My 7-point agenda
Finally, elections are over and I can spell out what I want from the new government. Simple lang naman. Just my own seven-point agenda.
First, is the indiscriminate jeepney loading and unloading areas. Can anyone fix this please? At least, follow a very good example that Mayor Tom Osmeña did in his very first year as a Mayor. He had a very good partner then - Sammy Darza, who implemented the no stopping, embarking and disembarkation in non-jeepney-stop areas.
Jeepney drivers who would let down their passengers in areas that were not stops, were apprehended aside from the passengers. This really got us all disciplined then. And there were lesser accidents involving pedestrians who would just jump off the jeepney anywhere.
Second, still for car owners especially in the barangay roads that are barely two lanes wide. Could there be a rule discouraging overnight parking on the road? I recall, former mayor Teddy Ouano of Mandaue City said then that “if one does not have a car port one should not buy a car.”
So if one’s home does not have a space for a car, he either rents a parking space or makes a garage somewhere else that does not obstruct the road that may cause accidents and traffic.
Third, could there be a strict implementation of the NO SPITTING in public rule? Sometimes even the conductor of the jeepneys just let go of their spittle anywhere, while the vehicle is mobile sometimes hitting people or windshields of other cars. Gross!
Fourth, could there be a consistent implementation of the no-helmet-no-motorbike riding policy in all of Metro Cebu? The way the motorcyclists zigzag on the road as if they own it with total disregard for others as well as their own safety. And yes, this includes putting helmets for all passengers. Sometimes kids are just placed in the front or back of a motorbike without any protection.
Fifth, more recreational park spaces. I know there are many parks already in some cities and municipalities but how many of them are frequented by families? Are they safe enough? Mayor Mike Rama did make a very good job of Plaza Independencia, and with then Governor Gwen Garcia, they also tried to make better sidewalks so people could just walk to nearer locations and not bring cars. Perhaps we can continue these projects since they provide safe exercise avenues as well as help reduce traffic.
Sixth, more clean and sanitary spaces in the public hospitals. Being a low-cost hospital, the number of patients that get into public hospitals are quite big. In some wards, one can observe how people share beds, floors and sidewalks. It is deplorable and one cannot imagine how people can get well with such a depressing environment.
Finally, for my seventh request, could there be more doctors, nurses and staff in public hospitals? The doctors, nurses and hospital staff that are there are so loaded that some have lost their natural tendency to care. Instead they replace their gentleness with a distant, aloof façade to stop them from caring in utter self-preservation.
I recall when my house help had a miscarriage, she was met in the emergency room at 7:00 p.m., scheduled for a D & C at 4:00 a.m. and after another couple of hours in line at the Operating Room, released into a mixed gender ward for the lack of rooms. I had to buy containers for the coagulated blood that they wanted to make a biopsy on outside the hospital because there were no supplies. Then upon reaching the laboratory, I was asked to transfer the specimen to the slides myself, What if I had no experience with Science? Disgusted, I turned to tell the medical technologist to do it himself only to note his red-rimmed eyes and the swaying on his feet as if he could no longer stand on his feet. I shut up.
I know our officials are aware of this. Perhaps with the new administration, it can go beyond knowing.
I’ll keep my hopes up.
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