Happy Birthday, Donna
On September 20th, Friday, is the birthday of the late Donna Villa, wife of movie director, Carlo J. Caparas.
Together with her husband Carlo, their son CJ and daughter Peach; and their respective families and friends, are one in remembering Donna, nee Marian Nixon Patalinghug from the Province of Cebu who passed away on January 17, 2017.
Film Director Carlo and his children and grandchildren spend most of the time now in Cebu to be near Donna whose tomb they all visit very often.
Let us please gather together in spirit in remembering Donna on her birthday in heaven on Friday, September 20.
She was a very kind person with a big heart together with husband, Carlo, in helping the poor, the needy and the less fortunate. They are all praying for Donna together with all of us who knew her well. Let us promise never to forget her.
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The emergency powers now being debated on regarding the severe traffic situation in Metro Manila as to whether or not to grant emergency powers to the President must be resolved immediately. Even if only for the safe and fast passage of ambulances transporting seriously ill patient/s to the hospitals to save the lives of the patient inside the ambulance must be taken seriously, very seriously. But how can an ambulance traverse a clogged road? Even if some cars/buses wish to give way, how can they? Traffic on a stand-still is impossible to penetrate. It’s just impossible. No space for a good samaritan driver to squeeze neither to his left lane, nor right lane.
That’s the problem for not planning satellite cities outside Metropolitan Manila. Why do they have to squeeze highrise buildings even in residential areas within the city just because they are in power?
What is happening around our area here in the residential areas behind Morato Avenue will eventually create the worst traffic situation never before experienced in our area since its foundation day in 1939. There is absolutely no urban planning. It’s all based on who sits in power neglecting totally what would be peaceful, good, sound and healthy for the respective residential communities now being invaded by big business and their tall misfit structures on narrow roads.
Not even in the name of progress should this be allowed. “Progress” is not rammed on an already congested area. As a matter of fact, that is chaotic once that so-called “progress” is forced in an already over-populated areas. The ideal is to spread out that so-called “progress” to other areas to disperse the concentration on an already over-populated metropolis. That in reality is the true cause of our heavy traffic in Metro Manila. The idea is for development they call “progress” to spread outward, not inward of an already over-populated and congested city such as Metro Manila. Development as they go outward eases Metro Manila’s over population and immense commuters.
It is a very drastic and sad situation never seen before, the most notable of which is the lack of public parking areas in our neighborhood. That should be the first concern even before the structures of highrise buildings are even considered. Our quiet residential neighborhood here in Quezon City are being pushed out to be another commercial-type city, but the city’s infrastructures are not prepared for it. For example, the Scout roads are narrow suited only for residential, as conceived in 1939. How can this city government force in and allow highrise buildings on areas developed for “low rise” such as residential houses and two to three storey structures, at most, in residential areas?
Tomas Morato Avenue is only a two-way lane with also narrow side-streets. The owners of the two highrise buildings (one 21 storey condo hotel and across it, a 22 storey building) will exacerbate the traffic along Tomas Morato Avenue. Architect Juan Arellano patterned Quezon City after Washington D.C. with circles on important intersections to keep the traffic flowing. Most of them have been removed that’s why traffic easily clogs up.
I can only identify two or three left: The Welcome Rotonda, the Boy Scout/Morato Circle along Timog/Morato. I was told there is one along Roces Avenue leading to Quezon Blvd. But the biggest is the Quezon City Circle across the City Hall.
The idea is good. It works so well in Washington D.C. where the traffic flows even without the intervention of traffic lights. I recall that the city of Taipei, Madrid, Paris and other capital cities in the world have used this road design in some areas of their city.
I’d like to quote the “Final Word Tonight” on ABS-CBN Ch. 27 about what the late General and President of the United States of America Dwight Eisenhower said: “A PEOPLE THAT VALUES ITS PRIVILEGES ABOVE ITS PRINCIPLES SOON LOSES BOTH.”
It’s something for all of us to ponder about!
For comments and suggestions email at mlmorato@yahoo.com
