Metro Manila Yearender: ‘Trash, mass protests and murders’
January 1, 2002 | 12:00am
Metro Manila greeted year 2001 with the stench of garbage accumulated during most of the third quarter of the previous year.
The closure of the San Mateo landfill, where almost all of the metropolis’ garbage was dumped, left the government on its hands and knees in search of an alternative.
A courageous effort was put up by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to avoid a garbage crisis by holding a bidding for a solid waste management project.
However, legal constraints prevented the MMDA from pursuing its dreams of a new landfill and a mini crisis subsequently came about.
A mountain of trash at the height of the impeachment proceedings against former President Joseph Estrada, and the timing couldn’t have been worse.
The busy streets of Metro Manila became even more animated with the mass protests day in and day out.
Prior to the historic gathering at EDSA dubbed "EDSA Dos," Ayala Avenue which symbolized the heart of business in Metro Manila, became the venue of anti-Estrada rallies.
During the latter part of 2000, what were widely known to be the elitist groups led by the Makati Business Club claimed Ayala Avenue as their own. But on Jan. 19, a day before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was sworn into office, Ayala was invaded by the true urban poor riding fleets of jeepneys and tricycles pledging all out support for Estrada.
Where cash and stocks were supposed to be traded, rocks and bottles took their place as the predominantly anti-Erap Makati City employees tried to boot out the "barbarians at the gates."
President Arroyo, in one of her first acts as head of state, took on the problem of garbage with the staging of the first garbage summit in Mandaluyong City.
However, instead of solutions, the President witnessed finger pointing, a deluge of proposals and an obvious absence of a final disposal site.
Less than a month into the new administration, President Arroyo was faced with one of her first challenges when labor leader Felimon "Popoy" Lagman was murdered inside the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City.
On Maundy Thursday April 12, supporters of deposed President Estrada held vigil at the gate of North Greenhills in San Juan after word of their idol’s imminent arrest went out.
This started the sequence of events, which led to one of the bloodiest and ugliest mass actions culminating in the May 1 attack on Malacañang.
Several persons were killed and scores were injured when the psyched-up rallyists took on the Philippine National Police from the EDSA Shrine in Ortigas to the presidential palace in Manila from dusk till dawn.
The local government election in Metro Manila was one of the most peaceful reported in years as established politicians won over celebrity figures as a sign of the changing times.
After the elections, the sale of pails and buckets skyrocketed as a huge portion of Metro Manila was left without water for four days when Maynilad Water Co. implemented major repairs on its pipes.
After, came two killer storms which submerged the metropolis and provided students with an early break from school.
Storm Feria came in the first week of July followed by Jolina in the second week of August.
The follies of flood control were once again cast into the limelight as the rains fell incessantly and floods affected all areas of the metropolis.
After the floods came the fires. Quezon City relived its Ozone Disco nightmare with the conflagration in the Manor Hotel.
75 persons died in the blaze and as a result, the Department of Interior and Local Government suddenly became fire-conscious.
A long list of fire traps were identified which drew the ire of several establishments as the list was hastily drawn up and presented to the public.
The following month, 1,500 families were displaced when a huge fire wiped out Barangay Happyland in Tondo, Manila.
In the first week of October, the Filipino-Chinese owner of Uratex, Connie Wong, was killed by her abductors after negotiations for her release supposedly went wrong.
Shortly after, some of the well-known private and exclusive schools of Metro Manila were affected by a "mystery virus" resulting in the suspension of classes.
The anthrax scare in the United States fed the fears of Metro Manila residents but the Department of Health immediately uncovered the mystery to be nothing more than the flu.
Three showbiz deaths rounded up the last two months of the year led by the brutal slaying of veteran actress Nida Blanca in San Juan.
The second death was also in San Juan, involving the alleged suicide of former comedienne Maria Teresa Carlson who fell from the 23rd floor of a condominium.
