Of flyover and the priorities of motorists!

For tonight's special presentation in Straight from the Sky, we bring you the other half of those good news stories you rarely read in our headlines or on mainstream Television, about the 3rd Triennial Awards of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) which was given last March 18th. On March 20th, we already featured the first half of this interview, the Ramon Aboitiz finalists for Exemplary Individuals, which was won by Mayor Ramon Piang Sr. of Upi in Maguindanao.

For tonight, we are honored to present to you the finalists for the Eduardo Aboitiz Award for Outstanding Institution, namely; the Brokenshire Integrated Health Ministries, Inc. a group that mobilized Davao City's health and development; the Maharlika Charity Foundation of Dr. Rizal Aportadera also of Davao City who brought volunteerism to the extreme in the medical field, doing medical operations even inside a mayor's office.

Then there's the Mahitana Foundation, Inc. in Polomolok, South Cotabato that focused on saving the environment, by creating the Mt. Matutum Integrated Conservation and Development Project. One very interesting story is told by Mr. Ruel Hipulan of the Save Mindanao Volunteers, Inc. (SMVI) that helped improved the literacy rate of the Manobo's living in the remote marshland of Agusan... through the building of floating libraries and schools. As what happened in the previous show, we interviewed these finalists before the awards where given so that we would hear their respective stories. We will only scroll on your screens the awardee of this category.

For outstanding institution, this was awarded to Lihok Pilipina Foundation, Inc. of Mrs. Tessie Fernandez, whose organization has empowered the women of Cebu. On the issue of domestic violence, they came up with the Women's Integrated Support and Crisis Center (WISCC). They established the Women's Saving's and Credit Center (WSCC) and the Bantay Banay project recognized as the Best Practice for Improving the Living Environment by the UN Habitat in the year 2000 and by the Dubai International Awards in the year 2002. Watch these outstanding finalists on SkyCable's channel 15 at 8:00 p.m. and be amazed that there's so much good news out there!

* * *

Last Friday afternoon, our good friend, Ferdie Jakosalem called me that he was at the head office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) because they were told that the flyover along Juan Luna Ave. Ayala Road (Cardinal Rosales Ave.) was already pushing through. Truth to tell, I was completely taken aback by this news because I have always believed that traffic in that area wasn't as bad as compared to a more urgent area in that busy intersection of Foodland, where traffic jams have already reached a frantic point. I made a check with the DPWH... and indeed, this project had already been bided out.

Let me point out that when we were running the Cebu City Traffic Operations and Management (CITOM), this project was already on line in that area, but we opposed it simply because DPWH did not consult CITOM as to where flyovers where needed most and given the scarcity of funds for Cebu City, the higher priority then was at the intersection of Escario St. and Arch. Reyes Avenue. Today, I still believe that this area is of a lower priority.

This is the whole trouble with a national office that does its work without consulting the local people... and the most stupid project that came out of this was the infamous Loboc Bridge, which today stands as a monument to Imperial Manila's insensitivity and stupidity. While I'm no longer involved in Traffic Management, it doesn't mean to say that I don't know where the worse traffic nightmares are happening in Cebu City. Let me name just two intersections that the DPWH ought to have prioritized. First is the intersection along Mango Ave. and M. J. Cuenco Ave. which links to the North Reclamation Area. This needed a flyover yesterday!

Everyone knows that the Banilad area is the fastest growing commercial district in Cebu City, with very narrow roads that link Cebu City to Mandaue City. That intersection a.k.a. Foodland is in desperate need of a flyover. But why couldn't the DPWH think of this? Perhaps these bureaucrats don't use their brains or even plain and simple common sense!

I'm sure that our good friend Rep. Raul del Mar who is sponsoring this project was made to believe by the DPWH that this was a priority project. If you ask me... putting this flyover there is not necessary today. Let's put it in the Foodland area where traffic is so bad, going to Talamban from the Waterfront often takes more than 45 minutes during rush hour.

The Cebu City Council also has their say on this issue and the ire of the Cebuano motorists is aimed at Foodland... not at the Mabolo intersection.

* * *

For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected]