ASEAN cleanups all for show?

MANILA, Philippines —  Will local government units sustain cleanup operations long after foreign dignitaries leave?

As several LGUs step up efforts to beautify their cities ahead of the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit (ASEAN) this weekend, people are wondering whether the cleanups are all for show.

Venues in Pasay and Parañaque will be used, such as the Philippine International Convention Center, World Trade Center and Conrad Manila.

For weeks, both cities have been clearing key routes of vendors and homeless people – a move that Rep. Antonio Tinio has said was reminiscent of how former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. concealed urban poverty during his time.

Pasay continued yesterday its clearing and cleaning operations along Taft Avenue, Baclaran, Roxas Boulevard and Macapagal Boulevard.

In a phone interview with The STAR, Pasay public information officer Jun Tadios said there is nothing new or special about cleanups.

In Baclaran, the normally jam-packed market has been temporarily cleared of vendors.

Pedestrians, especially those coming from Baclaran Church, could walk freely along Redemptorist Avenue.

The Parañaque city government said vendors would be allowed to return on Nov. 20.

The city asserts that cleanup operations will continue even after the ASEAN Summit on Nov. 17.

50 more buses fielded on EDSA busway

As the holiday season approaches, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon yesterday ordered 50 more buses for the EDSA busway system starting today.

The additional buses will accommodate around 30,000 passengers daily, Dizon said.

He said the bus deployment would also help ease traffic congestion during the ASEAN Summit. 

The transport department will add more buses on the EDSA Carousel next month in anticipation of passengers during the Christmas rush.

 “We will initially add 50 buses this month, but we will add more by December. We observed slow traffic and long lines in the Ortigas area,” Dizon told reporters.

He also said four of the seven broken elevators on the EDSA busway stations are now functioning.

Dizon said repairs of the elevators in Bagong Barrio, Balintawak and Monumento stations are underway.  – Josiah Antonio