The Makati City Department of Environmental Services (DES) through its Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) has cleared a total of 78 streets during sidewalk recovery operations in different barangays in the past two months.
Mayor Abby Binay earlier called on barangay officials to support and cooperate with the DES in the task of eliminating obstructions from the streets. Binay 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.
The mayor 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 sidewalk recovery operations in August covered eight barangays in District I and three barangays in District II.
They were able to clear 18 streets in Barangays Tejeros, Pio del Pilar, Olympia, Palanan, Bangkal, Kasilawan, Valenzuela and Poblacion of the first district. In District II, they cleared seven streets in Barangays Rizal, South Cembo and Pitogo.
The DES monitors the streets in the city to pinpoint areas that need to be cleared. Owners are given two to three weeks to remove properties identified as street obstructions. After the grace period, the unclaimed objects are confiscated and a violation ticket is issued to the owner.
The DES sidewalk recovery operations are being carried out in coordination with the Makati Public Safety Department, the Makati Police and barangay personnel.
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.