A word of caution on airport

A few weeks back, I already had warned that the Department of Public Works and Highways should be closely supervised to ensure that the circumferential road from Bata to the city will be in tiptop condition before the new Bacolod-Silay Airport become operational.

Well, despite the reported cementing of the McKinley Road , the Circumferential Road remains a dismal sight. That is something that could cause traffic jams along Lacson Street since the vehicles to and from the new airport are going to use the road.

The Circumferential Road is the logical artery that vehicles should be using. But these are also clogged. Not simply because cane trucks bypass it in going to Talisay and onwards, but because of the destroyed bridge at the Barangay Montevista side.

Thus, daily, we find ourselves bothered by lumbering cane trucks passing through Villamonte and Corazon Locsin Montelibano Avenue which often clog the roadway. Besides, there is always that the danger of the bridge crossing the area behind the CLMMRH Elementary School may give way to the heavily loaded cane trucks.

And, of course, the Circumferential Road remains pockmarked most of the way from the corner of Montevista to Bata. Sure, there are areas which had been cemented. But ask anybody to pass through them, and hardly anyone would dare use the circumferential road.

Only the heavy trucks dare continue using it.

Of course, the other problem. Which shuttle buses have been approved to operate between Bacolod City and the new Silay Airport ? These should be immediately be published and the rates also made available to the riding public. Otherwise, we anticipate bedlam on January 18 when the airport is finally operational.

And, so is the lack of lights along McKinley Road . That's something that should immediately be attended to by the authorities of Silay City . All it takes is one incident to disrupt travel to and form the Silay Airport . The security of commuters or passengers cannot be sacrificed.

Unfortunately, these are things which should have been attended to before the airport becomes operational.

So, what do we do now?

***

While Mayor Evelio Leonardia mulls what to do with the ordinance calling for a city government takeover of the BREDCO Port , I think it is time for Bing to listen to the words of caution from former SRA Administrator Wilson Gamboa.

An economist rather than just an ordinary legal luminary, Gamboa the other day came out with some words about the ill-impact of a takeover by the city of the BREDCO Port.

He advised some other approaches which would have enabled BREDCO to speed up its reclamation that would earn billions more for the city in the form of taxes plus the economic impact of the move.

Well, time yet for Mayor Leonardia to listen to the words of an economist.

***

I just had a glimpse of the thinking of a Filipino as against the American view of things.

This referred to the CNN interview of the parents of US Senator Barack Ombama, one of the aspirants to the Democratic nomination as presidential bet.

The CNN showed the mother of Obama in Kenya still at the same thing she used to do when Barack apparently had gone to the Untied States to seek his fortune and a better future. But the problem is that despite his ascent to a potentially top position, his old folks remain pegged to their traditional way of life back in his native country.

Kokoy Locsin, chair of the Negros-Panay chapter of CONFED, pointed out that if it were in the Philippines that would have ensured Obama would win the race against Hillary Clinton hands down. Just the simple slogan – this is where he came from would have amounted to an endorsement of his “poor boy” image.

The perception among US voters may be different. I suppose that was never mentioned as having influenced the way new Hampshire voters cast their ballots for or against Barack. But one thing sure. It never got through the commentators and political analysts that it would have affected American voters the way we expected Pinoys would have reacted.

***

There must be something very wrong, in the refusal by the family of Indian National Sukhdev Singh to shed light into the latter's shooting by one of gunmen recently at Villa Angela Subdivision. I doubt very much if it is just a case of business rivalry. There must be something deeper than just that. Normally, persons who have nothing to hide welcome the police offer to help solve a case. But this is something very strange.

That should spur the police to look deeper into the problem.*

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