, and self-demolish” their illegal structures that are obstructing roads, sidewalks, and other spots that should be accessible to the public.
Traffic management chief Engr. Jonathan Magay made the warning as the city government started on Tuesday its clean-up of illegal structures that are blocking sidewalks and roads that should be easily accessed by pedestrians and vehicles.
He said the clean-up drive was ordered by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Eduardo Año on July 29 through Memorandum Circular 2019-121 which gives all mayors 60 days “to exercise their powers that are essential to reclaim public roads which are being used for private ends, and in the process rid them of illegal structures and constructions.”
“Ito ay talagang direktiba galing sa ating DILG na base sa naging pahayag ni Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte sa kanyang state of the nation address (SONA). Talagang tahasan itong dapat sundin. Sa parte namin, ipapatupad namin talaga kasi tayo naman ang magiging kahiya-hiya kapag hindi natin sinunod ‘yan,” said Magay.
He said that on August 5, Mayor Lucilo Bayron met with the chairmen of urban barangays, the CTMO, and the DILG to discuss the implementation of the directive.
Magay said that next week, they will begin conducting information drives with the chairmen of urban barangays to remind residents about the order.
He said that based on the meetings and initial inspections they have conducted, illegally-parked vehicles and unauthorized stalls are the main problems in Puerto Princesa.
Barangays Bucana, Model, Manggahan, Mandaragat, Valencia, Tagumpay, and Tanglaw are the areas they have identified to be with the most obstructions to get rid of.
