Cebu City is a yellow city

Thanks to the ASEAN summit, I suppose, the city view along several streets is taking a different look. Cebu City, our city is a city in yellow. This new appearance, allow me to conclude, must be a part of an over-all plan for this once-in-a-lifetime extravaganza. It is unprecedented for I recall of no other event in the past in anticipation of which we have used this approach to present our city to its visitors.

I may have not moved around much lately, but along the city streets which I normally drive through, the yellow color is dominant. I am speaking of the ceremonial route, which in our city should include San Jose de la Montana (now Juan Luna Avenue) all the way up to Salinas Drive, Archbishop Reyes Avenue, as principal arteries and P. del Rosario Street and Imus Road. Gorordo and Gen. Maxilom Avenue too. Yellow is painted on the posts used by public utilities like the power and communications companies. Even those metallic junction boxes of a leading telephone company are enjoying a new coat in yellow. This lead me to think that the maintenance, if not beautification, of these structures is an account where taxes may be justly spent for. The trunks of trees are similarly painted. My estimate is that the paint reach up to the height of six feet from the ground.

Judging from this kind of expenditure, the available money budgeted for this summit must be awash. Suddenly, there is a huge fund to spend. It is so big that it can encompass every conceivable project. There is no question that to a common planner, the asphalting of roads, the replacement of busted streets lights, are likely to be tackled. But, the event we are preparing for is not ordinary. So we, bring in those with aesthetic sense of the highest order. Indeed, it takes a very imaginative mind to draw the benefit that may arise from painting a part of electric and telephone posts, as well as trunks of trees yellow. Otherwise, if the planning were left to ordinary mortals like me, the advantage of yellow paint could not have been appreciated.

I am sure that before this kind of expense was cooked up, the planners examined if it would be justified to pour public funds into investing in such private properties as electric and communications poles. The posts of Veco, PLDT, Globe, and Smart, to mention what I think I know, are not owned by the government.

These are private assets of these private corporations though they may carry the description of being invested with public interests. As private properties, these are not supposed to benefit from expenditures of government revenues. There should be some legal justification somewhere because the acceptable view is that taxes may be spent only for public purposes.

The work of a genius really is uncommon. It usually is beyond the ken of ordinary minds. He who planned this painting activity must be a genius. Who else, but a genius, would think that painting electric and communications posts as well as trunks of trees makes our city more presentable.

Normally, too, the mind of a genius, is not supposed to be inhibited by funding limitations. Especially the aesthetic genius, as we are dealing here. What he cares is the achievement of what his mind believes should be done. I suspect that this is what takes place in this project. The costs are, assuming they are necessary, rather expensive. How many millions are we spending to paint some parts of our city yellow?

If the planner were not a genius, he would have been more practical. There could have been other projects worth the kind of money used in this yellow painting activity. For instance, the city health services could have been improved. Medicines could have been bought and provided for the poor patients of the city hospital. But, since our city deserves the mind of a genius, we just have to agree with him that painting Cebu City, yellow is the best move to host the ASEAN summit with.

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