Memorandum order issued days

after State of the Nation Address

After President Rodrigo Duterte, in last Monday’s State of the Nation Address, called on “all concerned local officials” to “undertake immediate action to ensure the speedy and smooth flow of vehicular traffic,” Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas issued a memorandum order last Wednesday to strictly enforce road clearing policies.
“Effective immediately, and in accordance with directive of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, you are hereby directed to go around the city, including all barangays, to verify any obstructions and illegal construction along national highways and barangay roads and to clear and demolish the same,” his order indicated.
Iloilo City Public Safety and Transportation Management Office head Jeck Conlu, Office of the Barangay Affairs head Fernando Jose Rico, and Lovejoy Hosenilla were tasked with implementing the said clearing operations.
The mayor also earlier met with local Association of Barangay Captains district presidents to discuss the road clearing drive.
It was earlier reported, after Treñas sought assistance from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to review the city’s traffic situation, the agency announced they would begin their evaluations next month.
“A 12-man MMDA team will be here for two weeks in August as they will help us prepare our traffic management plan,” the mayor revealed.
A 2017 study by the Boston Consulting Group found Metro Manila had the third-worst traffic situation in Southeast Asia behind Bangkok, Thailand and Jakarta, Indonesia.
They also projected the city to reach “standstill levels,” or a situation where vehicles operate at less than 10 kilometers per hour, by 2022./WDJ