Village officials to manage cleared portion of Roxas

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will turn over the cleared portion of Roxas Boulevard in Baclaran, Parañaque City to barangay officials to make them accountable in addressing problems caused by ambulant vendors, illegal terminals, and other obstructions they permitted in the area.

MMDA officer-in-charge Tim Orbos said they will give barangay officials a template on traffic management and enforcement of sidewalk clearing operations to sustain order that the MMDA started a week on that part of Roxas Boulevard ahead of the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in the country from April 26 to 29.

“We will present a coordination plan with the barangays because we really cannot do the job alone. The management of maintaining the orderliness of the area will be given to them,” said Orbos during the agency’s radio program over DZBB yesterday.

According to Orbos, it is the barangay that should deal with continued clearing operations “as they are the ones who allowed proliferation of traffic obstructions.”

“The template calls for no demolition, no hostility, but we will be enforcing the laws, coordinate with local officials, and ask for cooperation from the stakeholders, particularly the local area transport groups and market vendors. The aim of the program is sustainability,” Orbos said.