The Cebu City government will review its ordinance legalizing pay parking along the city streets following issuance of a memorandum circular enjoining local government units (LGU) to stop using public roadsides as parking spaces.

In line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s mandate to clear public roads of obstructions, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año issued Memorandum Circular 2019-193 on Nov. 20, 2019 addressed to governors, mayors, vice mayors, barangay captains, and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional directors and heads of government agencies.

The memorandum said LGUs “are required not to use public places, particularly the thoroughfares for parking purposes” and designate a “facility designed for public parking whenever possible.” The memorandum was “for immediate compliance.”

City Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia said they will tackle DILG memorandum circular before they can decide on the City Ordinance on roadside parking.

“We will discuss the matter first to the executive department. We believe that an ordinance is also a law. The memorandum circular is an issuance coming from the DILG. If you ask me, the City Ordinance may take precedence. But that is just my own legal opinion (which) I may be wrong,” Garcia said in a radio interview.

The city lawmaker said he will also look into the report that more than 100 roadside pay parking employees will be displaced in case the city government will decide to fully implement the DILG memorandum circular.

There were two kinds of pay parking operations in this city, he said, with the downtown operations manned by a private company contracted by the city government to operate the roadside parking. The others are in the uptown district roadsides which are manned by casual and job order employees.

He said the city government stands to lose millions of revenue from roadside parking operations which collect PHP20 per vehicle parked.

Earlier, Mayor Edgardo Labella said he will abide by the memorandum circular.

Labella said they will lose income from the pay parking collection, but said the city is not dependent on it.

City Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr. said the city has no designated space for parking of city cars. (PNA)