Metro Manila, Philippines – Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed criticisms against the Marcos administration for supposedly sanitizing Metro Manila ahead of hosting the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, as it is crucial to make sure that visiting dignitaries will be secure.
The Palace remarks were in response to statements on the forced closure of businesses and the displacement of vendors and street dwellers around key diplomatic areas, primarily the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
“At dapat natin ipakita… ‘yung hospitality na nakapaloob sa Pilipino [And we show the Filipino hospitality],” Castro said during a press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 10, while rejecting the supposed politicizing of clearing operations and encouraging focus on the positive impact of the country’s ASEAN chairmanship.
Representative Antonio Tinio on Monday drew comparison to “five decades after Imelda Marcos whitewashed Manila’s slums for the Miss Universe pageant, the IMF-World Bank meeting, and the papal visit, her son is staging the exact same production.”
“If the Marcoses truly want to impress the world, they should not hide the poor – they should lift them up,” he added, condemning the installation of tarpaulins featuring works by national artists allegedly meant to cover up poor areas along summit routes.
In a radio interview, Josua Mata of labor rights group SENTRO said since Oct. 29, businesses near PICC have been told to halt operations even if the special non-working holiday in Metro Manila is only on Nov. 16 to 18 to ease traffic.
The issue has gone viral, in particular a roadside eatery Diwata Pares that was ordered to temporarily shut.
One comment read, “Dapat ipakita ng gobyerno kung gaano kahirap ang Pilipinas at gaano nagpupursige ang mga Pilipino na kumita ng disente.”
[Translation: The government must show how poor the Philippines is and how Filipinos are persevering to earn decently.]
Another one said, “ASEAN leaders already know we’re a poor country. This isn’t about appearances. It’s about SECURITY. We’re hosting heads of state, and the government has a responsibility to minimize potential risks.”
The Department of Social Work and Development said it has provided 30 affected vendors in Pasay City with family food packs and ₱10,000 “bilang pambawi sa mawawalang kita [to compensate income loss].”
