3 Cordillera LGUs fail road clearing assessment

BAGUIO CITY -- Three local government units (LGUs) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) failed the road clearing assessment of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Engineer Marlo Iringan, DILG-CAR regional director, said those that failed were the towns of Boliney and Manabo in Abra province and the municipality of Banaue in Ifugao.

The three towns will be asked to explain and, in case the reasons cited are deemed unacceptable, the LGUs will be sanctioned, Iringan said.

In rating the LGU's compliance to reclaim public roads, there are six indicators which include 50 points for road clearing, 15 points for rehabilitation, 15 points for the ordinance, 10 points for displacement, five points for grievance mechanism and five points for inventory.

“Hindi ko lang sigurado kung saan nagkulang ang mga LGU natin, I will have to refer to the document (I’m just not sure where our LGUs failed, I will have to refer to the document),” Iringan said.

He said the DILG would conduct a quarterly validation and check that these roads remain clear of obstructions.

"The DILG’s recent order is to sustain the gains that we have made at kailangan siguraduhin natin na 'yung mga na-clear na na mga road at 'yung mga natanggalan na ng mga obstruction will stay as they are (we need to make sure that the roads cleared of obstruction will stay as they are),” he added.

In Baguio City, Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Monday said the City Engineering Office, which is in charge of the road clearing project, has started the distribution of notices to households owners whose structures will be affected by the demolition at Naguilian Road.

He said that about 30 percent accomplishment has been noted along Marcos Highway where 267 structures found to be encroaching on the national highway are expected to be demolished. (PNA)