THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Friday formally opened the country first female urinals along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa), Metro Manila's prime thoroughfare.
MMDA Chairman Oscar Inocentes said the female comfort rooms will be of big help to women commuters and pedestrians.
“We designed and built these facilities for exclusive use of women. We’re just hoping that they will try to use these so we would know what further improvements we need to make for their comfort and convenience,” he said.
The MMDA has so far built three – one underneath Edsa-Ortigas flyover and two near the MRT-Quezon Avenue station and Quezon Avenue provincial bus terminal.
In contrast, there are more than 500 MMDA men's urinals put up during the term of former MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando.
The covered toilet has sink and faucet with 24-hours ample water supply and electricity. For security, it has doors that could only be locked by the user inside.
MMDA personnel will maintain the urinals 24 hours a day to ensure that it will not go the way of its male counterpart which were the subject of numerous complaints due to the bad odor coming from the ill-maintained urinals.
The toilets are painted apple green, in line with the MMDA’s “Metro Green” program, and adorned with flower drawings.
“We guarantee that user cannot be seen outside. It is fully covered and is roofed. We have assigned people to maintain its cleanliness round-the-clock,” the MMDA chairman said.
Inocentes said they will solicit comments and suggestions from the public in 15 days before discussing plans to put up more such toilets along major thoroughfares.
“I am encouraging the ladies to use this first batch of urinals and give us feedbacks, whether it is positive or negative. This way we would know which aspects we need to improve,” he added. (AH/Sunnex)