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"Not a pipe dream" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (INQUIRER.net) on June 28, 2012
When Metro Manila Development Authority chair Francis Tolentino calls for building "another city that will be the new seat of the national government and cultural center of the country"Ñone thatÕs "world-class É intelligent, competitive, green, and inclusive," a showcase to the world of "what Filipino talent can conceive and produce [and] an enduring legacy for future generations to cherish and build upon," is he indulging in a pipe dream?
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"MMDA chair: Metro Manila is bursting; time to build 'new showcase capital'" - Article by Chairman Francis N. Tolentino published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (INQUIRER.net) on June 24, 2012
I believe that it is time to plan deliberately and with foresight for another city that will be the new seat of the national government and cultural center of the country. It is time to build a new and world-class city that will serve as a model for the construction and expansion of other cities in the country, and perhaps in Asia as well.
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"Ex-smoker dreams of smoke-free metropolis" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (INQUIRER.net) on June 19, 2012
With a little help from Jessica Sanchez, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino hopes to come up with his best project proposal yet. The MMDA chief grabbed a YouTube clip showing the Filipino-Mexican finalist during an early round of "American Idol" and used it as an intro for his video presentation about "Skybridge," an infrastructure project he is pitching to Malacañang, the private sector and riding public.
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"Skybridge: MMDA chief's dream to ease Metro traffic" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (INQUIRER.net) on May 5, 2012
With a little help from Jessica Sanchez, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino hopes to come up with his best project proposal yet. The MMDA chief grabbed a YouTube clip showing the Filipino-Mexican finalist during an early round of "American Idol" and used it as an intro for his video presentation about "Skybridge," an infrastructure project he is pitching to Malacañang, the private sector and riding public.
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Letter to the Editor published in the People's Journal on May 1, 2012
AS an avid reader of People's Journal, I was very much disappointed the way Mr. Dennis F. Fetalino dealt with the campaign of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority against illegal and non-complaint billboard owners and operators along EDSA, specifically within the jurisdiction of Makati City.
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"Bourne's legacy" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (INQUIRER.net) on April 27, 2012
By the time the Hollywood spy thriller, "The Bourne Legacy," hits Philippine theaters, expect the Pasay-Taft Rotonda area to have less of the grime and chaos that "attracted" the movie's producers to the site earlier this year.
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"MMDA eyes radical changes in the metro" - Article published in Yahoo! News on April 27, 2012
To develop Metro Manila, it may be necessary for the city to move out. Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino said Friday that to make a better Metro Manila, there must be radical changes, which might include relocating the seaport to Batangas.
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"Our Losing Battle Against The Billboard Menace" - Article published in The Manila Bulletin (mb.com.ph) on April 23, 2012
In August 2010, the Metro Manila Authority (MMDA) was given the mandate to regulate billboards in the city. Acting as the enforcing agency of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the MMDA assumed the power to grant permits for new billboards, renew licenses of existing ones and dismantle those that are in violation of the national building code. With its new mandate, the MMDA went on an all-out assault to remove illegal billboards from our thoroughfares.
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"MMDA reviews need for U-turn slots" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (INQUIRER.net) on April 23, 2012
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will hold consultations with people in a community where U-turn slots are situated before
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"MMDA's drive vs illegal billboards" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (INQUIRER.net) on April 16, 2012
I write in full support of the efforts of MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino's plan to strongly regulate oversized billboards along the major thoroughfares of the metropolis.
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"The Coronas must testify" - Article published in The Manila Standard Today on April 9, 2012
Fortunately, there are also people around the President who have become saving graces of this otherwise noynoying administration. Foremost among them is Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino, who continues to think out of the box in making the metro safer and more livable.
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"Get involved, MMDA asks public" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (INQUIRER.net) on March 19, 2012
Get involved by taking a more active role in solving problems. This was the message aired by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino to the public Sunday as he said that people should stop hiding behind text messages sent anonymously to authorities to express their gripes against the proliferation of illegal terminals, stalls and other illegal activities in the metropolis.
