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HONK IF I MUST

H.A.M. Saparillo 

The recent "takeover" of Cebu's main thoroughfares by a national cycling event enraged thousands of inconvenienced motorists, commuters and pedestrians alike. While the uproar against the irritation caused by the cycling tour runs fresh in our nerves, we might as well look at other blatant violations of the use of our roads that we observe everyday.

Streets, roads and highways in the city are supposed to be the domain of motor vehicles. The territorial right of motorized vehicles over the street is so explicit that animal-drawn carts such as calesas or human-powered carriers such as trisikads are restricted to minor roadways.

Pedestrians are allowed to cross the street at designated spots such as street corners or pedestrian lanes. While this is a discriminatory rule, it aims to protect pedestrians from accidents and motorists from committing them. There are local ordinances on jaywalking to ensure that the rule is enforced.

Yet, at the price of risking our lives or losing our limbs, we stubbornly violate these laws. So fearless are we in misusing the street that we legalize our acts by getting special permits from local governments to use the road other than what it was built for.

Here are common ways by which we misuse our thoroughfares:

Miting de Abanse. As elections approach, politicians have intensified their campaigns by being more visible to the grassroots. They organize miting de abanses in heavily populated areas of the city, utilizing any available space to hold their rallies. Unfortunately, there are instances when the only big available space left is the road. And that is where they hold their rallies, setting up stages on the sidewalks and accomodating their audiences on the streets.

In connivance with barangay leaders, they close the street from vehicular traffic. Tanods put up signs and shoo motorists away. Want to see it for yourself? Drive around the city's secondary streets tonight and you'll know what I mean.

Basketball Court. Converting a street into a sports arena is a common practice from the smallest barangay fiestas to the Sinulog itself. Organizers set up mobile basketball goals weighed down by heavy rocks at its base while the sidelines are marked by kalburo. The newer the asphalt coat is on the road, the better. Next time, they should acknowledge the MCDP for providing their venue. They hold these tournaments professionally, complete with referees and timers.

Believe me, organizers of these tournaments apply for permits with the authorities and are given them. As usual, the motorists have no choice but to offer their inconvenience as a sacrifice to the patron saint.

Diskoral. The outdoor disco or baylehan is the common man's alternative to the expensive discotheques or ballroom dancing halls. Usually, these are situated in community plazas, basketball courts or any available open space. But for lack of space, some are done on the street itself.

Oftentimes, unwary motorists drive into a street only to see it cordoned by a fence of coconut palm leaves and and guarded by tipsy tanods bobbing up and down to the beat. When the hapless drivers detour, they are half-blinded and their hearts are palpitating, a result of their short exposure to the strobe lights and the mega-decibel thumping of the sound system.

Parking Lot. We have heard a lot of complaints about businesses parking their container vans and other merchandize on the streets. Their owners being astute businessmen, they are probably saving on warehousing costs. However, this is at the expense of those who pay taxes for the proper use of the road.

During the boom of the rattan business, container vans were parked on streets for days near areas where the furnitures were being subcontracted. We have also seen repair and service shops extending their place of business through the sidewalk and into the street. We really have tendencies of putting up inch-thick faces just to squeeze out that extra buck.

Home. In the heavily populated parts of the city, illegally constructed dwellings have taken every available space including the street. We're referring to structures built by squatters, affluent or not. Many edifices are encroaching the street itself so that when a road widening program is implemented, many homes are left only with their kitchens as their living rooms which were built over government property were gobbled by bulldozers.

There had been vehicular accidents wherein people sleeping in their illegally built abodes so close to the road were hit by a wayward truck or jeep. More often than not, the results were fatal.

Playground. When driving through Cebu's famous lane and a half streets, proceed with extreme caution. A bare-buttocked toddler may just dart across the street and in a second, you'll be eternally sorry you ever passed by the place. We cannot blame the children for using the street as their playground as there is no space left in their shanties for them to move around.

But at times, the street is also used by adults to while away their time, setting up tables and stools on the road, drinking gin with their shirts raised to their chests. Nearby, a barbecue vendor would be sending smoke signals to her prospective customers. Take good care not to blow your exhaust on them or you'll need a new paint job.

Market. The resilience of sidewalk vendors and the greed of shopowners are pushing pedestrians out of the sidewalks, where they should be, and into the street. Take a look at our legendary Colon street where hawkers, beggars, pickpockets and con men (mangingilad) have taken over the sidewalk, street corners and even center islands. Pedestrians have nowhere else to go but to the street itself where they run the risk of being run over by a wayward jeepney or be intimately touched by an overly affectionate conductor.

Observe Carbon market where motor vehicles have almost lost the right to exist and layers of vendors sell their wares squat on the road. Once in a while when authorities remember to apply the laws, the road widens again. But vendors have to earn their keep, and for humanitarian reasons, the road is choked once more.

All these are happening not only with the knowledge but also with the express consent of local officials. Pedestrians are denied the use of the sidewalk because of the non-enforcement of existing laws against illegal vending and mendicancy. Big businessmen are getting away with parking their vans on the street because they are golfing buddies with the authorities.

The streets are being used as playgrounds because anti-squatting laws have been enforced with restraint. Diskorals and basketball tournaments are held on the streets because they are part and parcel of the barangays' socio-cultural programs. And politicians can take over streets for their miting de abanses because what are they in power for?

Maybe the MCDP can also go into the construction of more community plazas where the children can play, the youth can dance, barangay athletes can compete and politicians can talk themselves hoarse? That will certainly free the streets for the exclusive use of its intended users, the motoring public.