Jaworski to Bayani: Have a heart

Senator Robert Jaworski urged Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando yesterday to be "more compassionate" in his campaign to rid the streets of illegal vendors.

Jaworski, chairman of the Senate committee on environment, said people selling their wares on the sidewalks of Metro Manila are also human beings who have the right to earn a living to feed their families.

"There should be more compassion. We are not talking about professional sidewalk vendors. You have to understand that if you only have P200 to start and sell something, how can you pay P100 for the market stall fee?" he asked.

The senator said he is not against clearing operations to ease the traffic in Metro Manila, "But we must equate it with the solution to the social displacement taking place," Jaworski said.

His committee is investigating the complaints of various vendor organizations in Metro Manila seriously affected by Fernando’s clearing operations.

"The problem here is social displacement. It is a word that nobody talks about. These vendors are part of our society, whether illegal or not. But in solving the problem of traffic what other social displacement happens and what is its net effect?’ Jaworski asked.

He said that while it is the responsibility of the government to clear the streets to solve the perennial traffic problem, the government also has the obligation to give "equal opportunity" for each Filipino to earn a living.

He said a task force, to be composed of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the MMDA and local government units (LGUs), should be created by the government to give displaced vendors a source of income, or "another arena for them to continue with their livelihood."

"Would you rather see cleaner roads with more muggers and holduppers? It is the responsibility of government to see to it there is equal opportunity," Jaworski said.

He noted that during his committee’s hearing, a group of Muslim vendors, who were forced to come to Manila because of the ongoing conflict in Mindanao, complained they have no other source of income than to sell on sidewalks.

Busy MMDA

More than 1,200 illegal structures and sign boards have been removed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in the last 12 months.

The removal of the structures is part of the MMDA’s effort to improve the flow of traffic for both the vehicles and pedestrians.

Based on the latest data of the MMDA, around 500 illegal structures that block roadways were removed in the past year, a huge part of which consisted of vendors’ stalls.

Other obstructions cleared were posts, outposts, concrete walls and even parts of business establishments situated beyond the allowable land area.

More than 700 illegal signs and road humps were taken down by the MMDA during the period.

Many of the signs were either placed on areas that block the path of the pedestrians or distract that view of the motorists on the road.

In the one-year period with Bayani Fernando at the helm, the agency has also managed to set up five emergency stations located along strategic parts of major thoroughfares.

The emergency stations along EDSA, C-5 Road and Nagtahan were put up to clear road obstructions such as stalled vehicles and debris from car crashes within a 15-minute period.

The stations are also manned by paramedics with ambulances that could be deployed immediately whenever they are needed.

A total of nine video cameras have also been purchased for use along EDSA as part of the MMDA’s no-contact apprehension policy.

Reckless motorists are the target of the cameras, the images of which will be used as evidence in the issuance of citation tickets.

In its initial stage, the cameras have taken video snapshots of public utility buses that violate traffic rules.

The no left-turn scheme initially introduced along EDSA has also expanded to almost all of the major thoroughfares in an attempt in an attempt to speed up traffic.

The scheme has been complemented by the extended rotunda scheme, or what the MMDA calls clearways.

Under the scheme, crossing at the intersections has been prohibited so that there are less stops and faster traffic.

The MMDA reported that travel speed along the major thoroughfares has improved from an average of 14.5 kilometers per hour in July 2001 to 17.37 kph at the start of this year.