We need better roads in the mountains

I did not know that our city officials were already considering improving the services of the Cebu City Medical Center when I wrote my article "What Ails The City". Quite frankly, those who had the chance to read it knew I was a little bit more acerbic than usual. So, when, after that write-up, I read from our papers some measures which our honorable city councilors adopted for the purpose of enhancing the capability of the city hospital, I felt the urge to take back my harsh language. But, the ink of my column already dried up. Now, I can only do what is positive. And that is to pat the back of our officials for addressing a felt need and congratulate them for taking up the cudgels of the less privileged, they who stand to benefit more from the upgrading of the hospital services.

At the same time, I am more encouraged, by that happy turn of events, to speak my mind on another subject. Call it luck that the response of the city administration came on the heels of my article and I would not begrudge it. Wishing that my luck still holds, I hope that the subject matter of this article today may have also been on the pipe line. I will be gladly surprised to read that there is already an action on this particular topic.

Some roads in the mountain barangays (those I traveled on lately, at least) seem to have been forgotten by our officials. The much ballyhooed road maintenance project called "Asphalt Storm" remains to be implemented yet. Take the case of Barangay Sirao. Approaching from the concrete Trans Central Highway, I went to that barangay not too long ago to visit a small lot at sitio Langub. It had been quite some time since my last visit to that place for the reason that the bad road condition would make the trip exhausting. Well, I was still exhausted.

Not only the Langub road was in terrible shape. On my way home, I took another route. This time, I passed by Barangay Guba before descending to the city where every jolt would make one understand the word "guba". I have also been traveling to Barangay Paril, lately. In going there, I use, as my access road, the junction of Barangay Binaliw towards Mabini. And the situation is not entirely dissimilar.

In those trips, I realized that many parts of the road I used had seen better days. In fact, when I stopped, upon seeing an acquaintance along the way, to exchange pleasantries, I inquired how long had the bad road condition been. As if to stress the point, he said he lost track of time! The inhabitants there had become so used to the dilapidated road that they also forgot how to complain. Even my old but usually reliable Beetle had to pick the portions of the road it could move through because there were deep rots. Some areas looked like mud pools. Where they were dry, many stretches had sharp stones protruding and ready to pierce my tires.

What if the road condition in the mountain barangays is terrible?

I noticed that there were vast tracks of undeveloped parcels of land where I passed. Some of those that were cultivated appeared wanting in care. I dropped at one place where the "batong" looked surprisingly healthy and filled my inquisitiveness.

From the farmer, I have learned why many of his neighbors are less motivated to till their lands. It is such a very basic problem as lack of good roads. Let us consider the given that agricultural products can be bountiful if the necessary implements and the required inputs of production are adequate. Yet, on one hand, transporting these supplies to their fields remains both an expensive endeavor and arduous task easily daunting ordinary farmers.

On the other hand, bringing their produce to the city centers of commerce is equally discouraging. The time of travel is made longer by slow traffic movement. And such length of time takes a heavy toll on the value of the products.

I hope the city government inspects which mountain roads needs repair and releases the kind of money to attend to this problem. Surely, we shall spur our farmers to be more productive.

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