The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued Saturday another order extending the nationwide Road Clearing Operation 2.0 (RCO 2.0) deadline to February 15.
Initially, the DILG set the road clearing operation deadline to January 15 but extended it further to January 22 due to the clamor of the local government units (LGUs).
The deadline was put off anew after the DILG considered that the LGUs are preoccupied with their preparation for their respective COVID-19 vaccination plans.
Recently, the DILG issued a memorandum tasking the LGUs to come up with a local plan that contains the preparation of risk communication plans and conduct of early vaccine communication campaign to disseminate critical information on COVID-19 vaccination.
The plan must also include a master list of priority eligible vaccine population; identification of possible vaccine centers, available cold chain storages, and other logistical requirements; and a master list of existing human resources and personnel needed in the vaccination program, among others.
“The Department is fully cognizant of the urgency for LGUs to prepare their vaccination plans against COVID-19 that’s why the road clearing timeline is extended anew. This is, however, the last extension to be granted by the DILG,” said DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya.
“We need to give LGUs time to focus on their local vaccination plans so we are giving them more time to undertake their road-clearing operations,” he added.
Malaya noted the DILG’s validation of the LGUs’ compliance has also been moved from January 18 to February 16 and then to March 2, 2021.
“The deadline of the submission of all consolidated validation reports from the DILG regional offices will be one week after the end of the validation period or on March 9, 2021. We will not allow any modification in the report after submission,” Malaya explained. (Chito Chavez)
