THE NEVER-ENDING PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL PARKING IN CANALATE, MALOLOS (written output)

 Bulaong, Mia Darlene N.                                                    BAJ 2B

Lacasa, Desiree  A.                                                              Citizen and Community Journalism

Tolentino, Ericka Joyce R.

THE NEVER-ENDING PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL PARKING IN CANALATE, MALOLOS

     Certain issues in the community are frequently prioritized due to their widespread occurrence or immediate impact. In the Philippines, barangays face a variety of challenges, from flooding to waste management. However, it is situated in Brgy. Canalate, Malolos presents a unique concern that defies expectations. Through interviews with its residents, a surprising revelation emerges: illegal parking is the most serious issue in this community. While flooding and waste segregation remain important issues, the prevalence of unauthorized vehicle placement along Canalate's main roads has outweighed these concerns in terms of urgency and significance.

     A walk down Canalate's main road reveals a stark contrast to neighboring barangays: its width, once intended to accommodate buses transporting passengers between Malolos to Hagonoy, is now home to a lane of tricycles and private vehicles, double-parked on both sides. This road transformed from an essential route that allows for a smooth transit to a narrow traffic lane.

     As aspiring journalists who personally talk to citizens and walk down every corner of the community, we are not expecting that illegal parking would be one of the struggles the people  face because it's not something we usually hear about. We discovered throughout our interviews with every citizen in the streets that illegal parking is an everyday occurrence that has been going on for quite some time and that barangay authorities are unaware of it. Possible accidents for students who go to school and narrow roads for emergency vehicles are one of the effects mentioned by the people as they live in the community with illegal parking issues.  As we interviewed the barangay officials of Barangay Canalate, we talked about the challenges they believed their community faced from their personal perspective.  Though illegal parking was one of the issues the barangay was facing as it was mentioned, the top issue on their list was improper waste disposal that is the main reason for flooding in their community. We also use the time to speak to them and tell them what the community is telling us that this issue extends beyond illegal parking. In their response, the barangay officials also show us the plans and strategies they establish about the said issue. One of the steps they were about to take was to provide free parking space for every citizen who owned vehicles. This parking space is owned by the relatives of their Barangay Captain that will help the process to work in just a short period of time. Furthermore, as we questioned them about why they hadn't attempted to do a road clearing operation in their barangay, they said that the City Mayor should be the one to handle this kind of activity because towing is a part of it and it is beyond their control.

     In conducting our survey among the residents of Barangay Canalate and bringing their concerns to authorities such as councilors, we made an impact that led to a road clearing operation just days after our survey. What's even better is that this has become a regular occurrence, unlike before when road clearing happened only about thrice a year. The promised free parking space for every resident in Barangay Canalate is still in process, but for now, the Barangay has noticeably improved its main road compared to our initial visit. Even though there's a law that mandates having parking space before purchasing a vehicle, (No garage, No New Car Policy) most of the residents in the barangay make a living as tricycle drivers, so the provision of a free parking space by the officials would be a significant help."

     Thus, we can say that we have indeed contributed to the betterment of the area and its residents. For Canalate residents, this issue is more than just an inconvenience; it is a matter of community well-being and safety. With emergency vehicles struggling to navigate the packed lanes, the threat of delayed response stands big, heightening the  gravity of this overlooked situation.

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