The price of progress

It almost came to us like the proverbial thief in the night. As 2010 bade us goodbye and 2011 crept into instant relevance, those among us who had been taking the perennial Christmas break outside of Metro Manila to nearby places in Luzon were caught unaware (well, mostly unaware) by the sudden increase in toll prices on both main arteries of the country’s main island. Make no mistake about it, the highways connecting the nation’s capital to both north and south Luzon have improved tremendously. And both operators have been announcing an expected increase in toll rates through most of 2010. As is typical of us Filipinos, however, we rarely act as much as we react. Hence the surprise… and the violent reactions.

But wait! Despite the initial outrage, have we really stopped to consider what we’re all getting and why we’re all being asked to pay an increasing amount of moolah for use of the said roads? Let’s stop to consider, shall we?

First off... What did we have before all these developments came along? Being a motoring journalist for the better part of a decade, I can safely say that I’ve seen tremendous improvement in the North Luzon and South Luzon Expressways (NLEX and SLEX) – both in the physical infrastructure sense and in the way services are delivered. Whereas badly paved single or double lane highways used to be the norm, these days we have multiple lanes on either side of the highway at our disposal. Where accidents and reaction time to them were once downright ridiculous, these days we have emergency response systems that are comparable to the world’s best.

Also, if we consider what we get in terms of security and law enforcement, we can actually be proud of these highways. How often does one see, for example, people risking life and limb to cross these busy highways? Compare that to something like C-5 which is equipped with just as many lanes but where people give the pedestrian overpasses the middle finger every day and you’ll see how much better run the NLEX and SLEX are than the “free” highways out there. Also, if you go through C-5, you’ll most likely notice that all lanes are slow lanes as no one respects the fast lane in the said highway. Try doing 40 kph on the leftmost lane of the NLEX or the SLEX and you’ll most likely end up with a traffic violation ticket.

What I’m driving at here is that while it may be true that the toll rates have become a lot more prohibitive than they were before, what we’re actually being asked is to pay for is the price of development. Nothing in this world comes free. As a struggling Filipino nation, we know that. So instead of whining, why don’t we try biting the bullet, use what has been built for us to use, and enjoy the benefits of the fruits of our hard earned money? Anywhere else in the world, such a well-run stretch of highway is automatically accepted as a service one has to pay for. Only here do people want the development but react violently to the price for indulging in it.

But before any of the people who don’t want to shell out some more cash label me as public enemy number one, consider the other facts. These now world-class highways were not built overnight. Nor were they built and further developed without alternate, supporting routes to begin with. In other words, if you really cannot afford to pay the price of development, then you are free to use the existing infrastructure that do not offer the benefits of continuous development. There’ll be more traffic, less security and much more hassle in using these roads, for sure. But then, that’s why they’re either free or cost much less than these developed highways.

Am I being a bit of an elitist by taking this stand? Hardly. We either work our way around the rules by using other streets and roads provided as alternatives for those who don’t want to shell out or tow the line and pay what we’re getting for in return. It’s that simple, at least in my book. There is a price to pay for progress. We can’t expect foreign investors to throw their money into our country and then force them to recuperate their investments on our terms. That’s just how the system works.

So let’s stop acting like spoiled little kids who cry when the candy we want is something our parents say we can’t afford. Let’s start acting like reasonable adults who know how to work with what we’re given. We’re Filipinos, darn it. We can and will survive through anything. An increase in toll rates for infrastructure and services worth the added spending? That really is the least of our worries…

Wow, we got a Backseat Driver comment from no less than “the devil” himself! At least that’s his username. And my, does he have a temper and quite a mouthful to say! Here are some of his comments on James Deakin’s “Scratching the itch” from last week…

I guess the point to the matter is regarding flaunting a high performance vehicle. It’s just plain delicadeza in the part of public officials, and that is squarely pointed at this president. He showed poor judgment. Let me tell you... when you import a vehicle in this country, after all registration and taxes are paid, you will have shelled out 300% the value of the vehicle, that’s with all the LEGAL computations! So when you have a BMX X5 that costs $75,000 US, in the Philippines it will cost $225,000. You should know this since you are in the business. If I am a businessman from the Philippines who has to go through the red tape and bureaucracy spending 3 times the actual amount of something is just plain crazy, unless I stole the money or I can smuggle the car in and pay half the tax and help the industry of greasing customs and LTO officials. Another point is who am I trying to impress?!?! Really?!?! Some fat white chicks, some chinks or some headhunter type who one day will look like a mangkukulam? We do not even have proper roads, what the occasional NLEX, SLEX, etc. run will wet your jollies?!?! Another point look at all the savages around you that have no food to eat and just hussling for some scraps? Shame! And did you hear about the news lately, non-stop corruption, etc. How about that retard in a Ferrari who started dropping names left and right? I bet you that Ferrari has problems with its papers! – the devil