MMDA wraps up linis palengke drive

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has finished its drive to clean several public markets across Metro Manila.

MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said the agency's 'Linis Palengke' program ended with the clearing of the 

Pasig City Mega Public Market on Friday.

In a span of only five months, Tolentino said the cleanup activity has covered a total of 100,879 square meters of public market land areas since it was launched on Oct. 8, 2013. 

MMDA workers, backed up by barangay personnel and volunteers from the local government units, also cleaned up 2,935 wet stalls and 4,163 dry stalls, aside from conducting lectures for market personnel and vendors about cleanliness and environmental conservation. 

"We are done with the Linis Palengke as of now because we will resume our Estero Blitz program before the onset of the summer season,"Tolentino said, referring to MMDA's extensive cleanup of esteros and waterways in Metro Manila. 

Aimed at increasing the awareness of market vendors on environmental protection, the Linis Palengke program was conducted in selected public markets in Manila, Quezon City, Paranaque, Muntinlupa, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Valenzuela, Las Pinas, Marikina, and Pasig. 

The MMDA also donated garbage bins, utility carts, aprons, and compressor washers to the public markets. 

Markets cleaned up by MMDA were the Dagonoy Public Market (Manila); Murphy Market (Quezon City); Paranaque Public Market, Muntinlupa Public Market, Pasay City Mall and Public Market, Mandaluyong Public Market II, Polo Public Market (Valenzuela); New Las Pinas Public Market, and the Marikina Central Public Market.