President Arroyo has ordered the cleanup of Metro Manila within 72 hours.

The Chief Executive issued the order during a Cabinet meeting held at the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) in Camp Aguinaldo on Saturday.

The President directed Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando to coordinate with the local government units (LGUs) for the cleanup.

“We need to ask the LGUs,” Arroyo told the MMDA chairman during the National Disaster Coordination Council (NDCC) meeting at Camp Aguinaldo on Saturday.

The President said heaps of garbage in the streets of the metropolis have been causing heavy traffic, thereby the need to fast-track the clean-up operations in Metro Manila.

“Actually, yung garbage level sa Metro Manila saka mga karatig bayan is up by 10 percent,” Fernando said.

Fernando added it will take more than a month before they can totally clean all the mess caused by Ondoy, especially that many areas in Pasig and Marikina are still submerged in flood.

He also said the MMDA will prioritize all main roads for the cleanup so that rescue and relief trucks and vehicles will have easier access to devastated areas and evacuation centers.

“Priority natin yung mga main roads para kung hindi man tayo umabot sa 72-hour deadline hindi maantala yung relief efforts saka para mas mapabilis pa,” Chairman Fernando added.

It was recalled that the onslaught brought by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” last week has left many people in Metro Manila and other affected areas homeless, with houses, mostly in Marikina City, Pasig City, and Rizal, flooded and muddy. Dump trucks are also heavily in use for the delivery of relief assistance in evacuation centers.

Meanwhile, the MMDA Chairman asked the public, especially those in areas which that were not greatly affected by the storm to properly handle and manage their own household garbage.

“Ako po ay nananawagan sa ating mga kababayan lalo na dun sa mga hindi naman gaanong naapektuhan na kung puede sila na muna mag-asikaso ng mga basura nila lalo na yung mga nabubulok, puwedeng ilagay sa kanilang mga pozo negro [septic tank] para kahit papaano menos kalat,” Fernando added. (With a report from Anna Liza T. Villas)