OFF THE BEATEN PATH
In the Philippines, many roads are less traveled because of impassability. During rainy seasons, we find markers not just for distance but also for depth – how many meters deep the roads are submerged. In worse cases, these concrete structures that signify development simply do not exist. This is neither an isolated incident nor a reference to Robert Frost’s poem entitled 'The Road Not Taken'. It is a daily reality for millions with potholes and detours par for the course.
The urgent need to address the transport infrastructure deficit, as highlighted in the previous Philippine Development Plan (PDP 2017-2022), led to a renewed focus on this area in the succeeding PDP 2023-2028. To gain a better sense of the current state of our roads and bridges, it is important to know how these passages are classified. The national government manages national roads, while local governments handle provincial, city, and municipal roads.
In 2014, we changed how we categorize some roads. Some portions of national roads were reclassified as “national tertiary roads,” referring to other existing roads under the Department of Public Works and Highways which perform a local function. This change was necessary because some roads were actually used more by localities. As an indication of the introduced functional reassignment, the route numbering system does not apply to tertiary roads.
Beyond the gratification of a comfortable journey and the surface-level advantages of well-paved roads, ample evidence, both in studies and personal experience, demonstrates the significant contribution of well-developed road networks to a nation's development and economic growth. For better context, it is worth noting that year 2018 marked a turning point for road planning in the Philippines.
Prior to this, national and local governments operated in silos, but a more integrated approach emerged, fostering better collaboration and more effective road projects. Needless to state, these asphalt thoroughfares remain to be the most visible outcomes of our tax contributions, among others.
On the contrary, a balanced view compels us to recognize the reality that some infrastructure projects are treated as “legacy investments.” We cannot close our eyes to a very real problem where services intended to serve the people are used as sources for political capital and publicity mileage during elections. Political patronage and accommodation present actual threats by swaying road investment priorities that benefit only the privileged and the powerful few.
If roads are inherently for public use, then no segment of society should bear the brunt of inadequate planning or corrupted implementation. We have the best of intentions, all reflected in resolutions, be it in policies and guidelines.
A conditional matching grant program for roads is already in place through the Department of Interior and Local Government Konkreto at Ayos na LanSAngan ang Daan tungo sa Pangkalahatang Kaunlaran (DILG KALSADA) Program. Designed to provide funding for road improvements and capacity building of local government units, this measure among others will operate best if coupled by consistent public pressure in terms of exacting accountability. The end should always be that no community is excluded from development.
Speaking of communities, roads are the arteries of a city. When these routes are congested, dangerous, or in poor condition, the impacts, health and economic, on the lives of residents, particularly those in low-income brackets cannot be ignored. How do you assert inclusivity in reimagining post-pandemic societies? Worth sharing are the workable ideas of landscape architect and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren. To the perennial problem of flood control, he advocates for a SpongeBob approach where sustainable drainage systems are built to collect rainwater. His other proposals include designs of an ideal barangay center equipped to provide essential needs during emergencies and the use of billboards as shelters for refugees. Surely, these are products of someone who does not succumb to learned helplessness. Together, we can capitalize on bayanihan and a great deal of common sense.
Do we have a deadline to beat? As always, for problems as complex as road infrastructure, it should always be yesterday or earlier. Land subsidence tells us that our ground, yes our cities and municipalities, are sinking at a continuous rate while sea levels rise. It is inevitable due to multiple causes. In the road infrastructure discourse, the welfare of the people is never an afterthought. Adapt now.
(Atty. Gregorio “Goyo” Larrazabal is a former Comelec commissioner. He is a pioneer of automated elections being a member of the Commission that successfully modernized Philippine elections in 2010. He remains involved in public service as an election lawyer. Email: [email protected])