A project of common weal

Few years ago, when Her Honor, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia, was newly entrusted with the reins of government of the province, I wrote about an ideal road that would connect the eastern and western sides of our island. To her credit, the governor, perhaps because my article did not contain pinpoint information, sent someone to my office for some specifics. And I was amazed especially that our brief discussion ended with an assurance that the honorable governor would take a look into the probable road project.

I am sure that the lady governor has not forgotten about that road I suggested. But, I am equally certain that studies she might have commissioned to be done have either buried the project in tons of document or stymied her from pursuing it. Unaware of the true reason why I have not heard anymore about it, let me bring it up again in this corner.

There are three roads connecting the cities of Toledo and Cebu. The first to be constructed was the Manipis road. If one starts his trip from the Cebu City hall, then passes thru the Manipis area, and ends at the old Toledo City hall not far from the pier, (there is a new city hall in barangay Ilihan), the distance is about 49 kilometers. This was the first connection between these two cities.

The second connection was constructed sometime in the early 80s, during the governorship of now Congressman Eduardo R. Gullas. This link uses the Naga-Uling road and if the starting and ending points are the city halls of both cities, the distance is approximately 69 kilometers.

The third link known way is thru the trans-central highway which was built in the time of then Gov. Emilio Mario (Lito) Osmeña. Per my own estimate, the entire length (again from city hall to city hall of both cities) is some 66 kilometers.

Save for a short stretch somewhere in Camps seven and eight of the first connection, where the road is still macadam, all the three connections are generally well paved with either concrete or asphalt.

In my article years ago, I pointed to a probable fourth link. Somewhere in Barangay Dumlog in Toledo City, a concrete road is already built going inland. I am told though that it ends after three kilometers. Per information I learned, this is supposed to link up with that road which has also been started in Barangay Bonbon, Cebu City. By the way, this Bonbon road is an avenue whose width is not narrower than that of the transcentral highway. Its shoulders are equally wide and it is wasteful as it is a pity to end only at Bonbon where it is not supposed to end.

Let us consider that from the Cebu City hall up to the end of Bonbon, that road has an estimated length of 17 kilometers, and perhaps from the city proper of Toledo up to the end of the road somewhere in Dumlog, a distance of about eight kilometers may have been concreted already, the remaining span is about 20 kilometers only. This is the length that has to be worked on.

I bring this topic up because this link is very vital principally because it provides the shortest distance. Using this road, one can go to Toledo in less than an hour. At the same time, this highway directly links the cities. When built, travelers from Cebu to Toledo and vice versa, do not have to go thru Talisay City and Naga City or Balamban. Necessarily, it lessens the volume of traffic that plies thru these intermediate localities.

More importantly, this project, when pursued, sets up a cooperative atmosphere between two of our leading politicians. Rather than exchange harsh words, each camp can send to the other documents needed to launch this road. They can show to us Cebuanos that they can be friendly to each other if only to speak the language of common weal.

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