Move over, Bayani Fernando.

Women’s public urinals will be visible along major thoroughfares in the metropolis starting this year, the Metro Manila Development Authority said Sunday.

In an interview over radio station DZBB, MMDA General Manager Robert Nacianceno said putting up covered urinals for women in public places is just one of the projects the agency will pursue in 2010.

“Since we put up men’s urinals, there has been a public clamor for us to put up women’s urinals, too. It just took some time to materialize because we have a lot to consider in the design and maintenance of women’s urinals,” he said.

Nacianceno said MMDA Chairman Oscar Inocentes, who succeeded former Chairman Bayani Fernando, has directed the agency to study the appropriate design and strategic location for the proposed women’s urinals.

It was Fernando who initiated the installation of men’s urinals along major thoroughfares, a move then seen as highly controversial, as well as other innovations to improve life in the metropolis. Fernando resigned to run for vice president in the upcoming May elections.

According to MMDA Undersecretary Cesar Lacuna, the agency’s engineers have proposed that women’s urinals be initially put up underneath footbridges since women would need a fully covered toilet unlike men.

“Constructing and maintaining women’s urinals are a lot more complicated than men’s. The designs necessary for women are apparently costly since it would need to have a cover, source of water, electricity, and personnel to maintain its cleanliness,” he said.

Nacianceno said the MMDA is eyeing partnerships with local government units and non-government organizations in maintaining the urinals for both men and women.

“We will exert our best effort this 2010 to improve the cleanliness of these urinals. Since we were successful in maintaining the commercial level of cleanliness of ‘Gwapotel,’ the government’s low cost inn, we are confident that we can do the same with our public urinals, especially in partnership with NGOs and LGUs,” he added.

Aside from the proposed women’s urinals, the MMDA will spearhead a “Metro Green” advocacy under which it will enjoin horticulturists, tree doctors, foresters, and agriculturists to help care for the trees and plants along public parks and major streets in the metropolis.

“Under the Metro Green program, traffic management and pollution reduction will be a lot more feasible especially as we face the problem of global warming,” Nacienceno added.

Even the MMDA’s “On Camera Apprehension" (OCA) of erring motorists will be fully operational this year since the agency is expected to procure 30 more closed circuit television cameras to monitor the traffic situation all over Metro Manila.

“We will increase the number of CCTV cameras since we will formally implement the OCA this year. This means that there will be no more apprehension on the spot, just like what has been implemented abroad.

“The violators will only receive their summons supported by his caught-in-the-act photograph,” he added.

With an average of 40,000 apprehensions every month, Nacianceno said the agency is able to generate at least P74 million in added revenues from traffic violators every year.

The MMDA will also renovate the “Gwapotel” and rename it “MMDA Hotel” or “PGMA Workers’ Inn”. Another priority agency project is clearing the Napindan Channel of chokepoints that prevent floodwaters from the Pasig River to continuously flow to and from Laguna De Bay.

“We thank the public for supporting the MMDA in all our projects last year. We hope that they will continue to support us this 2010 and in return, we will improve the kind of public services that we already have and rise up to their expectations,” Nacianceno added.