Metropolitan Landscape Management Office (MLMO) Director Gloria Sarrol said she has pooled her personnel in a series of meetings to ensure that they meet the target completion date set by MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando.

"He has given March 31 as the deadline to finish the work at the investors’ route,’’ Sarrol said.

President Arroyo has ordered Fernando to lead a multi-agency campaign to spruce up key areas in the metropolis in a bid to spur economic development in Metro Manila.

Fernando has concentrated the beautification process on known travelers’ routes in Metro Manila, which serves as the country’s show window, in the hope of encouraging local and foreign investors to put up their businesses in the country.

The major thoroughfares and secondary roads leading to Malacañang, the domestic and international airports, financial centers and entertainment nightspots frequented by tourists are included in the MMDA’s beautification program.

Sarrol said at least 50 carpenters were assigned by the MMDA to conduct repair and painting jobs of dilapidated homes and other structures located within the investors’ route to get rid of all eyesores.

Aside from fixing old and damaged houses, the MMDA Sidewalk Clearing Operation Group has cleared the sidewalks and road right-of-ways along the investors’ routes of illegal vendors and other obstructions.

The "Investors’ Corridor’’ consists of NAIA Avenue, MIA Road, Roxas/Macapagal Blvd. P. Burgos-Nagtahan, Quirino Avenue-South Super Highway, Buendia-Lawton Avenue and Sales-Andrew’s Ave.-Domestic Road-Airport Road.

"We are working overtime to get the work done even before the deadline,’’ Sarrol said.

At present the MLMO is in the midst of rehabilitating and making improvements on the makeshift houses along the route to make them eye-pleasing to foreign investors and local businessmen.

The beautification program of the MMDA is the continuation of a similar drive in Metro Manila last year when hundreds of Inter-Parliamentary Union delegates attended a conference held at the Philippine International Convention Center.

In a related development, Fernando brushed aside charges of human rights violation following the demolition of shanties and confiscation of the wares of illegal vendors.

He reiterated that no one has the right to use the sidewalks or any government property for any individual commercial purpose. He said the law breakers are the ones committing human rights violations.

Similarly, Fernando said sidewalks are for pedestrians and may not be used to build clotheslines to hang clothes or be made as laundry areas or be transformed to entertainment sites where people can hold parties or drinking sessions.