Time to rethink the use of asphalt

It seems that many of our media friends have been writing about the Asphalt Storm project promised the City of Cebu. Unfortunately, this project has bogged down for various reasons, bureaucracy and incompetence just to name a few. And with more rains coming our way, more and more roads are getting broken, especially along areas where construction activity is high, like the one fronting our main exit road along the corner of Juana Osmeña and Escario Streets and also at the other end of Escario St.

Asphalt in the old days was cheap and easy to secure, especially when gasoline was pegged at centavos per liter. But those are days gone by and will never return. With the cost of Bitumen extremely high, it just makes you wonder why we do not cement our roads, especially here in Cebu Province where we play host to three or four cement plants, while we have to import Bitumen, the main ingredient of asphalt.

Sure asphalt may still be relatively cheaper than cement, but if you check the cost of paving a one-kilometer of road, using a number of workers, cement beats asphalt everytime because of its sturdiness or longevity and resistance to water. Asphalt may still be cheaper, but in the long run, storms and rains destroy your road. With our government always hard pressed for money for infrastructure, it’s a no-brainer that our local government officials must now seriously consider cementing all our roads.

Unfortunately, asphalt has other uses other than mere road pavement, it has become a political tool by our public servants as a reward to those who voted for them and consequently deny asphalt to those broken roads especially in areas where the elected few lost the elections. I saw this very clearly in many areas in Lapu-Lapu City in the past years. Fortunately, this is no longer practiced in Cebu City.

However, asphalt is still the material of choice for the application is quick and when it is done, it immediately stifles criticisms. Perhaps we should now throw this question to the Commission on Audit (COA) as to why they still allow the use of asphalt when it is no longer cost effective vis-à-vis the use of cement. It should be said that COA should not only conduct a post audit of government infrastructure, they should also inform our LGUs how best to save our taxpayer’s money by using cement instead of asphalt.

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Actually this article should have been out early in the week, but we had to move it in deference to the passing and funeral of Tita Cory. Last week, we once again attended the 4th Future Leader Business Summit sponsored by the Aboitiz Group of Companies. Wow! This is the 4th Summit already and we’ve been honored to attend all three Summits. Knowing how the Aboitizes literally “walk-the-talk” in upholding their motto “Passion for Better Ways” this time around the Summit has been expanded to include 85 college students from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

As their press release states, “Aboitiz Student Leaders Summit aims to provide an intimate and challenging experience of corporate life that will heighten their zeal and drive to lead and excel in their respective career choices.” The main goal of the Aboitiz Students Summit is to develop the entrepreneurial spirit of the Filipino Youth and shape them towards becoming World Class Leaders, by sharing with them the passion that the Aboitizes have in running their business enterprises.

As Jon Ramon Aboitiz said in his opening statement, “Over the next two days, we want this summit to inspire you, for you to look further beyond where you are now. To look to the future to what you can become because there is no question you have the capabilities to do so. We have chosen Passion for Leadership as our conference theme this year. We hope this summit will confirm your strong potential to become future leaders with a great passion to achieve your personal goals, an inner motivation and an intense desire to be world-class in your respective careers, in the industries or careers you wish to enter, in your own communities and our nation in general.”

Endika Aboitiz gave a nice lecture about leadership, that it’s not about people and then went on to give quotations from world famous personalities. Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca gave a very honest and frank discussion about leadership and politics in this country. She was perfect for our students because despite her disability, she hurdled all challenges. I especially like the “Bugsay” Philosophy espoused by Sir Bobby Aboitiz who brought an oar along, so he could teach the students that while we need to paddle our own canoes, we need to paddle together as a nation.

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