Makati gov’t cracks down on ‘road hogs,’ issues notices to 50 people, 2 establishments

The Makati City government has so far apprehended 50 individuals and two establishments for violating waste management regulations during the ongoing road clearing operations.

From January to the first week of May, a total of 160 streets in Makati’s barangays have been cleared of obstructions, according to Leopoldo Parumog, head of the city’s Department of Environmental Services (DES).

Deputized officers have also apprehended 47 persons and two establishments in Poblacion, where several bars and food establishments are located, for violating Makati’s Solid Waste Management Code.

Under City Ordinance No. 2003-095, household owners, tenants and establishment managers, among others, must keep their immediate surroundings clean and sanitary.

Individual violators face a P1,000 fine or imprisonment of five to 30 days. Establishment owners and managers, on the other hand, will be fined P5,000 or jailed from 30 days to a year.

In Parumog’s report, of the 160 streets cleared of obstructions, 19 were in Poblacion where the city hall is located and eight in Barangays San Lorenzo, San Antonio and Bel-Air which comprise the Makati Central Business District.

Four streets in the gated village of Magallanes were also cleared.

Obstructions removed by DES personnel included plant boxes, assorted scrap metals, debris, food stalls and tables and chairs of eateries occupying sidewalks.

Notices were given to owners to enable them to properly store or dispose of the obstructions. Should they fail to comply, the city’s DES would then confiscate the materials and issue citation tickets.

Mayor Abby Binay last year ordered the DES to conduct clearing operations “to restore order and discipline” in the city’s streets. –Dexter Cabalza