Ben Contreras They call it ‘modern city’
They call it ‘modern city’
Tuesday, 22 March 2011 00:00
ONE thing I like about the contractor who's building the Ayala mall along Recto Avenue corner Corrales Avenue is their sense of responsibility to keep the surrounding free from filling materials delivered by trucks to the site.
You see workers do the cleaning everyday, seeing to it that the main artery of the city is not dusty or muddy, a situation that can be irritating to the people passing the area.
This is lacking in the city government. We have a few areas paved but after the completion, waste materials are left uncollected and grass grows on them. Some are carried down the drainage system during rain and block the flow of water. Thus, flooding becomes a common sight in many parts in the city.
JR Borja Extension has become a haven for eateries. Constructions are ongoing for new ones and the already un-maintained isLand has become dirtier due to the hauling of soil.
What used to be a pleasant and quiet place to go with the family to enjoy native meals has become quite environmentally unfriendly! The place has become dirty and parking space scarce for a burgeoning clientele.
Our city officials have a lot to learn from the Ayalas. Simply said, it's what we call "attitude."
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A councilor and a big businessman have been a source of unsavory story about the lord's health.
Knowing the lord who loves to make stories out of nothing just to be in the limelight, I don't want to speculate on that. I am not biting the bait.
But there would always be what we call a "day of reckoning" and karma would be a great determinant of the outcome.
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Going back to attitude, our motorists have acquired a new attitude called "Sunday Madness."
They think just because it's Sunday, a day of rest, our laws also rest. You see them violate "one way" ruless, drive through "red light" wantonly, stop or pick up passengers in the middle of the road or in corners as if they own the streets.
Intersections on Sundays often look uninhabited. Drivers get itchy and can't wait so that even when the light is still red, they drive through.
Last Sunday, I saw all these and could only shrug my shoulders in disgust. It reminded me of our traffic clinic when we had a hard time teaching people to do the right thing about road courtesy and discipline. Sigh.
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The new rotunda is such a beautiful place. I don't mind if they turn it into another Night Café as long as those makeshifts are removed on week days. They destroy the image of a beautiful place.
Why is it being tolerated? Don't be surprised! Look around the city. Private places are being turned into little bazaars. To hell with building codes! They're like traffic codes ignored to favor a few but to the detriment of the many.
Ah, the JR Borja Extension... it's going to become another eyesore in the future. Sidewalks will become places for homes and business establishments for another group of voters for the lord.
This is what the lord and his minions call "a modern city."
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