A costly but necessary project

A news item that was shown on national television the other night, brought a most refreshing insight to our people. It spoke of our upbeat national performance in economy considered to be better than most Asian countries. Indeed, we have been reading of favorable reviews by international financial ratings agencies in contrast to the years when we were at the doldrums. Yet, what warmed my heart even more was the acceptance by a high government official in that news report that there are still infrastructures like roads, bridges, air and sea ports, to pursue in order to complement with if not further our economic surge. It was music to our ears for this officer to state that our government plans to allocate funds for these development efforts.

Cebu City, thanks, perhaps, to the foresight of His Honor, Mayor Michael L. Rama, is not lagging behind in these ambitious programs. Recently, it has set in high gear a project which the administration of his predecessor, (and I mean Hon. Cong. Tomas R. Osmeña, his 2013 electoral adversary), never cared to dwell on or did not really know its worth. I refer to the project to widen the stretch of road from barangays Talamban thru San Jose, and Bacayan and all the way to Pit-os. The good mayor of course, is aware that this program was contained in an ordinance that dates back to the year 1992.

There is no question that in all these years, our city has moved forward economically. All comers, business locators and plain residents alike, have so taken available spaces in the city's known central business district that we cannot help but move in the direction of the mountains. One outstanding example is the Cebu International School. Few years ago, it was located within the place disputed by Barangays Lahug and Apas. Apparently because, it could not find a location within the known city perimeters, suitable enough in size and environment, it transferred to Pit-os.

When the school administrators took that move, the parents thought it was too far a place to go. But, the many who did not know where Pit-os was, had to rely on the wisdom of the choice. And what did that school carry in its transfer to Pit-os? Humongous traffic! That conclusion was easy to arrive, specially, if we should acknowledge that the students of CIS almost always come to school riding expensive and huge vehicles.

There is also the mushrooming of several residential subdivisions in that area. These real estate developments have enticed thousands of families to live there. Villa Leyson and Villa del Rio account the middle class among their settlers. It is important to state that two high end subdivisions namely the Aboitizes' Pristina North and the Camella's Riverdale have so much offering for well-to-do families.

This upward movement of locating schools and residences translate into high traffic volumes resulting into frequent jams between Talamban and Pit-os. The road that connects these two places is just too narrow that congestion is a daily occurrence. It is such a head-ache of every motorist to travel this area of the city that it is an impactful of a problem needing immediate solution.

While the solution is, to borrow a favorite line of Mr. Johnvic Gullas, a no-brainer, it takes a political will to undertake. Widening the road is a long felt need and we are glad that the city is flexing its financial resources and training its administrative attention to it. The mayor must have seen its importance if our city were to continue to serve as economic center in this part of the world and to provide for its people with amenities of modern living, as well.

We applaud the city for appropriating the budgetary allocation of over One Hundred Forty Million pesos for the widening of the said Talamban-Pitos road. This is great economic news even if it is also a very huge expense. I have known of no singular project, both past and present, that the city, using its own funds, has undertaken. Bahala na og dako kaayo ang gasto. Believe me, this is not a gamble. This investment while costly is both necessary and timely.