How wrong we were. Yesterday this column again did not appear in this space. We were hit with another whammy – an hour or more power outage that included our residence last Tuesday morning. We were already in front of our computer table figuring it out how to start our column with so many issues coming our way that morning. Just as we were about to punch the computer keys to start our work the power went off.
We waited and waited but 30 minutes had gone and there was no sign the power was about to be restored. So we decided to do other things including going to Calinan to purchase certain items needed for the house in the afternoon. Thus, we missed writing our column and sending this to the editorial office for consideration in yesterday’s issue.
And we love to talk of reliable power distribution service as Davao’s pitch to invite more investors. What more if…
**************************
For some time we have not been able to go to Calinan using the Talandang via Biao Joaquin route. The last time we did the company undertaking the pipe-laying for the bulk water delivery project to the Davao City Water District (DCWD) reservoirs the workers were busy digging the other half of the 2-lane barangay road. The excavation is of course deep considering that the pipes laid have a 60-inch diameter. We have no problem with the excavation since the debris were well-piled on strategic location of the route far from impeding vehicles passing by. But since the entire half of the 2-lane road cannot anymore be used by passing vehicles, all incoming and outgoing transportation units have to use the remaining half which was free of excavation activities.
The result is of course the fast deterioration of the surface of the undug half of the road despite its having been concreted. Today the surface is like a “sungkaan,” a native game where small stones are place inside holes specifically created for the purpose. Similarly, the Talandang-Calinan road is even more like the surface of the noon as pictured to us by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – full of craters and with surface as rugged as anyone could imagine!
We are certain that the agreement between the government and the company undertaking the pipe-laying is that the re-concreting of the destroyed lane will be at the expense of the contractor. That is the normal process of course. What about the restoration or rehabilitation of the other lane which is equally destroyed by the volume and classes of vehicles using the same, will it be the responsibility of government?
May be at this stage of the pipe-laying it is imperative that the concerned entities shall look into the provisions in the agreement and find out whose responsibility is it to restore the damaged other half of the road. After all it is better that the issue be resolved before entering into some kind of a “blame game.”
**********************
How far do you dear readers think the proposed bill of Congressman Polong Duterte seeking to regulate the age of people to be authorized to drink alcoholic beverages can go? We are asking this question in the light of the ability of the Filipino drinkers to find ways to skirt the law if only to satisfy their cravings for the alcoholic drink.
The Davao City’s first district congressman wants Filipinos – male or female – to start drinking only when they reach the age of 21 or over. By all means and purposes the bill is very laudable. Perhaps the lawmaker from Davao City will have his strongest allies and backers of the bill from the parents or mostly the mothers in the house. However, in order for the bill to fully become a law it has to pass several difficult hurdles. The proposal has to undergo at least three readings in the Lower House and once approved at that levels of deliberations it has to have a corresponding similar bill in the Senate which will also have to be deliberated upon for three times. When there is already a corresponding Senate version a bicameral body will have to be convened and harmonize the two versions before the same is enacted into a law for the President to sign.
There is no doubt that a good number of people and sectors in society will feel the law deprives certain rights of individuals and we are certain many will be more than willing to take the cudgels to lead opposition efforts to derail its approval.
Will Congressman Polong be perseverant enough in waiting and undergoing such rigorous process until he gets his proposed legislation done? We are hoping for the best.
