SO, THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) is calling the organizers of the BOSS-Ironman Challenge to explain why some of the participants appeared to have committed several traffic rules violations during the holding of the activity in several areas in Mindanao, including Davao City?
Other than the violations of traffic rules, the Boss-Ironman Challenge held last week resulted in several road crashes, one of which caused the death of a child. The violations included running a red light, use of blinkers, which is prohibited by law, and speeding.
In an interview on television, a representative of the organizer said their group was not wanting in reminding the participants to obey traffic laws while in the course of maneuvering their vehicles to ensure the safety of both the participants and the onlookers along the route of the Ironman Challenge.
Well, we have no doubt that the organizers really were serious in their claim of warning the participants to observe traffic rules. The only question is whether or not the warning was heeded and all instructions on safety were adhered to.
Well, the large number of road accidents involving vehicles used by participants is more than enough to convince the public that the participants did not heed the organizer’s warning.
Let the road accidents in the latest edition of Boss-Ironman Challenge – Mindanao edition be lessons for the organizer – and possibly the would-be sponsors of the event – of the succeeding Ironman challenge. We are certain that if the organizers of next year’s Ironman learn from its experiences in last week’s staging, there will be no more similar road accidents that may result in lives lost or human bodies maimed.
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Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco has reportedly ordered all regional tourism directors to take out all promotional advertisements that have her face on them.
Frasco made the move after she appeared in a Senate probe on the status of the Tourism industry in the country. Tourism, it is admitted, is one of the most badly affected by the ongoing political squabble between the administration and the various factions of the opposition.
In addition to the raging political upheaval in the Philippines, the ongoing investigation into the alleged massive corruption in government, initiated by no less than the President himself, did not help improve the image of the Philippines as a tourist destination.
And if we have to add the scathing charges and counter-charges of the Philippines and China in connection with the boiling tension over the West Philippine Sea, then all the more that the country will be losing a huge bulk of tourists.
After all, it is a known fact that people from China are among those who have the biggest number of tourist arrivals in the Philippines in the last two or three years in a row. Hence, with the escalating word war between China and the Philippines, it will no longer be surprising if Chinese visitors dwindle fast.
Senator Raffy Tulfo, however, saw it differently. According to him, the promotions made by the DOT are wrong. What with the agency’s promotional materials like billboards, leaflets, magazine and newspaper articles are highlighting the Secretary instead of the places that might interest the foreign tourists.
And it appears that Secretary Frasco clearly understood what the Senator wanted. She has to do away with promotional materials that feature her face prominently instead of the tourist destination.
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This column would like to express its sincerest thanks and appreciation to the teachers of Manaong Elementary School in Barangay Salaysay, Marilog District.
We read stories of courage that they continue to report for duty despite the very dangerous route they take in going to the school and back home.
The trails that at times are being braved by single motorcycle drivers are getting more slippery and are also usually flooded with the frequent rain pouring in the area.
Just recently, three teachers of the said school shared their harrowing experience while negotiating the route after a heavy rain and with gusty winds still blowing.
The three, Maryruth Sedeno, Adelyn Enriquez, and Keeshia Jipus, told their superiors in the Davao City Division that despite the hardship, they have to persevere to do justice to students in the area who also have to risk their own lives just to be able to attend classes.
Congratulations ladies. Indeed, you are the epitome of what modern heroes are.
