Tunnels are better than flyovers

Happy Easter to all as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that Catholic churches have prepared great presentations and ceremonies to commemorate this. It is hoped that we  did our part in making Christ’s resurrection relevant to our lives especially our family. This event reminds us of the suffering  Christ accepted in order to save us all from our sins even as we continued to betray his unconditional love for  us.

Many of us  think of  Holy Week as a vacation and fun rather than a period for prayer, meditation and reflection. I spent the break  with prayers and doing the Stations of the Cross to remind me of Christ’s suffering. I also decided to abstain from doing things I enjoy on  ordinary days like watching TV and surfing the Internet especially Facebook.

I hope many found time to be with Christ  even for a while with prayers and a little sacrifice, which is nothing compared to his crucifixion.

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I’m  happy that Congressman Tommy Osmeña  announced the approval of two  proposed tunnels to be built  in Cebu City to ease  traffic and travel time between Cebu and Talisay City. He said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) submitted the tunnel proposals to the Regional Development Council (RDC) for approval.

It’s not clear if the Cebu city government’s approval is also required for its implementation but I think the underpass is a better proposal than adding flyovers for aesthetic and infrastrucutre reasons. This may cause some inconvenience to the public which is expected for any new road project but the  inconvenience would be less than than of a flyover.

I hope  the city government looks positively at the proposed tunnels and that DPWH will consult  stakeholders about  any construction.

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I recently drove  through the  flyover in Maguikay, Mandaue City and noticed the  dire road condition of this national  project.  It led me to wonder if the local or national government thought of fixing it.

If you think I’m exaggerating,  let me invite you to pass the flyover and see for yourself. I don’t know if Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes has called the attention of the DPWH about repair work to be done although I’d like to congratulate Mayor Cortes for the asphalt jobs in the city. In Cebu City, Mayor Rama is also  having some roads asphalted to cover potholes.

I’ve complained about the bad road conditions in the North Reclamation Area especially  in front of the new White Gold House. I was  told that  the road is ready for cementing. As a matter of fact, the other half of the road has already been concreted. Mayor Rama’s administration is implementing infrastructure  projects especially since he’s  in the middle of his first term.

By the middle of this year, everyone  will be busy for the 2013 election. I’ve always believed that the best campaign strategy is nothing less than good performance.

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