Former child star Anouk Baldo more popularly known as Strawberry was the third victim. She died in a hospital after being shot in a traffic altercation in Las Piñas City last Dec. 18.
The closure of the San Mateo landfill, where almost all of the metropolis’ garbage was dumped, left the government on its hands and knees in search of an alternative.
A courageous effort was put up by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to avoid a garbage crisis by holding a bidding for a solid waste management project.
However, legal constraints prevented the MMDA from pursuing its dreams of a new landfill and a mini crisis subsequently came about.
A mountain of trash at the height of the impeachment proceedings against former President Joseph Estrada, and the timing couldn’t have been worse.
The busy streets of Metro Manila became even more animated with the mass protests day in and day out.
Prior to the historic gathering at EDSA dubbed "EDSA Dos," Ayala Avenue which symbolized the heart of business in Metro Manila, became the venue of anti-Estrada rallies.
During the latter part of 2000, what were widely known to be the elitist groups led by the Makati Business Club claimed Ayala Avenue as their own. But on Jan. 19, a day before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was sworn into office, Ayala was invaded by the true urban poor riding fleets of jeepneys and tricycles pledging all out support for Estrada.
Where cash and stocks were supposed to be traded, rocks and bottles took their place as the predominantly anti-Erap Makati City employees tried to boot out the "barbarians at the gates."
President Arroyo, in one of her first acts as head of state, took on the problem of garbage with the staging of the first garbage summit in Mandaluyong City.
However, instead of solutions, the President witnessed finger pointing, a deluge of proposals and an obvious absence of a final disposal site.
Less than a month into the new administration, President Arroyo was faced with one of her first challenges when labor leader Felimon "Popoy" Lagman was murdered inside the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City.
On Maundy Thursday April 12, supporters of deposed President Estrada held vigil at the gate of North Greenhills in San Juan after word of their idol’s imminent arrest went out.
This started the sequence of events, which led to one of the bloodiest and ugliest mass actions culminating in the May 1 attack on Malacañang.
Several persons were killed and scores were injured when the psyched-up rallyists took on the Philippine National Police from the EDSA Shrine in Ortigas to the presidential palace in Manila from dusk till dawn.
The local government election in Metro Manila was one of the most peaceful reported in years as established politicians won over celebrity figures as a sign of the changing times.
After the elections, the sale of pails and buckets skyrocketed as a huge portion of Metro Manila was left without water for four days when Maynilad Water Co. implemented major repairs on its pipes.
After, came two killer storms which submerged the metropolis and provided students with an early break from school.
Storm Feria came in the first week of July followed by Jolina in the second week of August.
The follies of flood control were once again cast into the limelight as the rains fell incessantly and floods affected all areas of the metropolis.
After the floods came the fires. Quezon City relived its Ozone Disco nightmare with the conflagration in the Manor Hotel.
75 persons died in the blaze and as a result, the Department of Interior and Local Government suddenly became fire-conscious.
A long list of fire traps were identified which drew the ire of several establishments as the list was hastily drawn up and presented to the public.
The following month, 1,500 families were displaced when a huge fire wiped out Barangay Happyland in Tondo, Manila.
In the first week of October, the Filipino-Chinese owner of Uratex, Connie Wong, was killed by her abductors after negotiations for her release supposedly went wrong.
Shortly after, some of the well-known private and exclusive schools of Metro Manila were affected by a "mystery virus" resulting in the suspension of classes.
The anthrax scare in the United States fed the fears of Metro Manila residents but the Department of Health immediately uncovered the mystery to be nothing more than the flu.
Three showbiz deaths rounded up the last two months of the year led by the brutal slaying of veteran actress Nida Blanca in San Juan.
The second death was also in San Juan, involving the alleged suicide of former comedienne Maria Teresa Carlson who fell from the 23rd floor of a condominium.
Former child star Anouk Baldo more popularly known as Strawberry was the third victim. She died in a hospital after being shot in a traffic altercation in Las Piñas City last Dec. 18.
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