IT LOOKS like Bacolor Mayor Jose Maria "Jomar" Hizon is into business and it's not about selling tocino or longganisa as his family is an institution in the meat products trade.
Since he assumed office as the local chief executive of this historic town, which was once the seat of the country, he has initiated various development projects and other public services aptly intended for his constituency.
One of the priorities he has set for his stint as the head of his town is on peace and order.
Just recently, he ordered the construction of a police outpost along the megadike. While the long stretch of this monstrous lahar protection is now far from its real purpose, it serves as an alternate route for motorists.
Aside from its beneficial purpose, it serves as a dumping ground too for victims of summary execution known locally as salvage. There are likewise hijacking incidents, the perpetrators using as advantage the fact that the highway is unlighted and elevated, far from civilization down on its ground level.
A construction of a police outpost on its approach is a welcome development for the converted highway. Police visibility has been proven time and again a deterrent against crime and would-be criminals. Those who are planning to commit an infraction of the law would think twice and for the brave and daring, they would have to consider the existence of police personnel in the area.
Another important task that the police personnel would be doing, if I may suggest, is the conduct of routine mobile patrol on the stretch of the dike, on the jurisdiction of Bacolor. Other local government units like the municipality of Porac, Minalin, Guagua and the City of San Fernando should likewise put up their own police outposts and mobile patrols.
Lighting the stretch would perhaps be realized later on. Lighting would not only beautify the area but it would be also a safeguard against criminal elements. It would be a great landmark for Pampanga if we would see the whole stretch of it lighted like fireflies in the vastness of a black backdrop.
I enjoy traveling on the road atop the megadike particularly the Bacolor to Porac portion. When passing, I open my car's window and feel the breeze that spells freshness. There is no traffic jam and the asphalted road provides convenience. Alternative roads should be studied and constructed since the volume of vehicles on the road is increasing, relatively, the number of roads should likewise be increased.
Still on Mayor Jomar, he has proven himself a worthy leader this early. He is doing well with his public service job and is coping up in providing for the total rehabilitation of his town. Some informal settlers on the megadike are lucky for the relocation activity of Mayor Jomar. He offered his personal land as the temporary relocation site for his cabalens who dwell near the dike.
A Provincial Quarry Outpost was burned down at Barangay Dolores last week. The usual outposts used by quarrymen are the small huts made of bamboo and nipa. Maybe some disgruntled KSP folks put aflame the outpost to seek attention. Again, if there is police visibility on an area, petty things will be avoided such as this senseless burning of a quarry outpost.
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A number of Sun.Star Pampanga readers have requested me to get the attention of the City Administration of San Fernando on the road hazards of the on-going Jose Abad Santos Avenue greening and beautification project from the Dolores Junction up to Paskuan Village area. The concrete barriers were replaced with the construction of an island in the middle of the multi-lane highway.
According to them, they do not oppose to the said project per se, but the way the contractor is undertaking it. There seems to be the lack of reflectorized signages and road warnings for road users. Construction materials piled up on the side of the island including concrete pipes which are almost invisible on a rainy night. The concrete reinforcing the island should have been immediately or temporarily painted with black and yellow while it is still undergoing construction. The color of raw concrete is blackish gray and is almost invisible too during the night.
The safety of motorists should also be considered aside from the beauty of the main road acting as one of the show windows of the city.
Another request from the readers is the posting of a police officer near the SM rotunda. That portion of the road leading to the NLEX exit is so narrow and yet, public utility vehicles seemed to be careless as they pick, drop and wait for passengers at the road bottleneck. Traffic enforcers seemed to be blind to these jeepneys that block other motorists from passing the slightly curved busy road portion.
Traffic jams are not always signs of progress. They are detrimental to the economy considering the time and gasoline wasted for travelers.