NegOcc, Bacolod hurdle road clearing operations

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) gave an 88.3 percent score to Negros Occidental relative to the road clearing works in the province.

Bacolod City, on the other hand, got a score of 87 percent.

DILG-Negros Occidental director Ferdinand Panes said the score is based on reports submitted by their validations teams.

He said the validation teams were sent to various towns and cities to determine if they followed the DILG memorandum on road clearing operations.

Panes added that even though the current rating passed the standards set by the DILG, they will continue monitoring the towns and cities to make sure that the illegal structures will not resurface.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Validation Team in Region 6- Western Visayas rated the compliance of Bacolod City with road-clearing operations at 87 percent.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia received the report on LGU Compliance Assessment and Validation Form on the Implementation of DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2019- 121 in a meeting with the Validation Team at the Bacolod City Government Center on Oct. 3.

The DILG Validation Team was composed of DILG-6 Regional Director Engr. Ariel Iglesia, DILG-Iloilo City director Roy Defiño, SFO2 Frankie Guillen, chief of operations of the Bureau of Fire Protection—Bacolod City Fire Station; Lt. Gary Buaron, deputy chief of Operation Section of the Bacolod City Police Office; and Crispin Chua, director of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI).

“The removal of 11,099 structures is not a joke, so we have to give credit to our barangay officials for having done these. Although it’s not perfect, it’s almost perfect,” he said.