For our special presentation on Straight from the Sky, we have with us former Senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad, board member of the International Right to Life Federation of the World Youth Alliance, USA. While we talk about the ongoing controversy that the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill has done to our country, we also discuss the many other current issues plaguing our country today. The former Senator participated in the recently concluded National Philippines for Life Congress that brought many pro-lifers to Cebu.
If you didn’t know, the Task Force for Family and Life (TFFL) also participated in that Congress. This group recently wrote US House Speaker John Boehner to complain that the Obama administration was now exporting a culture of death to 3rd world countries and using the United Nations (UN) as its conduit through the funds that the US gives to the UN. House Speaker Boehner gave a very polite reply that he would look into this case and surprisingly, just two weeks later, we read in the news that the US Congress would investigate how the UN was using its funds, especially when it came to abortions. That was a quick reply to the TFFL query if you ask me.
So tonight learn more not only about what’s going on in the RH campaign, but also the many things happening with the Aquino administration that you ought to know about with former Sen. Kit Tatad on SkyCable’s channel 15 at 8:00pm with replays on Wednesday and Saturday, same time.
* * *
That newly-formed group Movement for Livable Cebu should change its name because clearly their focus is still fighting the flyovers and I just can’t swallow their line that if we don’t construct flyovers and use their suggested flared intersections, traffic congestion would suddenly disappear. If you ask me, Mayor Michael Rama (who is on their side) ought to tap them to help CITOM or even put them in charge of CITOM so they can put their theory to test.
But again, we know well enough that the most visible people in this group are those whose businesses are affected by the flyover although they won’t admit it in public. This group held a presscon last week purportedly to “move on” when the report of the Technical Working Group (TWG) wasn’t elevated to the Regional Development Council (RDC-7), which is supposed to meet in Tagbilaran today. Now whether RDC Chairman Mike Rama would bring this issue to the attention of the RDC Full Council we will know it by today.
This group presented a study that would not require building of overpasses and coincidentally they presented it in the areas where those flyovers are to be built. I’ve already seen the flared intersections that the group presented. Yet no one… and I mean no one ever gave any idea on how to reduce traffic volume because like it or not, the number of cars, jeepneys and yes taxicabs have almost doubled in just 10 years.
I have pointed out again and again to these people that flyovers are necessary in certain intersections and whether they like it or not, it is working in the areas that they have been constructed. But to make Cebu “livable,” as their name implies means going out to fix the bigger problem or traffic and not just stick to the issue of flyovers.
Sure, they want to widen our roads. But they obviously did not study the realities of our traffic enforcement here. A.S. Fortuna was widened and it is still clogged today because motorists are allowed to park on the widened road. Solving this problem is as simple as demanding from the Mandaue City government to stop that nonsense of allowing pay parking in A.S. Fortuna. But then, who wants to cross Mayor Jonas Cortes huh?
I have been to two major metropolis, Tokyo and Paris and hellooo, they may have wide freeways and avenues, but majority of their streets are narrow. These two cities have underground subway systems, above ground bus systems and circumferential roads to declog the inner cities, yet they are still hopelessly suffering from bad traffic, because of that truism that when roads are widened, they get congested again in less than three years.
If this Movement for Livable Cebu wants to make an impact on Cebuanos, they should advocate first of all in asking Metro Cebu residents living along the road to set back their buildings and construct wider sidewalks or they can ask Congress to amend the National Building Code (NBC) to ask for wider sidewalks. Meanwhile, they can ask Mayor Mike Rama to clear all sidewalks of sidewalk vendors because what little sidewalks we have are usually used by sidewalk vendors. But does Mayor Rama have the political will to drive them out? I doubt it! 2012 is fast approaching and once more it is election season and sidewalk vendors may win votes for him.
* * *
Email vsbobita@mozcom.com