Tagaytay City’s thunder road

If a company CEO declared company losses at 44.6% chances are he might have to close shop or resign. In terms of the crime rate, 44.6% increase can be either good or bad. Good because it could mean that more and more citizens are reporting crime related incidents, which means public confidence or trust in the police is up. That could be the case in the Philippines since resolution of criminal cases are reportedly also statistically chasing after the 44.6%.

What really worries me is the fact that we have a 44.6% increase in criminal incidents, but authorities have not exactly advised the public on what is causing the increase. In the animal kingdom, an increase in population is often credited by scientists to an increase in food source or the absence of predatory enemies. Knowing the 44.6% figure simply scares people or worries people and could have a bad effect on the over-all public confidence in government or law enforcement.

The PNP or the Executive branch should invest some time and money into researching the reason for the upswing in crime and explain to the public what exactly those crimes were, where they took place, what were the triggers and what communities can do to help prevent or avoid such incidents. Call it a wild guess but chances are the top reasons or triggers of those crimes are “drugs,” which is supposed to have penetrated or infested 82% of barangays. What does the new Chief PNP Marquez intend to do about it?

There is of course the annual opening of classes when desperate parents and students will do what it takes in order to raise tuition. What else is there that we don’t know? Have carjackers started early to steal cars that they can sell for use in the 2016 campaign outside Metro Manila or are they stealing cars because spare parts, taxes and duties have made the price of parts horrendous? What cars are being targeted? Are the statistics primarily about petty theft, snatch and grab? The public should be given more details and not just percentile scores.

I’m sure the PNP leadership is just being careful with their investigations, but many people have noticed that many middle aged and senior women are being grabbed presumably to be held up, but these incidents have led to “unsolved” disappearances. Then there are an increasing number of people posting missing children on Facebook. Under the new leadership of the PNP, it would be good if the public were given the PNP’s version of SONA on crime and law enforcement.

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Since age 12 or thereabouts, I’ve travelled to Tagaytay City time and again and Tagaytay never fails to give visitors a good feeling, beautiful sceneries and in spite of the commercialism and urban trend that have invaded Tagaytay City, the local leaders and government deserve praise for somehow controlling things and not allowing the place to be ruined the same way crass commercialism, squatters and poor urban planning ruined Baguio City.

The low-rise spread out development of commercial establishments seem to be more appealing and sustainable than super malls. Life here on weekdays does not strike me as far from the good old days, although I heard weekends can be a total nightmare on occasion which is why the local government has resorted to tow trucks, tire locks and police patrols, which are all good in maintaining discipline.

If the Mayor and the City Council would consider a few suggestions, we have observed several serious threats to public safety starting with overspeeding jeepneys and tricycles on the “Tagaytay – Calamba Highway” driving from the Tagaytay Highlands area towards the Tagaytay Rotunda. As a tourist destination, people should get to see the scenery and not zoom through it. Tagaytay can copy the example of Davao City, Subic and many other tourist dependent localities where they observe very strict speed limits from 30 to 40 kph.

The speed limit is urgently needed to save lives especially since tourists and residents walk along the Tagaytay-Calamba Highway early in the morning or during the sunset hour. Unfortunately there are no dedicated sidewalks or raised walking paths that would provide some barrier or safety for joggers, cyclists or pedestrians. The Tagaytay – Calamba Highway could be a unique and beautiful “Bicycle Highway” from end to end, the city could provide rental bikes, service shops and all this would surely increase the market and business of the hundreds of restaurants and stores along Tagaytay ridge.

If properly designed as they did in Iloilo City, Tagaytay could widen the Tagaytay – Calamba Highway to create separate levels for vehicles versus pedestrians and bikes. I know several local politicians are car and motorcycle nuts but given a place to enjoy it, they would also love being on bicycles especially in the cool climate of Tagaytay.

Local officials of Tagaytay seriously need to ban and clamp down on noisy jeepneys, delivery trucks, tricycles, and motorcycles as well as fighting cocks beside hotels and inns. Sorry to say this but if there is one clear and audible turn off to sleeping or staying overnight in Tagaytay City, it would be the fact that the main road of Tagaytay City can be renamed “ THUNDER ROAD” because of the excessive noise pollution created by vehicles, while dozens of roosters crowing three times a night can ruin anybody’s vacation. Sorry but if we want to bring in tourist dollars we need to maintain the standards and qualities expected from us.

Finally, IF the good people of Tagaytay want to keep their place beautiful and attractive, city officials and barangay officials need to have a master plan and year round maintenance program so that Tagaytay won’t just be another “green city,” but a very long flower garden on the ridge. That used to be one of the main attractions of Tagaytay aside from the cool air and the horseback riding that can be replaced by biking. It would also help if city officials do something about street lighting. We noticed that there were hardly any streetlights on Tagaytay’s main road after the rotunda towards Splendido. Most of the highway was dark and the only lights came from restaurants and hotels. This seemed strange since there were enough street lights from the rotunda all the way to the Development Academy of the Philippines or DAP.

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