Business as usual

Now that the ballot boxes have been closed and winners proclaimed, we go to business as usual. Perhaps, after all the victory celebrations and the command turnovers, which I pray will be peaceful, we can expect our leaders to take on what they have promised to do. 

For me, I am not looking forward to the school bus and the ambulance our new barangay chief has promised. I am more concerned about the garbage trucks and the schedules that they hold so that those of us who are in the inner communities of the barangay can drag our garbage out and not collect maggots in our backyards. Although nothing would compare to their penetration of the smaller road inlets if the garbage trucks can squeeze through them - though I would not like to be that inconsiderate. Perhaps I can express a wish for smaller vehicles - but again, I would not want to impose so much. Anyway, I only pay at least 30% of my salary for taxes.

So back to the point, I just wish we had a clear schedule of our garbage collection along our R. Duterte St., in Banawa. My neighbors who don't hold regular office hours seem not to know the clear schedule themselves and Nang Eting who I used to request to call me at home when the garbage truck arrives has passed away, so I have stopped disturbing my neighbors about my mundane concerns.

Although our barangay is generally peaceful, I would like to seek for more attention for the other side of Guadalupe, which is Banawa. I understand why some of our neighbors want to create a separate barangay out of our place as it seems like nothing much has been done. But I would not want to be unfair. Perhaps the assistance brought to Banawa just has not been made obvious and perhaps again, we have not made our needs clear.

So I take this chance to give our new barangay captain our hopes for action. Aside from clear garbage collection schedules and stations, there is a need to decongest the roadway to Forest Hills. As of now there are many habal-habal drivers parked in the area which has congested the road going inside Forest Hills and its neighboring villages and has somehow caused traffic at R. Duterte St.

I leave it to the good minds of our elected officials to help us find a way to facilitate this concern as we also do not want to deprive the motorists of a ride and the drivers of their livelihood. Maybe a motor station can be placed in a more strategic area and tanods or barangay police be fielded to help in orienting the riding public to the new location.

Another point raised by one of the residents in the Forest Hills area is the need for roving tanods. There have been cases of robberies among the pedestrians who walk to their homes by persons on a motorbike and this is not only true for that area. There have also been cases of harassments and hold-ups in other small compounds. This may be also due to poor inroad lighting.

Since I am at it, I will dare ask, who helps us with our small roads? Who helps fix them? 

And finally, can we come up with a campaign to fire safety? Fire has gutted homes in Banawa for the past two or three years already and now that there is a Gas Station near the fire-prone area, we are afraid that if another fire erupts this time, the damage may be far greater.

I hope this column reaches the right men and women whose business it is to keep our Barangay peaceful, safe and wholesome.