Makati starts sidewalk clearing operations

MANILA, Philippines - The Makati City government has started a drive to clear the city’s sidewalks and make the streets “walkable” for pedestrians.

Acting on the orders of Mayor Mar-Len Abigail “Abby” Binay, the City Department of Environmental Services (DES) through its Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) has cleared a total of 78 streets through the conduct of sidewalk recovery operations in different barangays in the city for the past two months.

Binay earlier called on barangay officials to support and cooperate with the said agency on the task of eliminating all kinds of obstructions from the streets.

She also reminded them of their duty to ensure that cleared sidewalks and streets are regularly maintained.

“As government officials, we must all make a conscious effort to promote walkable streets for the safety of our residents and the general public. Sidewalk vendors and street vendors, for instance, should not be allowed to proliferate in our city,” she said.

Binay noted that pedestrians are unnecessarily endangered when they are forced to walk on the road in areas where sidewalks are blocked or non-existent. She said motorists and the riding public also suffer because pedestrians and vendors impede the flow of traffic.

In his report to the mayor, DES head engineer Leopoldo Parumog said that their Sidewalk Recovery Operations for the whole month of August covered eight barangays in District 1 and three barangays in District 2.

DES personnel were able to clear 18 streets located in Barangays Tejeros, Pio Del Pilar, Olympia, Palanan, Bangkal, Kasilawan, Valenzuela and Poblacion of the first district. In District 2, they carried out clearing operations in seven streets located in Barangays Rizal, South Cembo and Pitogo.

The DES has also conducted a regular monitoring of streets in the city to immediately pinpoint areas that need to be cleared. It has also responded to requests from some barangays to remove obstructions in certain streets.

Identified owners of street obstructions are given two to three weeks to remove them. After the grace period, the obstructions will be removed and violation tickets issued to the owners.

Among the things removed or confiscated were scrap materials, metal basketball stands, metal bars of tents, tires, woods, and debris.

In July, some items in a sari-sari store located at Hippodromo corner A.P Reyes, Barangay Olympia were seized after being identified as a sidewalk obstructions and eyesores.

Meanwhile, for the entire month of July, sidewalk recovery operations were performed in seven barangays in District 1 and three barangays in District 2.

For District 1, these were carried out in 33 streets of Barangays Tejeros, La Paz, Olympia, Poblacion, Bangkal, Singkamas and Valenzuela. For District 2, DES held clearing operations in 20 streets of Barangays Cembo, West Rembo and Pitogo.

The DES sidewalk recovery operations are being carried out in coordination with the Makati Public Safety Department (MAPSA), Makati Police, and barangay personnel.

They conducted an ocular inspection first, then notify owners of properties or belongings identified as a street obstruction to remove these. Actual clearing and confiscation of materials are done after the given grace period has lapsed.

City Ordinance No. 2003-095 or the “Solid Waste Management Code of the City of Makati” penalizes the dumping and littering of waste, refuse, and the like, in any street, public building or property, including waterways, river banks not otherwise designated as garbage dumping place.

Violators shall be fined P1,000 and face imprisonment of not less than five days but not more than 30 days, or both.