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"MMDA Chairman Tolentino is correct" - Article published in People's Journal on March 2, 2012
I fully agree with MMDA Chairman Tolentino's plan of decongesting traffic along EDSA and elsewhere in Metro Manila. If I am not mistaken, his plan calls for a highway on top of the San Juan River, esteros and fly-over sky bridges on to somewhere near Sta. Ana race track onward to Makati.
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"A battle on two fronts" - Article published in The Manila Standard Today on January 12, 2012
Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino has done a lot of good things for Metro Manila. Among these is the speed limit in busy thoroughfares like Edsa, Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon and Diosdado Macapagal Avenue in Pasay. This is to keep in check road accidents caused by bus drivers racing to get passengers to meet their boundaries.
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"Makati court junks billboard operators' suit against MMDA" - Article published in The Manila Standard Today on January 11, 2012
THE Makati City regional trial court has dismissed the petition of the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines which sought to stop the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority from implementing its new billboard regulations.
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"Judge throws out case filed by ad group" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (INQUIRER.net) on January 11, 2012
A Makati judge has dismissed the petition of an outdoor advertisers' group that sought to prevent the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) from doing away with oversized billboards, saying the organization lacked the legal standing to represent its members.
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"Court rules OAAP can't sue MMDA in billboard row" - Article published in The Philippine Star on January 11, 2012
The Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP) has no legal standing to sue the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to stop the agency from implementing strict guidelines on the installation of billboards along EDSA and other major roads, a Makati regional trial court ruled.
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"MMDA wins billboard suit via TKO" - Article published in Malaya Today on January 11, 2012
After several legal setbacks last year including its much-ballyhooed anti-smoking crackdown, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) finally scored a win as a Makati City court junked the petition of an outdoor advertisers group seeking to stop implementation of new guidelines regulating billboards and outdoor advertising signs in the metropolis.
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"Tolentino eyes Quezon City-Makati 'skybridge'" - Article published in The Manila Standard Today on January 4, 2012
METRO Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino is looking into the construction of a skybridge to ease traffic on major roads in the metro.
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Letter to the Editor published in the People's Journal on January 5, 2012
I am very pleased the way the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is handling the dismantling of giant billboards that were indiscriminately constructed and proliferated along EDSA, Commonwealth Avenue and C-5, among other major roads and thoroughfares of Metropolitan Manila.
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"As seen with tourist eyes" - Article published in The Manila Bulletin (mb.com.ph) on January 2, 2012
Dylan and I agree that Manila is just as impressive as any modern city in the developed world. The Makati and Ortigas CBDs, as well as the pocket cities of the Fort, Rockwell, Alabang and the Mall of Asia Complex are world class in terms of architecture and the amenities they offer.
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"YEARENDER: MMDA takes on smokers, speeding drivers and billboard firms" - Article published in The Philippine Star on December 27, 2011
The past months saw the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Ð the principal agency tasked to impose order in the streets of the metropolis Ð battling foes on various fronts that ranged from killer bus drivers, reckless motorcyclists, smokers to firms that own giant billboards along EDSA.
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"TMT's complete guide to the 2011 Metro Manila Film Festival" - Article published in The Manila Times on December 24, 2011
FOR us Filipinos, the month of December is made memorable by three things: Noche Buena; the 13th-month pay; and perhaps the most colorful of them all, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). As if competing with the glittering lights and holiday decorations, MMFF has always had its fair share of intrigues and controversies, matched only by its parade of stars onboard colorful floats.
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"Direk Mario assures Superstar due back on her feet" - Article published in The Manila Bulletin on October 7, 2011
Three days after news of Nora Aunor being hospitalized broke out, "Sa Ngalan ng Ina (SNNI)" director Mario O'Hara allays fans' worry by assuring that she's okay and already fit to work. ...One of the purported causes of her being rushed to the hospital was due to smoking. Speaking on behalf of Aunor, O'Hara addressed the issue and said, "Wala na, sabi niya, ititigil na raw niya [pertaining to smoking]."
