LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

20-yr stench and traffic on Baguio ’s charter day
MARCH L. FIANZA

BAGUIO CITY -- More than 20 years ago, numerous complaints against the Irisan garbage dumpsite were made known by village residents along Asin Road. At one time, the officialdom of Tuba threatened to file charges against the city if its reeking garbage that flowed down to the water sources of the Asin villages is not contained.

Very temporary solutions were implemented by the city to appease a considerate neighboring community. However, both knew that the stop-gap measures were not lasting solutions to the city’s garbage problem. Tons of garbage increased by the year and the city knew that soon the dumpsite had to transfer somewhere as the present space was not getting larger.

The garbage problem is not a concern for the present administration alone. No matter who were then mayors and officials in the past, the city’s waste disposal problem started during their tenure. All the concerned and “unconcerned” officialdom (or is the word ‘trapo’ more appropriate?) knew that the garbage problem was something that needed immediate solution. Even while the city’s officialdom is scheduled to visit Vallejo , California and Chicago, and given that the city has money to pay trash haulers, or that it has money to purchase the required land area for its waste disposal, the ultimatum requirement lies in the acceptance of the stinking project by the host community.

The city knew that this was a forthcoming problem so that someone thought of the idea of pulling into the mire the neighboring LGUs. The suggestion of a “Metro Baguio” Manila-style cropped up. But this was not received by the LGUs warmly as it had the undertones of the impending presence of an ‘imperial’ central district that would make them second class citizens in a new geo-political set-up.

If one looked at Metro Manila today, it has the MMDA with a “kunwari” chairman, but who actually is “governor” of all the congressional districts. I know that the Ibaloi would not want to be subjected to another layer of bureaucracy, such as having a Metro Baguio Development Authority chair or “governor” who would be lord over all things, a person’s waste included.

Later, a more flexible and more acceptable version called BLIST (Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba) was coined. Its first projects were the construction of diversion roads to link Baguio and its neighboring Benguet towns. Waste disposal issues were also discussed.

With the concept still in the works, now is the time for the towns in Benguet within the BLIST area to assert whatever solution they can share for the traffic and garbage problems of Baguio. This is so because traffic and garbage will always spill all over the BLIST area as these can not be contained forever in the city.
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Last week a heavy ten-wheeler truck lost its brakes, rammed an FX taxi that was parked on the side and slammed the post of the flyover at the Bokawkan-Magsaysay crossing. The drivers and passengers of both the taxi and the truck suffered injuries. Luckily, no bystander in the busy intersection was hurt.

Earlier this year, a heavy truck lost its brakes and rammed the right shoulder of the road to avoid hitting several vehicles that were waiting to turn left towards Guisad road. A month later another ten wheeler truck slammed on the flyover post in front of the Agrix building at Bokawkan.

Three years ago, a truck owned by a hardware store lost its brakes and went out of control. It ran over three children who were off to school that fateful morning. The schoolchildren were killed on the spot. The owner of the truck washed his hands of any responsibility. Adding insult to injury, the hardware company now encroaches on Bokawkan by deliberately using the road for its own loading and unloading zone without restraint. That causes traffic jams all throughout Bokawkan, Magsaysay down to Trinidad road, Trancoville up to Rimando and Bonifacio streets.

By the way, I wonder who or why the city, the DPWH and the police allow that. Definitely, there is another story behind the “whos and whys.” Quoting a police friend of mine who once headed the traffic division, but was reassigned to another outfit for unknown reasons, he said, “business-minded persons have turned the traffic problem in the city and Trinidad into an economic enterprise.”

The BLIST area has at least four diversion roads. From Marcos highway, truckers and businessmen traveling in heavy vehicles can reach La Trinidad and Halsema highway passing through Asin, Irisan, enter Lamtang and exit at the Long-long Puguis road.

A truck from Kennon who wishes to reach La Trinidad may follow the same route but will have to cross Bakakeng or Balakbak from Camp 7 to reach Marcos highway. Another possible route is to turn right from Kennon through Military Cut-Off, South Drive , Ambuclao road then take Lamut road at Barangay Ambiong and exit at Tawang road after Camp Dangwa . It is time heavy trucks, loaded or not, are prohibited from traversing the Bokawkan stretch through the issuance of lawful orders. At the same time, the law would now recognize the importance of the circumferential roads that were built to bypass the main thoroughfares of Baguio and La Trinidad.

One reason for the law is to see to it that the main thoroughfares of Baguio and La Trinidad are spared from heavy traffic by using the existing diversion roads. Of course, the circumferential roads are not for the exclusive use of heavy truckers only. Smaller vehicles and PUVs are most welcome to use them as this would definitely make traffic in the city thinner.

Baguio must accept that even with her big money, neighboring towns inside the BLIST are on equal footing with her, given that they have control over the spaces being eyed by the city, aside from the fact that the diversion roads are in these areas. Aside from environment compliance, the solution to Baguio ’s traffic and waste disposal problem lies on the acceptability of proposals by the host towns.

For the benefit of all, Baguio and the towns composing the BLIST must come up with a solution to the traffic and garbage problem for all – hitting two birds with one stone, that is. Unfortunately, the unresolved traffic and the stench will be with us come Baguio charter day on September 1st. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com