LAST week the city Sanggunian of Naga refused to renew the agreement made between the City of Naga and the Municipality of Camaligan that would allow the tricycles and jeepneys plying the Naga-Camaligan route to enter the more congested part of Abella Street. The route for these vehicles was instead diverted to Felix Plazo Street which, in effect, only transferred the congestion to the junction of Abella and Felix Streets.

        At first glance, the issue was a mere resolution of a perennial traffic problem. But further consideration tells us that there is more to it than meets the eye.

        Such a resolution has not been confined to vehicles from Camaligan. For some time now jeepneys from Canaman, Magarao, and Calabanga have been under such similarly regulated route.

        By a quirk of colonial fate, through the encomienda and reconcentration system, Naga has been instituted as a growing center of religion, commerce, education, trade and investment. The traffic in its streets is here to stay and to double if not to triple in the years to come.

        Regulation of traffic and accessibility to the services that cityhood offers for the exclusive comfort and ease of people in Naga certainly sends the impression that the good life that city living offers is the only thing to be desired, virtually looking down at lifestyles in adjoining municipalities as futile attempts of “trying hard, second-rate copycats”.

        This frame of mind among Naga government executives has in turn brought about a culture of disinterest, a daing pakilabot attitude, a haughty stance that keeps adjoining municipalities toeing the line of Naga City. After all what is Naga City in power for as a highly developed independent city with its own charter?

        In poetic language, Naga City is fast becoming an island and not part of the main.

        An island, Naga has turned into when as soon as an educational institution bared its plans to build a hospital along the Almeda Highway, a city official announced that residents of Naga could enjoy discounts when availing of the services of the hospital, virtually declaring that people outside Naga would have to pay higher hospital rates.

        An island, Naga has become when adjoining municipalities cut off their membership with the Metro Naga Development Council -- on their class complaint against Naga that they were being used to prop up investments in the city. Yet when it comes to the availability of services, such as the use of the sanitary landfill or of heavy equipment, Naga always gets the lion’s share, if not the whole share.

        An island, Naga would turn into should it multiply ordinances that would set up boundaries and limitation of movements of people from neighboring municipalities. Woe the day when people from Camaligan or Canaman would have to present a passport or visa in entering Naga City.

        Development, employment and investment which Naga claims to be heir to cannot be isolated and regulated to suit the city’s own ends and interest. The good of the many has to be considered --- be they of Naga or of neighboring municipalities.

        The dream of Naga to become a congressional district will not come to pass if the city does not extend its boundaries to include adjoining municipalities such as Pili or Milaor.

        The claim of Naga that it has become a tourist destination will be empty if it dissociates itself from Pili, the seat of the world class sport -- the Wakeboard. In truth, tourists flock to Naga not because of its hotels or restaurants -- facilities for entertainment and night life in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro or even Manila are far, far better -- but for a taste of the wakeboard sport.

        The desire of Naga to go beyond its boundaries -- to reach out for good measure beyond what it has -- sometimes gives itself away, such as when it calls Pili Airport as Naga Airport.

        Truly, it will take much humility for Naga to accept that its concerns cannot end where the boundaries of adjoining municipalities begin.