Petition Closed

Relocation of Vendors from the Underpass

This petition had 47 supporters

An underpass is a pedestrian tunnel made for the purpose of passing from one side to the other, since there are roads where you cannot simply cross. It was made to serve as an access to students, workers, tourists, and others to get to their destination on the other side of the road. An example of an underpass is located between Manila City Hall and Intramuros. It allows people to cross from Intramuros to Manila City Hall, or vice versa.

As time goes by, the numbers of vendors are increasing and so are their stalls. The underpass became crowded and narrower because of the stalls set by the vendors. It became a vulnerable spot for people to pass through to arrive to the other side, due to the tight space it becomes when a number of people pass through. Increasing numbers of stalls also increase the risk of being pick-pocketed. Anyone can be victimized by this once the underpass becomes overly crowded during noon on weekdays. It has become messy and exposed to possible illnesses, due to the poor maintenance.

Meanwhile, there are several other underpasses in Manila that lay a very different picture than the underpass between Manila City Hall and Intramuros. Such underpasses are in Makati and Quezon City. The noticeable difference between the underpass in Makati and the underpass in Manila City Hall is the cleanliness. Not a single piece of dirt can be spotted in the underpass in Makati. However, the underpass in Manila City Hall contains loitered plastics from the stalls and trash of the people crossing, indicating improper sense of cleanliness.

According to a news headlines in Inquirer, an underpass located in Quezon City Hall had been improved and enabled the people to maintain the cleanliness. The article was written on the 14th of October 2014, by Nathaniel R. Melican. “The underpass was air-conditioned from the day it was opened in the 1960s, reflecting the visionary leadership of the city’s leaders back then,” Mayor Joseph Estrada stated in his article. Another underpass is the Victory Lacson Underpass which had also been improved, where the stalls has become neat and orderly than before. Additionally, the underpass located in Lawton had been visited and inspected by Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and is, currently, making progress into improving it.

Furthermore, the petition would like Mayor Joseph Estrada to make a city ordinance in Manila to address the issue in the underpass between Manila City Hall and Intramuros. A city ordinance or an ordinance is a law enacted by the municipal body, such as a city council. This governs matters not already covered by state or federal laws such as zoning, safety and building regulations.

The city ordinance would address the vendors in the underpass to relocate to a new location, since it has been defined that underpasses are meant to be passageways and not areas to sell which risks the safety of the people passing through. With this, it creates a possibility for the underpass to become safer and cleaner. The goal is simple, and it is to make the underpass between Manila City Hall and Intramuros alike to the underpasses in Quiapo, Lawton, Makati and Quezon City. Thereby relocating the stalls in the underpass will make it wider, lessen the risk of being pick-pocketed, and it will be safer and cleaner.

Today: Jasmine is counting on you

Jasmine Barrera needs your help with “Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada: Relocation of Vendors from the Underpass”. Join Jasmine and 46 supporters today.