Come to think of it, this may be the first time in recent history that Laguna province has been “isolated” on both sides due to floods.
Barely a week after floods caused traffic to crawl to an almost-standstill along the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) near the Susana Heights Exit (an important gateway for motorists traveling to Laguna province), typhoon “Enteng” caused widespread flooding along the Manila East Road in the province’s eastern part.
Incidentally, both roads have been subjected to road-widening operations, causing motorists to speculate whether these road-widening operations may have something to do with the heavy flooding.
Whether this is the case or not, it’s disappointing – but hardly surprising – that government agencies in charge of keeping our roads passable to motorists have once again failed in this simplest of tasks.
We’re talking here about the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), an agency that, for all its glowing statistics and reports about the progress of road construction here in Laguna province and elsewhere, has failed to ensure that these roads will be maintained at optimum levels to keep them passable.
This failure is even more evident during the rainy season, where roads that should have led motorists and evacuees to safety became catch basins for flood, endangering the safety of the very people who depend on them.
Oh, sure, we will be hearing the same old excuses such as “Well, it’s the effects of climate change,” “Storms are getting stronger and more damaging,” and so forth.
So, here’s a question to DPWH officials: what in the world are we going to do to ensure that our roads become instruments of progress, not of torture?
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonEditorial #DPWH #SLEX