Silliman preferred asphalt road over long cement job

CRITICAL REPORTING
by: ELY P. DEJARESCO

Observing the utter delay and the public exasperation of long delayed road cementing projects in various parts of the second district, Silliman University President Dr Ben Malayang got his way in asking the second district solon Rep. George Arnaiz to direct road contractor UyConDev, to just overlay quality pre-mixed asphalt over the main Silliman Hibbard Avenue road instead of making the road as part of those long-delayed and overdue road cementing projects which have caused the public and the business sector, a lot of inconvenience and losses.

It took only just about 2 weeks for the main Silliman road to get done . Hardly anyone even noticed the job since it was done during the Christmas break, vacation period and mostly during low traffic hours.

Why can’t the rest of the projects of the second district be done with the same pace as what they did to the Silliman road? A matter of political will and logistical propensity of course. Of course cement is more durable than asphalt. But look , even America’s highways are mostly asphalt, not cement. Even airport runways are cemented but overlayed with asphalt. It is because it causes less tire friction, less tire damage, and more comfortable for the riding publilc.

But why oh why are they insisting in cementing these roads when, and until now, much is not yet finished. We fear that when elections come, and surely most administration co-terminous bureaucrats will be replaced, we fear, we may have so many unfinished highway roads in the second district. The more the public and business will suffer, while the politicians are now elected to their dream positions.

This could become an election issue. Will the new Malacanang administration release thru DBM the funds that will finish cementing our roads after the elections? Not even George Arnaiz can be so sure. So how and when really, will those roads be finished, and when will the public inconvenience and business losses end? In those roads where the cementing is not yet finished, business is running very slow and most stores are losing. Many stores have closed shop. The dust that the unpaved roads create is a health hazard. Who is going to pay for these losses?

The intention of George Arnaiz is good no doubt. But we are afraid the elections might catch up with the work. Although a continuing job, DBM might not release the road funds on time, as these might be needed somewhere else, you know. We foresee more , more delays in those road cementing projects. So who is to blame? Take your pick.

VICE MAYORAL RACE There is more than what meets the eye in the city vice mayoral race. The Sagarbarria-Rommel Erames tandem has long prepared for the political battle. But along the way, they got politically estranged with godfather Mayor Tuting, so they switched loyalty to Dodo.

The opposition really wanted West-pointer lawyer councilor Alan Cordova to be the running mate of Woodrow Maquiling. Most people also wanted that team to run. But it did not materialize. Why? Try some analysis.

But now it looks like LP coordinator Ipe Remollo after all wanted and groomed Myrish Antonio, lawyer and youth leader, who of course knows a lot of parliamentary procedures. Independent- minded Cordova, tradpols perceive, could be a rising politician and could be a threat to the tradpols present and future.

The story is that while Cordova was indeed personally invited by Ipe to run for vice mayor under the LP banner, Cordova could not decide until sunrise the next day. But when he did wake up the next morning, he was only told by LP mayoral bet Woody that they picked Myrish instead, apparently a decision was made while Cordova was sound asleep. Or did they prepicked Myrish already long ago? That’s what Cordova also got for not grabbing the pie while it was offered to him hot. Lawyer’s strategy?

So Cordova is now running independent again. In 2007, he won as an independent. He stayed independent in the council. He always lost his advocacies like the auxillary police, to the majority. But the public elected him just the same. The clear message is: people want independentminded leaders, not pawns or robots of political godfathers. Will the people make the same decision again in 2010 polls? Yes or no, we don’t know. But the results will certainly tell us so.