LOCAL officials of Davao City are now alarmed by the rising volume of illicit cigarettes (smuggled) and vape products circulating lately.
Then they must do something about it. If necessary, the local authorities may adopt some drastic measures to ensure that the smuggling activities and the prevalence of vape products are stamped out faster than expected.
Yes, while in the past two or three months when several apprehensions of smugglers and confiscations of the illegal merchandise were made, the increase of this illegal trade is fast ruining the reputation of the city. Imagine Davao being dubbed as the safest destination for visitors and local residents suddenly looked upon as a potential smugglers’ haven!
And is easy access to cigarette products and vape not a threat to the most gullible sector of the city’s population – the youth?
Even the city’s finances could possibly be negatively impacted by the influx of untaxed cigarettes as those who are buying the smuggled products and retailing to distributors and small outlets are not slapped with tax obligations.
Other than that, legitimate cigarette product sales may be adversely affected because they compete with a product that is devoid of taxes paid to the government.
Now is the time for local officials to settle whatever differences they have with the police and work closely with them to address this growing menace to Davao City’s society.
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We remember several months back when First District Councilor Tek Ocampo introduced a resolution inviting officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the City Council session. He wanted the DPWH to explain to the local legislative body why still undamaged concrete roads are overlaid with asphalt. He also wanted the councilors to be enlightened as to why some portions of cemented roads are deliberately destroyed despite their apparent good condition and then repaired.
We, and many other Davao residents, are interested to know the explanation of the DPWH, and what the agency intends to do to lessen the risks brought about by the asphalt overlaying and the sectional destruction of some roads to give way to repair work.
Personally, we had a very bad experience while driving our vehicle along a stretch of the C.P. Garcia Diversion highway from the still-unfinished Ma-a Flyover up to the junction of San Rafael-Ma-a bypass.
During that time, the highway stretch was newly overlaid with asphalt. But the whole of that week the city experienced very hot weather and the asphalt overlay melted. The result? It became corrugated and posed a risk to the motorists taking the route, including this writer.
Our question to the Honorable Tek: Has the DPWH officially submitted a report to the City Council on what it has done with regard to the complained issues?
We are certain that the national government agency concerned knows that the budget for the asphalt overlaying project and the destruction/repair of concrete roads that are still in very good condition could have been used for new projects like farm-to-market roads, foot bridges in highland villages separated by deep ravines, or even deep well pumps in rural areas badly in need of potable water.
But no, the DPWH prefers to fund and implement easy-to-access projects like overlaying asphalt on concreted roads within the perimeters of the city’s business district.
Meanwhile, residents of sitios like Pigalongan in Marilog District have to make a bamboo raft that they pull back and forth to cross the treacherous Davao River using pulleys to load their farm produce to the market as well as their purchased household goods.
Before the era of the single motorbike or “habal-habal” as taxis in the mountain, Sitio Pigalongan is a seven-hour walk from Barangay Salumay at the highway going to Bukidnon.
We wonder if any one city or DPWH official has gone to the area in the course of the planning for the city’s physical development.
But will there be any official of the DPWH of the city willing to go to Pigalongan when it appears that no one has even gone to the Catalunan Grande-Tacunan connector that has remained without the needed approach for the longest time.
Its location is roughly 11 kilometers away from the city’s down offices of the Davao LGU and the DPWH.
