Dave Achondo
THIS city has a problem, and it is toxic. I am not talking about the traffic problem, the illegal vendors on the streets or the floods that come every time the sky pours non-stop. I am talking about the root problem--us, the people of this city. It’s not the city or the government that has to change. It is us.
Stop for awhile, think, reflect. Ask yourself: What did I do wrong for me to be told that I am the root cause of these? But that is just it, you won’t know or even admit it. Most of us us would simply complain and nag that the local government has not done it’s part. But truth is, so did we. It is wrong to assume that the problem lies only in the government itself.
When a calamity strikes, people start to complain about the government’s slow response, everyone blames the government for not doing it’s job. Has anyone thought what the root of all this is? I doubt. One thing is for sure the government did its best.
Consider these:
Traffic. The Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) did do its best to get rid of the illegal vendors, and keep the traffic flowing smoothly. The roads leading to and around Cogon market were cleared for a moment. But what happened? The vendors returned a week later, and the RTA just couldn’t sustain it.
(Note that they don’t pay taxes like those who are doing business inside the market.)
The stubbornness of these vendors is being tolerated by the city hall. Some councilors even questioned why did the RTA “raided” and seized the vendors’ carts and other belongings without the city council’s being informed beforehand. But why should the RTA do that every time it enforces the law? Are they not mandated by law to keep the roads clear of illegal vendors and obstructions? Reality is, the real fault here lies in the vendors who keep on coming back. They don’t respect or fear the law and do not care about how they are affecting other people who use the roads.
What will the government do about this? We have as much rights to use roads as much as anyone else, but what on earth is happening? Authorities tolerate them. Maybe, politicians are afraid to lose votes. I really do not know. In the end, the government should just do its job no favoritism, please.
Flood. It was very clear that city hall did its part to respond as fast as it could during Jan. 16 floods. But the floodwaters were overwhelming that even elevated areas like Aluba in Macasandig had its share of the problem. Some areas there were impassable.
Now, many in social media blamed the government again because, supposedly, it didn’t do its job. What the...! Did you ever think that we were not the only ones stuck in traffic that day? Did you really think it was easy for disaster risk reduction management teams to respond and move from one place to another with their equipment to help people? Did you really think they were not stranded? How did they reach some areas? Here’s how some of them did it: they walked across floodwaters.
Prevention is better than cure. If only people would just stop throwing their garbage and clogging up waterways, things like this could have been prevented, or the impact cushioned.
Why are people living under bridges and along creeks and other bodies of water? They shouldn’t be there in the first place. This has got to stop or this city will be the “City of Golden Floods.”
