Motorists joined affected business establishments in criticizing last week’s implementation of the right-side parking policy of the Virac municipal government.

Traffic aides and maintenance workers of the local government, assisted by the Virac police, installed tarpaulin signs along the right side of the national highway from barangay Francia to Calatagan. This surprised traders who operate businesses in the designated parking areas as well as motorists who were asked to remove their parked vehicles from the road shoulders.

According to the tarp signs, the move is pursuant to the “Presidential Directive during the 4th State of the Nation Address of the President”, which ordered all mayors to clear all obstructions in all public roads to provide free flowing traffic to motorists, and “DILG Memorandum Circular 2019-21.”

Pursuant to the Duterte directive during the SONA, the Department of the Interior and Local Government enjoined all local officials to exercise their powers essential to reclaim public roads which are being used for private ends and in the process rid them of illegal structures and constructions.

Secretary Eduardo Año likewise directed local governments to cause rehabilitation of all recovered public roads by placing street names and street lights, among others, and to develop and implement strategies that will address the displacement issues caused by the implementation of the directives.

“(L)ocal chief executives are hereby directed to revoke permits that give authority to private entities to occupy public roads, alleys and other thoroughfares,” he stated. “Prudence must also be observed in placing street signs and signages to avoid exacerbating problems on obstructions.”

The DILG also enjoined local sanggunians to revisit ordinances and similar legislative measures to ensure responsiveness to the presidential directive and consistency with related laws and policies.

All district offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were also directed to coordinate with local officials for assistance to immediately remove obstructions or to clear national roads with illegal structures that encroach the national roads right-of-way (ROW).