The city government of Makati had cleared 251 streets in 27 barangays in six months while conducting continuous sidewalk recovery operations in line with the directive of Mayor Abigail Binay to maintain safe and walkable streets in the city.
Binay tapped the city’s Department of Environmental Services to conduct the continuous sidewalk clearing operations to maintain the cleanliness and orderliness in the community.
“Our paramount goal is to promote safety and mobility in our city not only for the benefit of Makatizens, but for all who come here to work, do business, shop and dine, or do any leisure activities,” Binay said.
Among the things removed or confiscated during sidewalk recovery operations from January to June this year were scrap materials, metal bars of tents, tires, woods, debris, chairs and tables of eateries which served as their sidewalk extensions, food stalls and food carts obstructing the streets, among others.
Based on the report of DES head Leopoldo Parumog to the Office of the Mayor, its Solid Waste Management Division had cleared a total of 251 streets and sidewalks during the said period, with 148 in District 1 and 103 in District 2.
Parumog said in District I, DES cleared a total of 148 streets in 15 barangays from January to June. These were in Pio del Pilar, 31 streets; Poblacion, 23; Olympia 19; Tejeros, 13; San Isidro, 11; Palanan, nine; Bangkal and Singkamas, seven each; Magallanes and San Antonio, six each; San Lorenzo and Valenzuela, four each; Bel-Air and Sta. Cruz, three each; and La Paz, two.
In district II, DES conducted clearing operations in 11 barangays, covering a total of 103 streets during the said period. These were in Guadalupe Nuevo with 25 streets; Cembo and Pembo, 15 each; West Rembo, 12; Guadalupe Viejo, 11; Rizal, eight; Pitogo, seven; Comembo, four; East Rembo, three; Pinagkaisahan, two and South Cembo, one.
In the same period, deputized environmental enforcers apprehended a total of 607 individuals and issued violation tickets to 73 errant establishments for violating relevant provisions of the Makati Solid Waste Management Code and other environment-related city ordinances, Parumog reported.
DES enforcers accosted 71 persons and nine establishments in both districts for violating the provision of the code on sidewalk maintenance. For littering, 352 individuals were apprehended; non-segregation of wastes, four individuals and 59 establishments; dumping, 12 individuals and five establishments; smoking, 107 individuals; drinking intoxicating beverages in public, 49 individuals; and spitting/urinating, 12 individuals.
The code, also known as City Ordinance No. 2003-095, requires all owners, lessee, tenants, and the like of residential houses, commercial establishments, buildings and other entities within the City of Makati to separate, sort-out their solid waste, refuse, garbage materials into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable.
It requires household owners, caretakers, tenants, establishment owners, managers or any person responsible for the operations of establishments within Makati to maintain their frontage and immediate surroundings clean and sanitary.
Other prohibited acts under the ordinance include the dumping, placing, throwing, scattering of waste, refuse or garbage matters, papers, cigarette butts and the like, in any place in the streets or public building or property, including waterways, riverbanks not otherwise designated as dumping places.
Individual violators face a P1,000-fine or imprisonment between five days to 30 days, or both at the discretion of the court. For errant establishment owners or managers, the ordinance imposes a P5,000-fine or imprisonment from 30 days to one year, or both at the discretion of the court.
Under the antismoking ordinance, violators face the following penalties: first offense, P1,000; second offense, P2,000; and third offense, P3,000 or imprisonment from three days to six days, or both at the discretion of the court.
Drinking intoxicating beverages in public places such as sidewalks, streets and playground is also prohibited pursuant to Ordinance No. 31 series of 1988 which was amended to increase the penalties for violation through City Ordinance 2005-069.
For first time offenders, a fine of P1,000 or three days imprisonment; second offense, P1,500-fine or one week imprisonment; and third offense, P2,000-fine or one month imprisonment, or both at the discretion of the court.
Meanwhile, Ordinance No. 99 penalizes spitting, urinating and/or defecation of human waste in open vacant lots, sidewalks, streets, plazas, public landmarks and in all other public places.
For the first offense, a fine of P100 and/or one day imprisonment; P200 fine and/or two days imprisonment for the second offense; and P300 fine and/or three days imprisonment for the third and succeeding offenses.