Although I acknowledge that paperwork is important, what moves me more is work happening on the ground. The Pasig River project has been such a blessing. Yes people are benefitting — and I and everyone else involved are benefitting just as much. Currently we are doing 17 esteros.
This year and the next, we are going to Binondo. It is so exciting. Just last week I met with Filinvest, which is in the Tondo-Binondo area, and they are putting up a mixed-use land development there.
I am even more excited because Manila Mayor Erap Estrada called to say that he wants to focus on the esteros. Yes! While dealing with him, I didn’t realize how much of a doer he is. We made plans and immediately he got his people together. His city engineer, Robert Bernardo, is great.?He showed me the CCTV of Divisoria — and shared how they relocated the stalls and cleared the streets.
And he did it himself! I am so excited because now he will help us with the Paco Market. Parking is a problem in the Paco market. It is a 100-year-old market and holds much promise. The problem is the parking area has been taken over by vendors.
So how will people come to buy if they cannot park their cars anywhere? The plan is to move to a night market scenario so they still earn.?Mayor Erap had a knee replacement and stem cell and he is looking so well. He is also really funny. I really like the mayors I am dealing with. Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos is a great doer too.
Sitting with him at the meetings, there is clear evidence that he has been at this for more than a decade. ?I love San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez. I even teasingly tell Mayor Erap that she is one of his best choices. She is charming and my goodness she gets things done. If we clean San Juan, which is 40 percent of the Pasig River — that is exciting.?I don’t see Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista much but his administration is super supportive especially Tadeo Palma, the secretary to the mayor. ?The Local Inter-Agency Committee (LIAC), composed of National Housing Authority, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, Commission on Human Rights, DILG, DPWH, Caritas, DEPEd and MMDA, is superb.
It is almost unreal what the group has been able to do. They have managed to execute all the relocations in peace and dignity. ?I look at the team, and I remain supremely hopeful about our future. ?I am pleased to share with you that the students from the two schools in Bayanijuan, OML–Dayap Elementary School Annex and Sto. Tomas Elementary School Annex have been winning awards in regional quiz bees and sports competitions. We use student-centric as opposed to teacher-centric education. The results speak for themselves.
Cleaning the Pasig River is the blooming of our future. It gives the clear message that if we work together, miracles can happen.
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I may be reached at regina_lopez@abs-cbn.com. ?