I read reports that Mayor Tomas Osmeña shall request the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to remove the roofs of certain overpasses. The City Traffic Operations Management board earlier proposed to remove the roofs of skywalks to prevent mendicants from living there. It's a proposal intended to keep the beggars off the skywalks, so that "the skywalks can serve their purpose".
Roofless skywalks to chase off vendors and beggars? Well, while they're at, they could chase off pedestrians, too. It's an age-old issue that many pedestrians don't use the skywalk because of the climb. Based on observation, it seems they'd rather risk life and limb to road rage than settle for the inconvenience of a dirty, ill-maintained skywalk with an uphill ascent. If the pedestrians further find the skywalks roofless and that they'd be even closer to the sun's heat, then the more they'd brush off the idea of using the overpass. When it rains, the skywalk is especially filthy. Sandal-clad walkers, beware! Even crossing the roads would seem like a better option. I'd like to point out that the roofless skywalk beside the Land Bank of the Philippines, along Osmeña Blvd., is hardly used at all for its intended purpose. There are still erstwhile beggars and all sorts of filth - but no pedestrians.
Furthermore, beggars can't be choosers. Even the heat of sun might not drive them away. They could also learn to adapt with something makeshift or just brave the heat altogether. But the hurrying pedestrian is different. He or she would use cut corners, avoid harsh sunlight and tread the more convenient path (notice how safety doesn't seem to be a primary concern). Would a roofless skywalk fit those criteria? Heavens, no! They'd have even more reason to avoid it.
As an everyday pedestrian of the skywalks around Robinsons, may I request that the skywalks have daily maintenance? Can we please have the filthy, black mounds (I dread to think what they're made of), stains, loose tiles and waterholes removed instead of the roof? Can we please allocate the budget for the roof-removing to have the skywalks clean and safe instead?
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I laud SM Supermarket's GreenBag! SM Supermarket recently introduced its environmental program, SM Concerned and Responsible Eco-Shoppers (Cares) and its centerpiece program is the GreenBag. The GreenBag is our city's first of its kind reusable shopping bag made from durable fabric that can last for about two years' worth of weekly trips to the grocery.
This is the Supermarket's response to the country's solid waste issue and aims to help reduce pollution and landfill use. It encourages a new shopping habit that is pro-Earth by using and reusing the GreenBag instead of the numerous plastic bags when grocery shopping. Imagine the scores of non-biodegradable plastic bags used everyday at the grocery supermarket - and all that waste we burden our environment with. Let's support environment-friendly causes such as this one! May we Filipinos cooperate in making more and more pro-Earth choices, even through menial efforts everyday.
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Email: ardelletm@gmail.com