Elections 2016: No rivals, just goals for Parañaque mayor

Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez is running unopposed for a second term, but his sure-win on May 9 may be the people’s loss if he fails to realize his plans—and he has lined up many.

The son of former mayor Dr. Pablo Olivarez (who served from 1992-1995), the incumbent official earlier remarked that “three years is short” (an oft-heard phrase from reelectionists) to accomplish much. “In the first place, we can’t finish everything that we need to do in three years,” he said.  “But we can set the direction where the city is going.”

That desired direction for Parañaque, a city of about 600,000 with a voting population of 291,067, is outlined in this installment of the Inquirer Metro series that presents the platforms of mayoral candidates. It focuses on three concerns that affect residents and nonresidents alike: traffic, peace and order, and informal settlers.

On traffic: Due to several national projects being constructed in the southern part of Metro Manila, particularly in Parañaque, traffic congestion on the main thoroughfares is expected to continue until 2017.

The construction of the C-5 Road Link Expressway from Taguig City to Moonwalk and Merville villages in Sucat will result in short-term inconveniences. Construction of the 7.6-kilometer toll road will be undertaken by Cavitex Infrastructure Corp., which is part of the Metro Pacific Tollways group of companies. The target is to finish it by 2018.

The link expressway will provide relief particularly for residents of Merville, BF Subdivision, Multinational Village and Moonwalk. It will provide safe, fast and convenient travel for users in the Cavite, Las Piñas, Taguig, Makati areas and nearby areas.

Other projects, like Skyway Stage 3 and Naia Expressway Phase 2, have also caused traffic congestion not just in the Parañaque bit in nearby Pasay and Manila. Skyway Stage 3 will connect the North and through a 14.8-km, six-lane elevated expressway running from Buendia in Makati to Balintawak in Quezon City.

In order to alleviate the situation, we will implement various measures and continue to deploy traffic enforcers in major thoroughfares particularly on Andrews Avenue, Airport Road and Sucat Road—vital arteries leading to four airport terminals.

The city government will hire 100 additional traffic aides to augment the current personnel of 80. They will be supported by traffic marshals tapped by civic groups.

I have directed the city traffic management office to fully implement the opening of a “Friendship Route” in private subdivisions to ease traffic jams along major roads.

On peace and order: When I assumed office in 2013, my priority was the safety of the people against violence and lawlessness. Everyone must take a decisive role to safeguard our homes and families even as the city remains generally peaceful, as shown by police crime index for the past five years.

Still, crime remains a serious concern because of the city’s economic progress, with Parañaque now a destination of local and foreign tourists flocking to Entertainment City on Coastal Road.

The cooperation and support of nongovernment organizations and religious groups are needed, for the police cannot do it alone. The Olivarez administration will continue to implement crime prevention programs by tapping private force multipliers, civilian volunteers and barangay tanod to form anticrime networks. I have ordered the setup of more checkpoints along our boundaries, for example.

Aside from the 16 brand-new patrol cars purchased by the local government and handed over to the local police last year, 20 patrol motorcycles were donated last week by a private company for the police substations.

The local police headed by Senior Supt. Ariel Andrade also received a state-of–the-art van for the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit, donated by the local government. They have also been collaborating with City Hall on the implementation of “Oplan Lambat Sibat.”

On informal settlers: We are making good on my campaign promise to provide decent shelter and houses for marginalized constituents. Land titles and certificates of full payment for lots have been given to more beneficiaries from different barangays.

In 2013, more than 300 informal settlers were relocated from waterways in Parañaque.

In April last year, the local government turned over 144 housing units to beneficiaries at PAR Homes 1 on C-5 Extension in Barangay La Huerta. The construction of the housing units was realized with help from Rotary International District 3830 Rotary Homes Foundation Inc. and Couples for Christ-ANCOP Tekton Foundation Inc.

Early this year, some 800 informal settler families who lived in high-risk areas in the city were located to safer areas, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Housing Authority.

Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento and the city government have signed a memorandum of agreement for the implementation of “Oplan Likas,”  a financial assistance program from the DILG for socialized housing projects of local government units. Under the agreement, the DILG will release P90 million to the Paranaque city government for the construction of micro-medium-rise buildings.

Informal settlers along the Parañaque River in Barangays Tambo, Sto. Niño and La Huerta will be relocated to the city’s 200-unit socialized housing project in Bagong Parañaque Homes II on C-5 Extension, La Huerta.

Aside from the 204 housing units, the city government plans to construct another 500 units on lots it has acquired from private individuals located within the city.

The city administration will continue to ensure there are sources of livelihood, clean water, schools, roads and other utilities in the relocation sites, making them decent living spaces so that the beneficiaries will not be tempted to return to their previous settlements in the danger zones.