MMDA ramps up clearing operations for Undas

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MORE than 80 illegally parked vehicles have been towed and impounded by personnel of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority as part of the agency’s preparations for Undas.

“This road clearing operation conducted by the MMDA Special Operations Group-Strike Force is part of our preparations for Undas 2024 to ensure that all roads and Mabuhay lanes are passable to traffic and clear of any obstructions,” MMDA chief Romando Artes said.

Artes said 82 vehicles were illegally parked along Andres Bonifacio Ave., in Quezon City, Aurora Boulevard in Manila and Rizal Ave. in Manila going to Caloocan City.

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Andres Bonifacio Ave. is one of the roads leading to Manila North Cemetery, the biggest cemetery in Metro Manila.

The owners of the towed vehicles were issued traffic citation tickets while seven other vehicles were towed and impounded at the MMDA impounding site.

“The MMDA will not stop its operations as long as there are traffic obstructions along roadways in Metro Manila.

Owners of illegally parked vehicles have to pay a P1,000 fine and P2,000 for unattended illegally parked vehicles,” Artes said.

Traffic Discipline Office Director for Enforcement Victor Nunez appealed to motorists to do their part in clearing roads for Undas.

“We are continuing to appeal to our countrymen, especially those residing near major public cemeteries and major terminals, especially now that All-Saints Day is fast approaching,” Nunez said. “We hope they will park their vehicles in the right spot and avoid leaving them on the roads since the road clearing operations of the MMDA Special Operations Group are continuing.”

Last Monday, Nunez urged those traveling to the provinces for Undas to ensure they have bought their tickets early to prevent build-ups in bus terminals and ports.

He said the MMDA will deploy 1,257 traffic enforcers and will also implement a no day-off, no absent and no leave policy among their enforcers.

“We also coordinated with the management of major bus terminals in Quezon City, Caloocan, Pasay, Manila and the PITX integrated terminal in Paranaque City,” Nunez said. “We are expecting hundreds of thousands of passengers to troop to their respective provinces.”

Nunez said the 17 local government units in Metro Manila have until October 25 to submit their traffic management plans to the MMDA, especially if they would implement road closures near cemeteries in their jurisdictions.

PNP JOB

Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla directed the PNP to double the deployment of its forces and increase the visibility of cops for the coming holidays, especially during the Christmas season.

Remulla, in an interview after a sectoral meeting in Malacanang, said the peace and order situation during Undas and Christmas season was among those raised during the meeting.

He said there are not many security concerns about All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day but “it’s just the travel that is burdensome.”

“We discussed the coming Undas but Undas is not really a big, maybe, concern because if you look at the crime statistics of the past five years, it does not go up drastically. It’s just the travel that is burdensome,” he said.

All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2), which fall on a Friday and a Saturday, are special holidays in the country.

Remulla said for the coming Christmas season, “We instructed the PNP to double their presence especially in malls, in the public sector transportation and in the LRT (Light Rail Transit) and MRT (Metro Rail Transit)” and other areas were theft, bag-snatching and pickpocket incidents are high.

“May special efforts kami to put marshals on the trains and to increase police visibility in all the public areas (we have special efforts to put marshals on the trains and to increase police visibility in all the public areas),” he added.

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He said this is to counter the uptick in crimes against persons and property in high-density areas which usually happens during the months of November and December.

2025 POLLS

President Marcos Jr. directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of elections next year.

Remulla said he reported to the President that a special meeting among concerned agencies such as the Commission of Elections (Comelec), the Department of National Defense (DND), the PNP and his department would be held on November 15 to discuss the contingencies to ensure safe and fair elections.

He said that 27 of the 38 hotspots in the country are in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the President wanted to speak to the families and the leadership in the region to ensure peaceful and orderly polls.

Remulla said the DILG is closely coordinating with the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to ensure no election-related violence occurs. – With Jocelyn Montemayor

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