One year on: Baclaran still free from road obstructions

PHOTO by JOVIC YEE / INQUIRER

Transport officials celebrated on Monday the first anniversary of the clearing operations in Baclaran, which rid the once congested district of illegally parked vehicles, street vendors, and unauthorized transport terminals.

During the flag-raising ceremony held along Baclaran Service Road, Transport Undersecretary for RoadsTim Orbos said that for almost five decades, a huge portion of Baclaran could not be used by the public.

He said the project is proof that the agency “can maintain what we have promised to the people.” The clearing operation in Baclaran was among the directives of President Rodrigo Dutrete to the agency.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) then conducted a dialogue with vendors and other stakeholders.

In two weeks, the MMDA managed to recover four lanes of road, which helped ease congestion in the district, which borders the cities of Parañaque and Pasay.

READ: MMDA guarding gains in Baclaran

MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said they were able to maintain order in Baclaran by continuously engaging the vendors.

On Monday, around 425 of these vendors were awarded scholarships by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as a reward for their cooperation with the government.

Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said that in a year’s time, they will begin construction of a permanent market that will house the vendors. This market would sit on a 1.8-hectare lot across Baclaran. /ee