Readers’ complaints, etc.

Below are just some of the complaints and problems several readers have been dealing with or are bothered by which they’ve shared through email. These are just a sampling of problems that repeat themselves or are obvious in many cities and towns within Metro Manila. There are more in Quezon City simply because QC is the biggest city and gobbles up a large part of EDSA and Metro Manila.

For QC Mayor Herbert Bautista and Secretary Singson

From a resident of Greenview Executive Village, West Fairview:

Hi, am not sure if Secretary Singson (DPWH) is the right person who could address this problem. Since the Mindanao Avenue exit opened in the NLEX, a lot of 8 to 10 wheeler trucks (cement mixers, trailer trucks, garbage trucks, etc.) pass thru Sauyo Road in Fairview to Commonwealth, using Chestnut Street, which is in a RESIDENTIAL Area. Sauyo is a two-lane road only. The road is full of big cracks and potholes. Not only are we exposed to high level of pollution (air and noise), but to accidents as well. It’s useless complaining to the Barangay officials. Nothing happens.

*      *      *

From someone very familiar with the UP Village area:

Just 150 meters away from Quezon City Hall, where the QC mayor also live I think (UP Village), the streets surrounding around the villages cannot be used as alternate routes since jeepneys, tricycles and illegal vendors and eateries block the sidewalks and almost half the road when they double or diagonal park along streets. (Masaya and Maharlika St. are examples). QC enforcers pass by the area but they ignore the obvious obstructions. They tell us we should send complaints to the QC Department of Public Order and Safety….

Nagtuturuan sila ng MMDA, kahit na yung mga enforcers nila kumakain sa mga eateries na nasa kalye or sidewalk.

Sa Quezon Avenue and BIR/Agham Road naman yung mga tricycles at pedicabs naka counterflow and obstruct traffic while QC enforcers are either helpless or ignore the apparent violations.

*      *      *

From several business owners in the “Banawe car parts district”:

Considering the hundreds of millions that Quezon City government collects in real estate and business taxes, can Mayor Herbert Bautista and his officials/barangay officials at least re-invest some of the money in fixing Banawe Street between E. Rodriguez and Retiro Street?

The Banawe district has clearly deteriorated in terms of cleanliness where garbage is scattered all over the place, there are no public toilets so men piss in every corner or up against walls. Many canals are clogged and over-flowing into the streets, drivers no longer pay attention to basic parking rules and literally triple park or block traffic without a care. There is no visible presence of MMDA, QC Traffic Enforcers or a full time police presence that remind customers and residents to observe the laws. At the very least the Barangay could spearhead a series of clean-up days in order to force irresponsible shop owners to also clean-up.

(Personally, I noticed a lot of scrap or junked vehicles just left along side streets surrounding Banawe Street.)

*      *      *

From “Benedict Cardenas/Santos”:

I was parked along Kamuning Road. A tow truck from MMDA came and as I was about to open my door one of its people (towing) won’t allow me to get inside and told me that they are towing my van (Starex) to the Pasig impounding area for illegal parking. Team leader R Datiles of ARD & SMD towing company.  Along the way they chanced upon a Mazda 323 along Kamuning road. When the owner came out one of the green boys (QC traffic enforcers) talked to the owner and issued him a ticket.

When we reached the impounding area I was shocked to hear that I have to pay P3,100 towing fee. As I’m going to get my clearance after paying the P3,100 I’ve to pay coz I need it for work and can’t leave it there coz I heard some parts are stolen there, they issued me a ticket for my violation which I have to pay at Metrobank, I asked the desk officer why did they (towing service) have to tow my van and not just issue me a ticket for my violation? My van was not stalled, umaandar naman.

Then the desk officer called her to the office and asked her: “O Bakit ninyo ti-now (Towed) yung van eh hindi naman sira nag is-start naman?” her reply is “naka ankla na nung lumabas siya” To which I told her “andoon ka ba at nakita mo na na-ankla na? ayaw ako papasukin ng tauhan niyo sa van ko”.

(This particular situation regularly occurs and this is the logic why many tow companies have at least 3 to 4 thugs comprising of workers and traffic enforcers or even a cop sometimes. CB)

*      *      *

Along United Street intersecting Pioneer, many motorists complain about jeepney drivers coming from Mayflower/ Edsa central area who regularly counter-flow to go to Shaw Boulevard thereby clogging vehicles exiting Barrio Kapitolyo or coming from Shaw. The good Mayor of Mandaluyong might also want to visit Mayflower street that is full of pot holes and is now CONTROLLED by jeepney barkers, tricycle drivers who piss wherever they want to all within view of a Police Precinct. Unfortunately none of the cops or local officials ever bothers to monitor or regulate traffic/pedestrian flow as well as cleanliness in the area. It won’t be long before we can officially call the street “Pugad Baboy” with my most sincere apologies to a much cleaner cartoon strip of the same name!

*      *      *

“Omar” sent in 17 points to ponder on as far as traffic problems go but #1 on his list was more than enough.

“Bakit di ma solve and traffic sa Balintawak? Kasi pinayagan ng MMDA at QC government gawing parking ang EDSA tapat ng Balintawak Market” (Why can’t the traffic problem in Balintawak ever be solved; because the MMDA and QC government allowed the use of EDSA as a parking area for Balintawak market)

*      *      *

There are many places around Metro Manila where the laws of the land don’t seem to apply one of them is on EDSA in front of Balintawak market, the other is in front of Guadalupe Market, the third is on EDSA alongside Urdaneta Village southbound right after Buendia Avenue and of course the infamous EDSA/Taft intersection. These traffic landmarks of Metro Manila are daily proof that laws are useless if the authorities don’t want to enforce them. In some cases it’s the MMDA’s fault but in cases such as the Guadalupe area, time and again it is evident that the traffic on EDSA is caused by the traffic on J.P.Rizal Street, which happens to be under the Binay Kingdom of Makati City.

*      *      *

E-mail: u[email protected]