Saturday, November 10, 2007 Editorial: Fallback plan
Councilor Alex Patio of the City of San Fernando has proposed a fallback plan for the capital city now that a pet interchange for the Subic- Clark-Tarlac Expressway in Manuali, Porac has been scrapped.
Patio's plan apparently fears the downside in terms of diminished traffic passing through the city because of new access roads to motorists going to Western Luzon, particularly Subic and the rest of Bataan and Zambales, via the SCTEX.
But as he himself was quoted as saying in this paper yesterday, his fear has little, if any, basis at all. Two of the three interchanges recently approved by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Malacanang this week will benefit the city.
His political boss, City Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez had made earlier statements downplaying the downside Patio probably imagines. As the mayor had said, the access road transfer from the eastern side of the megadike to its western side to serve the Porac interchange will be " a small sacrifice".
Meaning, there's little loss, if any, to the scrapping of the Manuali proposal in favor of the Porac interchange which, nevertheless, will still favor motorists going through the City of San Fernando via the North Luzon Expressway.
Also, no less than the chief of public works in Central Luzon had assured Pampanga leaders that, regardless of the fate of the Manuali proposal, the government would pursue a widening of the Jose Abad Santos Avenue ( Gapan-Olongapo road).
Even then, it would be wise if the city government heeded Patio's call for a contingency plan that would ensure that the city will not be bypassed by traffic once the SCTEX is opened along with the three interchanges to be constructed soon.
Egg probe
The shortage of eggs in Minalin has prompted the town mayor to conduct an investigation into it.
Unless, the eggs are hoarded, or stolen left and right, the reason could be that the law of supply and demand is freely at work, which means that there is a high demand for eggs from Minalin.
If the mayor can repeal the law, as one Filipino senator once suggested seriously, the shortage might stop.
Otherwise, the mayor can simply ask the poultry raisers to produce more., by raising their laying stocks . Begging the chickens to lay more eggs may be creative but not mayor-like, although some politicians are capable of producing eggs without the chickens..
The shortage problem, however, may be too much for eggheads to handle.
