Coming soon in Metro Manila: Urinals for the handicapped

While it is not keen on designing and building new urinals for homosexuals, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is considering designing new urinals for the disabled. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager Roberto Nacianceno said on Monday such urinals will have to have a different design to accommodate the "different" needs of handicapped people. "Naisip ko mga handicapped pa, they might ask for one dahil their physical needs are different (I am thinking of the handicapped people, who may ask for their own urinals because their physical needs are different)," Nacianceno said in an interview on dzXL radio. In contrast, Nacianceno said the MMDA was not keen on building new urinals for homosexuals, saying their anatomies are the same as those of "straight" men and women. But he said he is willing to sit down with representatives of groups representing homosexuals, to listen to their arguments on why the MMDA should build special urinals for them. To recall, the Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz Inc., one of the party-list groups accredited by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to participate in the May 10 elections, proposed the putting up of public toilets for homosexuals. "I’m willing to listen to them, huwag silang magalit. Di ko naintindihan bakit, dagdag gastos. For the differently handicapped, baka kailangan (I’m willing to listen to them. They should not get mad at me. I just cannot understand why we should spend funds for homosexuals who have the same anatomical needs as men. In contrast, I can understand the need to build special urinals for the disabled)," Nacianceno said. Urinals for women Meanwhile, Nacianceno said the MMDA was fine-tuning the new urinals for women placed along strategic areas along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA). He said the urinals are placed at the corner of EDSA and Quezon Avenue, and at the corner of EDSA and Ortigas Avenue. But he said the MMDA would welcome feedback from women who use the urinals, so they could make the needed changes. "Gumawa kami ng tatlo, sabihin nila [ang] gusto nilang sabihin and we will modify it (We have built three such urinals for women so far. We want to get their feedback so we can modify these urinals)" he said. Each women’s urinal includes a lavatory and costs between P15,000 and P20,000, he said. In contrast, there are more than 500 MMDA men’s urinals in Metro Manila, he said. - RSJ, GMANews.TV