Thanks Brady for the break!

In my last column, I wrote about a beautiful but forgotten infrastructure project. It centered on a viable fourth link between the Cities of Cebu and Toledo, which, if pursued, shall become arguably the shortest connection between these two cities, with the road covering a distance of only 45 kilometers, more or less.I said in passing then that if Her Honor, Cebu Provincial Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia would work and complete this project in her term, nobody would complain of her usurping somebody's vision.

Well, I received a message sent by Mr. Brady Lucero, the public relations man of the Honorable Former Senator John H. Osmeña. While I always acknowledge communications relating to whatever I write sent to me by well meaning friends (and Brady is a friend of a generation ago), I don't normally react to them.Or, I cease being pro-active, rather, off-tangent.

I will take the text of Brady an exception. I do this not only for old times sake because he was factual even if his message was curt. True to his amiable style, he did not release a volley of unfriendly expletives amounting to a complaint. In his text, Brady only mentioned that the project I was writing about was the plan of ex Sen. Osmeña. In other words, the Cebuano former senator conceived the idea connecting the cities in that very short route and actually started to develop that link.

To be sure, when I first wrote about it few years ago, I mentioned that the concreting of the Bon-bon part of the highway in the early part of the administration of Ex-Pres. Joseph Estrada, was made through the representations of the good Cebuano senator, who, at that time had probably the easiest and quickest access to Malacañang. Of course, it was plainly written on the billboard placed somewhere at the junction of the trans central highway, that it was a project of Erap. Just the same, my sources then told me the senator would have that link extended all the way to Toledo.

Let me now acknowledge that "my sources" should refer to M. Brady Lucero. That point being clarified, I could even recall having hinted, in that previous write up, that the lady provincial executive might not continue with the project because of the irreconcilable political differences between Ex Gov. Pablo Garcia and the senator which perception was concretized by their bitter verbal tussles.

Anyway, when HerExcellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ascended to the office "vacated" by Pres. Estrada, she also caused the replacement of the billboard. Thus, it was announced to be a project purportedly undertaken in the administration of Pres. Arroyo. Unfortunately, only the billboard was replaced but the project was not continued. If my information is correct, the incumbent president has not added a meter longer to the one accomplished by her predecessor.

I wrote about that project the other day and will continue to remind the governor about it in the belief that Pres. Arroyo will not do anything further than what she, by changing the billboard, has already accomplished.The replacement of the billboard was enough propaganda for her. If we wait for the national government to fund this project, we will be waiting in vain. In the meantime, the concrete road from Bonbon onwards will just deteriorate for non-use.

But, Gov. Garcia, will have more motivations than mere propaganda. She knows the economic benefits of a project like this. For instance, she is aware that a new highway opens the inner barangays, particularly of Toledo City, to developments. Farmers will be encouraged to be productive because they shall have easy access to the markets.To them as to everyone else, shorter travel distance means fresher goods in the market and lower spoilage.

What we need to do is to remind constantly the governor that this project is good. Let me thank Brady Lucero for giving me the opening to make this reminder without sounding repetitious.

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