WE CANNOT really understand why the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) overlays asphalt on top of even newly concreted roads. If its engineers insist that asphalt can provide better traction on wheels of vehicles, we still believe that the concrete surface, the finish of which is appropriately designed for vehicles, can very well prevent skidding even when it is wet.
Asphalt overlay, however, gets corrugated when too much heat of the sun slowly melts it. Then the continuous passing of vehicles with different weights makes the asphalt surface even more uneven.
Our personal experience almost led us to an accident somewhere on the stretch of the C.P. Garcia Diversion Highway between Crossing Magtuod-Maa several months back. When we were negotiating a section of the corrugated asphalt overlay, the wheels of our vehicle waggled so intensely that we had a hard time controlling the steering wheel.
Of course, the DPWH people could easily give any driver who will complain of such experience all sorts of reasons backed with engineering theories. But our take on the matter is not so much the possibility of road accidents as consequence. Rather, we feel the waste of government resources for asphalt overlaying on still very durable concrete roads when it could have been utilized for other projects that benefit more people.
Meanwhile, if the Independent Commission for infrastructure (ICI) has some deputized sleuths in Davao City, we encourage the persons concerned to visit a bridge project spanning the creek that separates Barangay Tacunan and Catalunan Grande in the third and first districts of Davao City.
It is one of those projects that has been uncompleted for several years now. What we saw as lacking is the approach to the bridge at the Tacunan end, and the still unconnected approach at the Catalunan Grande side of the bridge to the existing barangay road.
These two discrepancies rendered the bridge useless, and possibly cost several millions for the past five or more years.
If the problem that hinders the completion of the short span is the acquisition of road-right-of-way, then why did the implementing agency start the bridge construction at all?
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Indeed, we agree with the claim of Sen. Panfilo Lacson that the very passionate speech of Presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos calling her brother President, his wife Liza and their children one of whom is Cong. Zandro A. Marcos, drug addicts during the program held by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) massive rally was “unFilipino.”
Yes, Ms. Marcos’ speech was way off the norms of Filipino families having experienced quarrel and disagreements among them,
The norms that have governed the Filipino family is that when they have disagreements among themselves, the usual is that they keep it a closely guarded secret for fear that other people, especially not a member of the disagreeing family, will get wind about the quarrel.
So, as much as possible, they settle the misunderstanding among themselves within the confines of their houses.
As for the woman Senator, she showed in front of the hundreds of thousands of INC members and non-members that she was kind of an “outsider” of the Marcos family.
Adding drama to her impassioned speech Senator Imee called on her brother to just “go home” like the way they left Malacañang during the People’s Power Revolution in 1986, while she still could hold his arms to guide him the way.
But the lady senator did not mince words in claiming her brother the President, wife First Lady Liza, and their three children all drug addicts.
She punctuated her scripted speech by alleging his brother’s wife and son Congressman Sandro even enticed her own children to also take the prohibited drugs.
From where we are perched, we see the lady lawmaker not attempting to patch up a family feud. By making her claim of her brother’s family being drug addicts right in front of a sea of people, she was in fact expanding further the conflict that clearly she has with her brother.
How long will the President hold his horses against his sister? Or will the President just delegate his retribution to the senator to his many loyal supporters?
But for the first time yesterday we read in the social media one major issue that could be heaped on Senator Imee.
“Nagsalita ang mang-aagaw ng asawa ng may asawa,” and “Sinisiraan niya and isang membro sa kanilang pamilya ng dahil lang sa pulitika.”
Maybe the time is not far that it will now be Senator Imee who should be bracing herself for the consequences of her “ unFilipino” and “unfamily” character.
