Following the marching orders of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is calling on all local government units (LGUs) to require contractors to properly notify the public before commencing any road projects or face sanctions.
DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said that during a cabinet meeting held recently, the President was firm in addressing the recurring complaints of Filipinos regarding stalled road projects and the dangers they pose to the public.
“Our President was clear in his orders to eliminate the hazards posed by stalled and ongoing road projects to the public. Local chief executives should therefore ensure that contractors will duly notify the public about scheduled road projects and undertake measures to ensure their safety,” said Año.
He said governors and mayors should likewise see to it that there is no delay in the completion of road projects to avoid more inconvenience to the public.
“Ensure that they are strictly following the timelines that they have set for their road projects because further delays would be a big hassle to the public and businesses in the area,” he pointed out.
Año warned that LGU non-compliance may result to serious repurcussions and is tantamount to negligence of duty punishable in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Civil Service Rules and Regulations, and other pertinent laws, rules and regulations.
“We will not take this sitting down. The problems posed by stalled road projects and ultimately, of an uninformed public have pestered our kababayans in many parts of the country. If the LGUs will not monitor the actions of their contractors, we have no choice but to apply the law,” he said.
In memorandum circular 2018-30 dated March 7, 2018, Año urged LCEs to ensure that contractors coordinate with the local traffic management group or its equivalent unit to guarantee the provision of sufficient manpower complemented by appropriate equipment for the enforcement and maintenance of safe and orderly traffic within the project site on a 24/7 basis.
At the same time, contractors should also be required to comply with safety and protection measures to include installation of proper warning signages placed 100 meters and 50 meters which shall include lights or reflectors during night time before any road or bridge construction.
He said LGUs should see to it that contractors will inform the public through tarpaulins, posters, or any form of signages, among other media, that are easily noticeable and recognizable by the public in compliance with the Commission on Audit’s circular titled ‘Information and Publicity on Programs/Projects/Activities of Government Agencies’.
He also ordered the DILG regional offices to make certain that LGUs comply with the directive through stringent monitoring of the respective LGUs under their jurisdiction.