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"Anne Curtis apologizes to 'offended' anti-smoking supporters over magazine cover" - Article published in The Manila Bulletin on October 6, 2011
In the heels of her widely successful film "No Other Woman," actress-TV host Anne Curtis humbly apologizes for the "inappropriate" message supposedly conveyed by her recent magazine cover. ..."I don't smoke. So I do not promote smoking. Just to be clear also," shared Curtis.
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"Billboards are about money Ð not art or freedom" - Article published in The Manila Standard Times.net on September 23, 2011
I HOPE the MMDA through Chairman Francis Tolentino will stick to their guns on the matter of the oversized, numerous and over the top billboards that are afflicting our urban spaces. When big money is involved, you can be sure the culprits will fight any kind of fight, in any which way that makes them win. The restraining order of the Makati judge preventing the MMDA from continuing its anti-billboard campaign must be explained. It is puzzling why billboards with no permits, erected in dangerous areas that menace life and limb, so oversized as to take consumerism to the level of farce are tolerated by one judge.
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"Most admired government agencies" - Article published in The Manila Standard Today on August 25, 2011
One year after President Noynoy Aquino took oath as the country's leader, I have high hopes that the bureaucracy will somehow be fixed. At this time, I see how the different government offices are shaping up, improving their services and showing what public service is really all about.
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"The game of tag" - Article published in The Philippine Star on August 24, 2011
As I write this piece, it's likely that dozens of buses have been apprehended for violating the "bus tagging scheme" that the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) started to implement on this, the day of our deadline (August 22, 2011). This time around, I'm on the side of the angels. Well, the traffic enforcers of the MMDA might be the farthest things from cherubs but I certainly believe that they are the undisputed good guys in this particular point of contention.
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"MMDA gets break in case against metro smoking ban" - Article published in The Manila Standard Today on August 18, 2011
THE Metro Manila Development Authority may have gotten a lucky break in its fight to have a court order that stops it from enforcing a metro-wide smoking ban reversed.
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"MMDA to appeal TRO on smoking ban" - Article published in The Philippine Star (philstar.com) on August 18, 2011
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will appeal a Mandaluyong court ruling stopping them from arresting smokers in areas not covered by Republic Act 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2009.
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"Where there's smoke...: Guard tags cigarette firm" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (inquirer.net) on August 18, 2011
A security guard said he had asked a Mandaluyong judge to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the smoking ban in Metro Manila's streets because he had been promised money by a tobacco firm he used to work for.
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"In support of MMDA's smoking ban" - Article published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer (inquirer.net) on August 8, 2011
While I was a postgraduate fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston in the late '60s, I came across an unforgettable article in the Christian Herald, "What the cigarette commercials don't show," in which Hugh Mooney, the author, wrote: "In cigarette country, TV commercials show two or three handsome, rugged cowboys on beautiful horses. Or there are sports cars, planes or scuba gears. The scene is always one of clean, windswept health. The people have a look of supreme confidence; the lovely girls, all smiles. I know another country. It is a land from which few return. In this sad region, there are no strong men, no smiling pretty girls. Executives and store clerks there look very much alike, not only because people living on the raw edge of a thin hope somehow get the same haunted expression on their faces. I am referring to cancer country. I have been there."
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"Billboards: Menace to the City" - Article published in The Manila Bulletin (mb.com.ph) on August 1, 2011
As far back as December 21, 1915, Supreme Court Justice Cayetano Arellano passed a decision outlawing billboards in our cities. In his final verdict, Arellano affirmed that every citizen had the right to enjoy the view of the sky, the landscape and the architecture of the city as it enhances one's quality of life. He further stated that the Filipino people deserve a beautiful capital to advance their sense of national pride. Justice Arellano's judgment was written almost a hundred years ago.
