...of obstructions in Barangay 206 in Tondo, Manila
By Jel Santos, Manila Bulletin
Obstructions in a barangay in Tondo, Manila were recently cleared by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
This came after the 8888, the government’s citizen complaint hotline, received tons of complaints regarding obstructions in Barangay 206, Zone 19, District II, Manila.
Personnel from the Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group and Task Force Special Operations spearheaded by MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim inspected Dinalupihan Street in Tondo under the jurisdiction of Barangay 206, Zone 19, District II in Manila.
Illegally parked vehicles, mostly privately owned, were towed, and sidewalks were cleared of obstructions like canopies and ambulant stores.
“We received lots of obstruction complaints in this area about road obstructions and we have to act on it to widen the road and provide pedestrians a safe place to walk,” Lim said.
According to him, he gave the outgoing and incoming barangay chairperson seven days to self-demolish structures including the Barangay Hall itself, which is encroaching the sidewalk area.
Ederlinda Mercado and Romeo Marcellano, outgoing and incoming barangay chairpersons, respectively, pledged cooperation to clear the sidewalks in their barangay.
They assured Lim that the illegal structure will be demolished in seven days.
The chairman said the MMDA will return to the area after a week to ensure that demolition and clearing was done, as committed by the barangay officials.
He also urged all newly elected barangay officials to exercise their authority as frontliners and cooperate with the government to avoid encountering bigger traffic problems in the future.