Solve the problems in areas already congested

Finally, a huge amount of US$10 billion has been earmarked by the Aquino administration to finance rail and port projects. I just hope that some of that money would be spent in Cebu for what we’ve always wanted, a rail-based Mass Transit system traversing from Danao City in the North of Cebu to Argao in the South. We had this rail system built by the Americans in the early 20’s and destroyed by American bombers during World War II. But given the pro-Manila stand of this government, we can only hope that we in Cebu would get the crumbs, if there is any left for us.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Council has proposed a P3 billion list for their infrastructure projects as endorsed by the Cebu City Development Council (CDC) for a two-lane channel II underpass at the Cebu South Coastal Road, a two-lane flyover in Mambaling, then another two-lane viaduct underpass also at the South Coastal Road, a four-lane underpass at the Juan Luna St. and Serging Osmeña Blvd (corner of SM) and a four-lane underpass at the intersection of Gen. Maxilom Ave. and Serging Osmeña Blvd (near pier 4). These projects were identified to ease the traffic congestion in the areas that we’ve pointed out.

To be blunt about it, these projects only partially solve the traffic congestion in certain areas, especially for motorists going towards Mandaue City or towards Mactan. All that expenditure is utterly useless unless Mandaue also asks the P.Noy administration to put up flyovers or underpasses along three major intersections in Mandaue City. Otherwise, it just allows motorist to go faster to Mandaue City and get stuck there!

Unfortunately, I do not see any funding for a parallel road to Escario St. that would have decongested the already congested Escario St. or that necessity of a flyover along Gen. Maxilom Ave and M.J. Cuenco Ave. What I’m seeing here is monies spent only to make traffic smooth in the South Road Properties (SRP) while there is nothing for businesses already paying taxes to the City of Cebu who continue to suffer traffic congestion. The City of Cebu should be fair in solving the traffic congestion where it exists today and not a future traffic congestion as the SRP is still not fully developed.

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When one talks about tornadoes, you’d think that this only happens in the United States. But thanks to climate change, tornadoes have come to the shores of Cebu with devastating effects. A few days ago, tornadoes struck Bantayan Island, then a day later, it struck and destroyed houses in Talaga, Argao and Santander.

So, even if there are no typhoons coming our way, a low pressure area can produce devastating tornadoes. Actually, we’ve seen a lot of tornadoes in the past, especially when we go island hopping. But they appear as spouts of water from afar. Decades ago, while driving my friend’s jeep in Bantayan Island, I came across what you’d call the beginnings of a tornado, a very small twister spinning in the middle of the dusty road. I drove the jeep directly into it, and that small twister lifted the jeep a few feet and slammed us back on the ground. But it disappeared right away.

A few years back while we were approaching hole no. 2 at the Cebu Country Club, I noticed what I thought were birds circling from above. As it turned out, they were not birds but leaves circling overhead. Soon, it became a twister and destroyed a few trees on its path before it dissipated. But now, it seems that twisters have become bigger and more destructive.

The cities and municipalities should come up with an emergency warning system to prepare our people from tornadoes. In the US, most houses have cellars, where families hide when a tornado strikes their homes. But here we do not have cellars, so we must devise certain measures where people can hide from the wrath of a tornado. Our work is cut out for us.

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It was a small gathering of media friends that I joined last Thursday evening dubbed “La Mien: A Celebration of Noodles” at the Tea of Spring in the fabulous Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa. With us on our table were Mildred Amon Shang’s Communications Director, Jaime Picornell (who was celebrating his birthday) Ms. Cookie Newman, Mrs. Nelia Neri, Ms. Mayen Tan and Freeman’s Food Critic Dr. Nestor Alonso and my wife Jessica.

La Mien is a special type of hand-made noodles done just as you enter the Tea of Spring. We had all three types - noodles with beef, noodles with seafood and noodles with sliced meat and mushrooms. All of them taste like noodles you’ve never tasted before because it was done by Chef Sun Yi Li of the Golden Flower Hotel in Xian, China. Indeed, the Shangri-La gives you only the best in culinary delights.