Saturday, December 08, 2007 Guagua fiesta aggravates traffic condition By Ian Ocampo Flora
GUAGUA -- Commuters and motorists plying the various access routes within this town would have to stretch their patience a little longer as the coming town fiesta has aggravated the traffic situation.
The feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, which is also the official feast day of the town, has somehow contributed to the already dense traffic. Since the town usually celebrates the feast day through weeklong activities usually starting at the onset of the month, the main plaza area is often rendered impassable to traffic.
The traffic management group is advising commuters to take alternate routes like the Jose Abad Santos Avenue (formerly Gapan Olongapo Road) when going to the capital city of San Fernando.
Guagua rests on the crossroads of the southern towns of Sasmuan, Lubao and Macabebe. A bustling commercial center, the town pays host to a throng of business establishments and schools. The Guagua-Bacolor road that serves as access road to the north of the province crisscrosses this town.
"May traffic dito isang linggo bago at dalawang araw pagkatapos ng fiesta," said Danilo Simpao, a 34-year-old jeepney driver who stressed that the celebration provides an uneventful income for most drivers in the area.
Town officials said traffic for Friday and on December 8 would become worse as the town's main festivities and events kick in. People of this town celebrate the occasion through bazaars and night markets. The Immaculate Conception Church provides the focal point for the religious who pay yearly homage to the virgin mother, whose celebration marks the official beginning of the Christmas season. Catholics mark December 8 as the time when Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear Christ in her womb.
Catholic schools in the country usually observe the celebration by declaring the day an official holiday. This year the event falls on a Saturday. Officials are advising people who will observe the occasion to be mindful of the traffic and petty thieves that might take advantage of the celebration.
