The Department of the Interior and Local Government has declared the City of Makati among the cities in Metro Manila that have fully complied with the directive to implement road clearing operations in primary and secondary roads.
Makati and the cities of Las Piñas, Marikina, Valenzuela, Navotas and the municipality of Pateros comprised the six local government units shown with 100 percent compliance in a report submitted by local government operations officer Lea Evangelista to DILG National Capital Region director Maria Lourdes Agustin.
The report dated Sept. 4, 2019 showed that a total of 52,113 meters of roads and sidewalks were cleared in Makati.
Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay said she was pleased with the positive DILG report, which gave credit to the efforts of the city government to promote safe and walkable streets in the city.
“We are heartened by the DILG-NCR’s report showing we have fully complied with its directive. As early as 2017, we had started to conduct road clearing operations on a daily basis, which gave us a good headstart,” Binay said.
The mayor said the main objective of the campaign was to promote safety and mobility in the city for the benefit of residents as well as for all who work, do business, and/or spend their leisure time in the city.
She also acknowledged the contributions of various city government offices to the success of the intensified campaign against obstructions on roads and sidewalks throughout the city.
“It was not an easy task, but with the concerted efforts of our departments and offices and our strong collaboration with concerned national agencies, we were able to clear all kinds of obstructions, including sidewalk vendors and illegally parked vehicles, to make our streets safe and walkable at all times,” Binay said.
A total length of 26,621 meters of roads and 25,492 meters of sidewalk were cleared by the city’s Public Safety Department (PSD), Department of Environmental Services (DES), Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), Economic Enterprise Management Office (EEMO), Makati Action Center (MAC) and Makati Veterinary Services Office through joint and separate clearing operations, in coordination with the Makati Police Department.
The team also removed 1,031 illegally parked vehicles, 111 illegal vendors, and 13 other obstructions.
The city government also actively participated in operations led by the Highway Patrol Group Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (HPG I-ACT).
Mayor Binay said the EEMO, PSD, and DILG-Makati have been holding meetings with sidewalk vendors and tricycle operators and drivers associations (TODA) in the city to dissuade them from going back to the streets or setting up illegal terminals after the roads had been cleared.
She also urged barangay officials to do their part in ensuring that the roads and sidewalks are free from any obstruction, pointing out that the DILG-Makati is closely monitoring the compliance of barangay captains with the directive.
Municipal Ordinance No. 93-330 prohibits the parking of motor vehicles and installation of business stalls or similar objects which restrict, impede, or obstruct the free flow of pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks of all streets in Makati.
Under the ordinance, all business stalls and other similar objects found on or along sidewalks of all roads and streets shall be penalized.
On the first offense, a notice of warning will be served to the owner or operator to remove their stalls within two days. On the second offense, a grace period of two days is given for the removal of the stall, after which the city government has the authority to demolish and confiscate the said stall.
Meanwhile, illegally parked vehicles will be towed and impounded, and will only be released to the driver, owner, or operator upon the payment of the towage fee and penalties as provided by the city traffic code.
Apprehended motorists may redeem their driver’s license at the 7th floor of the Makati City Hall Building II, from 8am to 5pm daily on weekdays.
Last July 29, the DILG issued a memorandum directing all local chief executives to clear all roads and streets in Metro Manila within 60 days after President Duterte gave the same directive during his fourth State of the Nation Address.