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"You don't get civilization from billboards" - Editorial published in The Manila Times.net on July 15, 2011
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino has bravely gone after the illegal and the prurient. So, the dogs of war have been activated by the unconscionable profits earned from the ubiquitous, ridiculous and dubious billboards.
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"Ugly and murderous" - From Ma. Isabel Ongpin's "Ambient Voices" column in The Manila Times.net on July 15, 2011
What is actually happening is that the MMDA under Chairman Francis Tolentino has taken on the billboards that are using public space, depriving us of our natural environment and actually giving us in-your-face aggravation. The MMDA has found that about 40 percent of the billboards that have been cluttering our city are actually illegal. They have no permits and are in areas where accidents are waiting to happen. This only means that billboard owners are operating unlawfully.
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"Not the briefs, but the billboards" - From Ma. Ceres P. Doyo's "Human Face" column in Inquirer.net on July 14, 2011
We should credit those sportsmen in skimpy underwear that came out in all their almost-naked glory on a giant billboard. If not for their loaded briefs that caused an uproar in some sectors and offended the sensibilities of some people, the issue of billboards and the danger and ugliness they bring would not have come up again.
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"Why I like the MMDA" - Editorial published in the Tempo on June 25, 2011
Sometimes, it is not the big stories that point the direction to real change. Sometimes, all it takes is a series of concrete actions consistently and credibly carried out by a public office to make a jaded citizen start believing again.
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"Bagong hangin" - Editorial published in the Philippine Star on May 13, 2011
PARANG nagbago ang ihip ng hangin sa EDSA nitong mga nakaraang araw. Kung mapapansin n'yo, malaking bilang ng mga pesteng higanteng billboard ang natanggal na sa magkabilang gilid ng pangunahing lansangan ng Pilipinas. Sa pagbaklas ng mga garapal na billboard - sa Ingles ay "eyesores", muli tayong nakikilala sa ganda ng mga tanawin at bigla ring lumiwanag ang paligid dahil hindi na nakakubli ang langit...
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"Ituloy ang pagbaklas sa mga higanteng billboard sa EDSA!" - From Dante V. Liban's "Lantaran" column in Bulgar on May 12, 2011
MALUGOD nating binabati si Chairman Francis Tolentino sa kanyang magandang pagganap ng tungkulin bilang tagapangasiwa ng isang ahensiya ng gobyerno na nakatutok sa mga problema at pangangailangan ng Kalakhang Maynila. Sa isang progresibong metropolis gaya ng Metro Manila, sadyang maraming problema ang dapat bigyang-pansin at agarang mahanapan ng solusyon. Lagi nating isaisip na ang Metro Manila ay ang National Capital Region ng ating Republika. Nagsisilbi ito bilang pinakasentro ng mga mahahalagang kaganapan sa buong sambayanan. Mayroon tayong kasabihan na kapag ngumiti ang Kalakhang Maynila, humahalakhak ang buong bansa...
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"Tear them down!" - Editorial published in People's Journal on May 11, 2011
When strong winds blow across the metropolis, these billboards, made up mostly of tarpaulins, serve like gigantic sails that could topple or even fly like winged projectiles, posing a major threat to commuters, pedestrians, and even residents of high-rise condominiums and dwellers of regular houses with weak foundations. And so it is assuring the Metro Manila Development Authority has announced that there would be no letup in the intensified campaign against unsafe billboards under "Operation Roll Down, Baby"...
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"Board Games" - Editorial published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on May 8, 2011
LIKE THE upturned cards in a magic trick, they stand, seemingly in endless unruly lines, one after another down both sides of Edsa. These towering outdoor billboards cover the skyline, blocking out the afternoon sun. From their lofty perches, impossibly good-looking models and celebrities look down upon a city's traffic. At times, the tiny vehicles move like fish in a stream. At other times, the billboards are witnesses to a complete gridlock from which, for the cars and the people in them, there is no escaping...
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