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MANILA,
Oct. 6 (PNA) -- Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said
over the weekend that they are near the "tipping point" in their effort
to turn the metropolis into a "Metro Gwapito" by the end of this year.
According
to MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando they have already cleared 2,000
kilometers of Metro Manila's roadways as of this month out of the 5,000
kilometers of total roadways.
"We
are nearing the tipping point in our pursuit for a heightened awareness
of Metro Manila residents of the need to maintain a clean and
environment-friendly surroundings and to inculcate in them our advocacy
to clear the sidewalks and restore order in the streets," Fernando
said.
He
said that going by the present data, the MMDA would be able to meet 50
percent of its completion rate for its Metro Gwapito campaign.
The
Metro Gwapito campaign is just a prelude to the MMDA "Metro Gwapo"
campaign which aims to turn the metropolis into a more livable and
tourist-friendly environment by 2010 comparable with the best in
neighboring countries.
Fernando
said that sidewalk clearing operations and the "face-lifting" of houses
lining the Quirino Highway in Novaliches have been completed while the
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will soon start road
widening and sidewalk improvements in the area
In
Balintawak, road grading and land preparation for a garden in the
center island have also been done while in Libis and Osmena Highway,
"pink fences and pink houses" now line the streets.
At
the University Belt along Recto, Nicanor Reyes and Quezon Boulevard in
Manila, the agency has also completed its sidewalk clearing operations
while in Oroquieta in Sta. Cruz, formerly a haven for illegal street
vendors, the MMDA, in coordination with the local government, headed by
Mayor Alfredo Lim has also started its campaign.
"We
are now focusing on the Central North of Manila up to Valenzuela. At
the Cloverleaf area, a jeep terminal has been constructed to ease the
travel of commuters coming from the North Luzon Expressway and the
MRT," Fernando said.
Fernando
also announced that the MMDA plans to construct pedestrian tunnels
along EDSA by January 2009 to further ease traffic problems and ensure
the safety of pedestrians," he added.
The
MMDA has been spending millions of pesos for the Metro Gwapo project
which aims to spruce up Metro Manila and transform it to a world class
metropolis.
According
to Fernando, Metro Gwapo aims to make every family in Metro Manila
proud of the place they live in. The project goes beyond sprucing up
the place, it is designed to improve the lives of the people in the
region.
The
cleanup drive is only a part of the whole package, he said. The bigger
objective is to make the metropolis the country's business showcase and
hub of economic activity.
Initially,
the project covered Metro Manila's so-called "Investor's Corridor,"
among them the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Manila
Domestic Airport, Roxas Boulevard and Nagtahan. The project has since
been expanded to cover major thoroughfares.
The
project includes traffic management, relocation of sidewalk vendors and
waterways dwellers, the identification of metro walks and bikeways,
cleanup of rundown structures along major thoroughfares and painting
them green, pink, yellow and blue.
Ornamental plants are also being planted along Metro roads. (PNA) |