PPG or East-West PAM highway?

While the midterm election is still about 6 months away, Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia appears to be leading the race. Some observers even claim that there is no serious contender for governor in the horizon. After all, she enjoys the support of practically all of Cebu’s congressmen and mayors in the province and their hordes of followers. To the credit of the governor, she seemed to have all sewn up what is necessary to add to her immense popularity and win next year’s political battle handily. She capped her tactical moves with discarding any ties with the group of former President Rodrigo Duterte and aligning herself with the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., although there is also a backlash to this move.

Governor Gwen’s opponent, Ms. Pamela Baricuatro, seems to be making a noise. Baricuatro might be a new beautiful face in politics. I learned, quite belatedly, that in terms of her social touch, she opened a foundation that helped hundreds of Cebuanos in the south eastern part of the province and she can count on these families come election day. Politically speaking, I heard she played a huge part in a parallel group composed of heavy funders and non-politicians, working for the Uniteam during the 2022 presidential elections. Her experience there can help her dent the formidable force of the governor.

Ma’am Pam’s funding source may not even be equal to a drop in the proverbial bucket of the governor’s wherewithals and lamentably, we are aware that victories in political wars are many times determined by logistics. Just the same, I heard that the Baricuatro family has enough funds of their own to run a decent campaign.

This article is not an attempt to examine the political field in the province where, in all candidness, my idea is even lesser than insignificant. I hope though that Gov. Gwen and Ma’am Pam will include in their respective programs of government a plan to build a much needed highway to link the east and the west coasts of the province in addition to the existing ones. I am talking of a road to connect Consolacion town (passing thru the edge barangays of Cebu City of Pit-os, Binaliw, Mabini, Paril and Lusaran) and the Municipality of Asturias. The topography is admittedly difficult to work on but the potential benefits are arguably tremendous.

If by chance, it is Gov. Gwen who can construct this Consolacion-Asturias road, let her christen it as PPG (for Gov Pablo Paras Garcia) Highway to sound like the CPG (for Carlos Polistico Garcia) Avenue in Bohol. If, by God’s grace, it is Baricuatro who can build this highway, let her call it East-West PAM (meaning Provincial Access Motorway) Highway.

Presently, there is trans-central highway linking Balamban town and Cebu City, thanks to the mind of the late governor Lito Osmeña. It was wide when built, but the present volume of traffic accompanying the businesses that sprouted on both ends of the highway has made it perceptively narrower. I do not have to mention that every now and then landslides either cover portions of the road or erode it.

The Consolacion-Asturias road will help decongest the trans-central highway specially at its Balamban end where traffic jam is as bad as what we experience daily in the Talamban-Cebu city road. It will also provide faster access to the increasing number of vehicles using Tuburan, Cebu-Escalante, Negros Occidental sea lane. More importantly, this avenue will develop the hinterland in the way Barangay Ga-as and nearby villages economically bloomed with the trans-central highway.

Still, it all depends upon how Gov Gwen and/or Ma’am Pam views the viability of this suggestion.