Almost two months after Typhoon Reming disastrously visited our place, things have returned to normal. Or so it seems.

        Nearly all damaged roofs, gutters and fences had been repaired. (Except some dilapidated public school buildings which could remain so for sometime due to “lack of funds” or lopsided priorities?) Toppled power and snapped communication lines had somehow been fixed and the street lighting system restored, at least partially.

        In Villa Sorabella Subdivision, this city, a number of street lamps could be found to be in the state of disrepair. Moreover, its “new” multi-purpose barangay hall, or its vicinity, usually gets flooded and a pre-school class housed therein disrupted during rains, heavy or otherwise. This drainage problem or such other concerns, however “petty”, as the street lamp’s tangled contraptions left dangling from the electric posts could well symbolize the plight of the ordinary taxpayers caught in the web of official apathy or neglect.

        And this despite appeals made to the “proper authorities” who seem to have done nothing but dishing out the usual “not-our-responsibility” excuses or empty promises. And so, some of our streets continue to get flooded or remain in the dark due to either defective drainage system or busted street lamps, not to mention some decrepit political minds.

        Would the powers-that-be help us make our streets (not public coffers) well-drained or well-lighted at least, if not our country getting truly well-governed at last?



MANUEL A. COLLAO
via e-mail