It's hard to imagine that just over two or three years ago, Christmas celebrations were observed in what may be the "quietest" way possible.
No big events, no crowds at malls, theme parks, and other public places, none of the usual festive spirit that had marked Christmas during the "old normal" -- all due to a global pandemic.
This year, however, things will be much more different.
Buoyed by the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts, public spaces in Laguna province are sure to be flocked with locals and tourists all wanting to recapture the "lost spirit" of Christmas and New Year.
And with it, however, comes the old headaches that had marked pre-pandemic Christmases -- not the least the heavy traffic to malls and other public spaces here in the province.
It's unfortunate that with the so-called "megalopolis" of Metro Manila having extended to nearby provinces comes the perennial problem of urbanization: traffic jams that now plague Lagunenses, especially those living in the so-called "Industrial Belt," every rush hour.
What's more: new malls and public spaces have been built since the last pandemic restrictions were lifted, and in the absence of efficient mass transport, car sales have jumped up in the last few years.
We who live in the highly urbanized western portion of Laguna province have long resigned ourselves to the awful fact that heavy traffic is one of the prices we have to pay for economic development.
But our local government units must now ensure that heavy traffic is mitigated as we all prepare once again for the festive month of December.
After all, it's not just the economic impacts of heavy traffic to consider—after a year of difficult challenges, we cannot afford to let petty nuisances such as traffic jams spoil what should be a celebration of family, friendship, and Thanksgiving.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #OpinYonEditorial