As the Chinese New Year on February 3 draws near, the police implemented a special parking scheme and tightened security measures in Manila's Chinatown district on Monday.
To ease traffic flow, the Manila Police District (MPD) started implementing on Monday a parking scheme along Ongpin Street in Chinatown where vehicles can only park on one side of the street.
The MPD also deployed additional personnel including tourist police to Chinatown to assist last-minute shoppers, according to radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo.
MPD spokesman Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo said preparations are being undertaken for the New Year's Eve celebration at the Quirino Grandstand on Wednesday.
Margarejo said they expect some 50,000 people to attend the event on February 2.
Stores asked to use CCTV
The dzBB report said the police also asked store owners in Chinatown to set their closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems on record mode as criminals could exploit the situation.
The police also advised shoppers to take precautions against snatchers and petty thieves.
'Kuligligs' thrive
Meanwhile, "kuligligs" (motorized pedicabs) continue to ply the streets of Chinatown even thought they have been banned from Manila's main roads.
The city government had banned the motorized pedicabs from the city's main streets in December, citing the drivers' tendency to disrupt traffic.
On December 1 last year, the first day of the ban, kuliglig drivers barricaded a key road in Manila and clashed with police.
However, the kuligligs have been observed to continue operating during the holidays and even until now. (report from VVP, GMANews.TV)
