MMDA shifts from ‘Linis Palengke’ to ‘Estero Blitz’

After five months cleaning up marketplaces in the capital, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has wrapped up its “Linis Palengke” program and would soon channel its manpower to unclogging creeks and other waterways.

And thanks to the ban on plastic wrappers, some local government units proved to be “cleaner” than others, according to an MMDA official who oversaw the clean-up drive.

“My observation is that markets in cities with a plastic ban, like Pasig, tend to be cleaner,” said Francis Martinez, head of the MMDA Metro Parkway Clearing Group. Still, the most common pieces of rubbish were plastic bags, “thrown away or stuck in the drainage” after being used to wrap fish and other food products, he noted.

The MMDA on Friday said the Linis Palengke program covered a total of 100,879 square meters of public market areas, 2,935 wet stalls and 4,163 dry goods stalls.

Truckloads of trash taken

Truckloads of trash were taken from Pasig Mega Public Market, Dagonoy Public Market in Manila, Murphy Market in Quezon City,  Parañaque Public Market, Muntinlupa Public Market, Pasay City Mall and Public Market, Mandaluyong Public Market II, Polo Public Market in Valenzuela city, New Las Piñas Public Market and Marikina Central Public Market.

The MMDA cleanup also oriented market vendors to the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and saw the donation of garbage bins, utility carts, aprons and compressor washers.

Next month, the agency will start “Estero Blitz” to clear waterways of garbage in time for the onset of the rainy season.

As flash floods repeatedly paralyzed Metro Manila last year,

MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino pinned much of the blame on slum dwellers who had built their homes right on top of creeks and rivers and turned them into dumps. Jaymee T. Gamil