BAGUIO CITY– The Cordillera office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-CAR) disclosed local government units (LGUs) can determine the width of roads within their areas of jurisdiction but such decision will still be subject to the approval of the President.
DPWH-CAR legal division chief Atty. Rex Paderes said the maximum width of road-right-of-way of national roads is supposedly 120 meters while the minimum width could be as narrow as 20 meters pursuant to existing rules and regulations on road-right-of-way.
However, he stated local governments could fix the width of roads within their jurisdiction to as narrow as 15 meters but the same must be contained in an ordinance approved by the DPWH district and regional offices and endorsed to the Office of the President for approval by the Public Works Secretary.
The DPWH-CAR official claimed one of the local governments that was very successful in preparing the road networks within its area of jurisdiction is Tabuk City that paved the way for the determination of what areas are to be developed and the areas that are within the road-right-of-way of roads to prevent problems on encroachments into roads that would result to the eventual demolition of illegal structures constructed therein.
In his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, President Rodrigo R. Duterte mandated all local government units to exert extra effort in taking back public roads and sidewalks encroached on by private individuals.
While the 60-day deadline for the recovery of public roads and sidewalks around the country lapsed, the national government remains aggressive in monitoring the compliance of LGUs to the marching orders of the President to recover public roads and sidewalks from private individuals who encroached on such rights-of-way.
Paderes added the district and regional offices of the DPWH continues to coordinate with local governments for the immediate dismantling of encroachments to the road-right-of-way in their places as part of the government’s all-out campaign to bring back public roads to the people.
He revealed local governments had been fully cooperative in the strict enforcement of the marching orders from the President although there are still only a few barangays and municipalities that were not able to meet the prescribed standards.
Under existing rules and regulations, the public works department in coordination with concerned local governments should give individuals that encroached on the road-right-of-way of roads three notices that should be spread within a 21-day period prior to the demolition of such illegal structures as part of the provision of due process to those concerned.
Paderes stipulated that the government’s campaign against encroachments on road-right-of-way of all road networks in the country remains as one of the priorities of the present administration to widen narrow portions of roads constricted by encroachments made by enterprising individuals, mostly businessmen, who want to advance their own personal and business interests over the said road areas.
By HENT
