A road that links the Lahug-Apas or Kasambagan-Luz areas to Pit-os is roughly a distance of seven kilometers. According to estimates of the government, (make that DPWH), in the early 90’s, the ballpark figure for opening a kilometer of concrete highway was about one million two hundred thousand pesos. If one such highway was made in the 90’s, a new road spanning Pit-os and Apas, therefore, passing thru Talamban and Banilad, would have cost no more than ten million pesos. Assuming that the requirement of Cebu City would have been for a wider and better quality infrastructure, a construction cost of double the amount would have still been acceptable.
I make reference to the early 90’s because the leaders of our city, meaning Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña and Congressmen Raul del Mar and Antonio Cuenco controlled the reigns of our government since the late 80’s. Hon. del Mar was first elected congressman in 1987 and Hon. Osmeña, our mayor in 1988. We might not have noticed it, but both officials have been in their lofty positions for two decades already. They have been the congressman of Cebu City north district and the city mayor in about the same length of time the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, held the presidency. And we despised Marcos for clinging to power too long!
Assuming that it took them their first terms to understand the intricacies of their functions (in which case, we wasted much), at least, at the beginning of their second terms, July 1992, they could have projected the needs for newer and bigger roads that would have addressed the kind of humongous traffic jams we are presently experiencing. If they were able to plan for our city, they should have included as rating among our more urgent needs an efficient highway system.
It is sad that neither Mayor Osmeña nor Rep. del Mar has given us what road is due us and it is worse that they have failed to realized this need that I don’t even hear them promise us one in the very near future.
Anyway, I point this failure on the part of Mayor Osmeña and Rep. del Mar because they seem to insist on constructing the flyover in Banilad. Am I correct in perceiving that this project costs some One Hundred Thirty Million Pesos (P130,000,000.00)? Their ostensible reason is to solve the traffic grid lock in that area. Judging from their press releases though, they claim to be delaying the implementation of this project in deference to the objections, valid if I may add, raised by residents along the project. Cong. del Mar and Mayor Osmeña want us to believe that their minds are open to valid suggestions of affected residents. The catch is that they hold the construction up to a certain time.
With due respect, I believe that is a lot of hogwash more than a sleight of hand. I mean the much ballyhooed allowance of time is a deception, or at the very least two reasons, this is diabolical. One, the project is sanctioned by law and it can not be dictated by ordinary mortals. The multi million peso allocation, (truthfully tax money which Cong. del Mar always titles as his effort), is contained in a legislative measure. It is not the Pageses, the Carungays, the Tudtuds even including the Aboitizes and the Gullases, among those affected to say where and how it is to be expended. Granting these might take months to suggest alternative is absolutely meaningless amounting only to giving them rope to tie their necks with!
Two, even if the critics to the project are as high strung families as they whose corporations symbolize the dynamisms of Cebu, they are not in the position to implement their alternative proposals. Hey, the ball is in the court of the congressman and the mayor.
To use our common language, let me echo, pag-sure mo oi!