MMDA’s Metro Parkways Clearing Group thoroughly cleans areas around Metro Manila cemeteries. Photo courtesy of MMDA.
QUEZON CITY (PIA) — As part of preparations for the observance of this year’s Undas, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) Metro Parkways Clearing Group (MPCG) is conducting thorough cleaning outside and around identified cemeteries in the metropolis.
The MMDA said its MPCG personnel are patiently removing all the garbage in the vicinity of these cemeteries.
They are particularly clearing nearby rivers and estuaries from various kinds of garbage, which usually affect the flow of the water.
The MMDA said it aims to significantly contribute to keeping cemeteries clean and orderly to help make the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day truly meaningful. The office likewise reminds the public to properly dispose of their garbage during the occasion.
Meanwhile, the MMDA Special Operations Group – Strike Force (SOG-SF), for its part, has been conducting road-clearing operations for Undas.
The group is issuing traffic citation tickets on vehicles that are illegally parked on the roads and sidewalks and are obstructing the flow of traffic.
MMDA Chairman Don Artes earlier said they have been coordinating with the Metro Manila local government units (LGUs), Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), and all LGU traffic bureaus to ensure efficient traffic management and emergency response for Undas.
The MMDA is deploying a total of 1,257 personnel from its Traffic Discipline Office, MPCG, SOG-SF, and Road Emergency Group who will focus on priority areas such as bus terminals, cemeteries, and major road thoroughfares.
He said, “We will also implement a ‘No Day Off, No Absent Policy’ for our traffic personnel. Shifting will also be extended until midnight a day before and after the Undas to increase visibility and to intensify traffic management.”
The agency, through its Road Emergency Group, will likewise deploy 12 tow trucks and 6 ambulances to provide public assistance and immediately respond to any emergencies. Help desks and command posts will also be set up in bus terminals.
The MMDA Communications and Command Center will monitor traffic situations in the NCR 24/7. Up to 30 units of cameras will also be deployed in five major cemeteries in the region, including Manila North Cemetery, Manila South Cemetery, Bagbag Public Cemetery in Quezon City, Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina, and San Juan Public Cemetery, the agency said. (PIA DMD)
