MMDA marks Baclaran success, points displaced vendors to new site

To mark its success in clearing the area of ambulant vendors and illegally parked vehicles, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) held its flag-raising ceremony in Baclaran on Tuesday.

Speaking to the agency’s officials and employees, MMDA officer in charge and general manager Tim Orbos said the clearing operation, which was completed peacefully, showed what could be achieved if people trusted and cooperated with the government.

“Baclaran is the symbol of the new Philippines,” Orbos said. “In Baclaran, we saw what can be done if we work together and if the President says that this is for the greater good.”

Two weeks ago, the MMDA cleared four lanes in the area that were either occupied by street vendors or used as illegal terminals. The move, one of President Duterte’s major directives to the agency, targeted a perennially congested district between Pasay and Parañaque cities.

Among the vendors affected by the clearing operation was Maritess Dorado, who sold fruits for two decades at the very spot where the MMDA set up a makeshift stage for Tuesday’s program.

Dorado said she had always known that they could be removed anytime for causing heavy traffic in the area. Still, she remained hopeful that the government will provide them with an alternative site so that they can earn as much as they did before.

Dorado has since moved to a spot near the Light Rail Transit station. However, her daily earnings have gone down from P1,800 to P400.

Orbos said that in the next two weeks, around 1,500 displaced vendors from Baclaran could move to the new Southwest Interim Provincial Transport Terminal on Roxas Boulevard, which is set to be inaugurated on Friday. Since it can accommodate up to 1,000 buses, vendors will have a target market of 100,000 commuters, he added.

Orbos also pointed them to the new market that the Parañaque City government would be building in the next two years near Baclaran. –Jovic Yee