MANILA, Philippines – Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino today called on businessmen and private citizens to help ease the effects of flooding in Metro Manila this rainy season by observing proper waste disposal and cleaning their own surroundings.
He made the appeal prior to the launching of the MMDA's massive clean-up of flood-prone areas and the re-implementation of the Anti-Littering Law.
“Every Metro Manilan can be a part of this effort, we can start by cleaning up the streets and not littering," Tolentino said.
MMDA personnel started coordinating with owners of business establishments and car dealers along Edsa, from Ortigas to Camp Crame, to help in the clean-up drive to clean those parts of Edsa directly fronting their stores.
Apart from maintaining cleanliness in their own frontages, Tolentino is also calling on businessmen to also serve as spotters of floods in their vicinity and prevent their customers from illegally parking their vehicles on the sidewalks in front of their establishments.
Meantime, the MMDA is set to train some 500 volunteers on the basics of timely interventions and immediate response to flood victims during inclement weather situations at the MMDA headquarters in Makati City on Sunday.
“In keeping with the spirit of volunteerism in times of crisis, our agency recognizes the vital role of the private sector in providing effective and efficient service,” Tolentino said.
The 1,600-strong Philippine College of Surgeons, led by its president Dr. Dexter Aison, is set to conduct a lecture on basic life support among the 4,000 organic personnel of the MMDA and volunteers who form part of the Inclement Weather Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan or “Oplan Unos” that will deliver the necessary disaster preparedness mechanisms during crisis situations. - By Dennis Carcamo
