The Makati City government has cleaned up 292 streets in 28 barangays in line with its continuing sidewalk-clearing operations to maintain its reputation as a city with walkable streets and an environmentally-progressive community in Metro Manila.
The operations—conducted from January to July by personnel from the city’s Department of Environment Services (DES)—also saw 87 individuals and two establishments apprehended for violating the Makati Solid Waste Management Code.
Mayor Abigail Binay reiterated her call to residents to cooperate with their respective barangays and report those who dump wastes on sidewalks or encroach on them in deliberate disregard of the law.
“It would be in the best interest of city residents to help us maintain clean, safe and walkable streets. Please do your part by keeping your own frontage clear of any kind of obstruction or encroachment on public domain. I also encourage you to report those who deliberately disregard the law and cause unsafe and unsanitary conditions on our streets,” she said.
DES head Leopoldo Parumog reported that as of July 24, its Solid Waste Management Division had conducted sidewalk clearing operations in 183 streets in District I and 109 streets in District II this year.
For the same period, a total of 15 individuals and two establishments had been apprehended in District I for violating the “Maintenance of Sidewalk” provision under City Ordinance No. “ª2003-095, the Makati Solid Waste Management Code. In District II, 72 individual violators of the regulation had been apprehended.
In District I, DES had operated in 17 barangays, namely, Tejeros with 38 streets cleared; Poblacion, 31 streets; Pio Del Pilar, 29; Olympia, 24; Palanan, 20; Bangkal, eight; Valenzuela, six; Magallanes, San Lorenzo and Singkamas, five each; Kasilawan and San Antonio, four each; Carmona and La Paz, three each; and Bel-Air, San Isidro, and Sta. Cruz, two streets each.
In District II, DES had carried out sidewalk clearing operations in 11 barangays. These included Guadalupe Nuevo with 17 streets cleared; Rizal, 14 streets; Cembo, 12; Pembo and Guadalupe Viejo, 11 each; Pinagkaisahan and Pitogo, 10 each; West Rembo, five; Comembo, four; and East Rembo and South Cembo, three streets each.
Among the street obstructions and eyesores removed were assorted scrap metal, tires, wood, debris, chairs and tables of eateries occupying sidewalks, food stalls and food carts.
Chapter 4, Section 12 of the Code requires household owners, caretakers, tenants, establishment owners, managers or any person responsible for the operations of establishments within Makati to maintain their frontage and keep immediate surroundings clean and sanitary.
The Code imposes a P1,000-fine or imprisonment between five days to 30 days, or both at the discretion of the court, on individual violators. The owners or managers of errant establishments, on the other hand, face a P5,000-fine or imprisonment from 30 days to one year, or both at the discretion of the court.
On the first six months in office of Mayor Binay from July to December 2016, DES had cleared a total of 271 streets in different barangays. The city sidewalk recovery drive is in line with the thrust of the current administration to restore order and discipline in the city’s streets.
The sidewalk recovery project of DES is in line with the thrust of the current administration of Makati to restore order and discipline in the city’s streets.