Marcos’ formula for ‘bukol’ adopted?

THIS REFERS to yet another news report about an infrastructure and transportation project. (“Makati Monorail project may be done through PPP program,” Inquirer, 5/18/11)

The article reminded me of the practice, in the mid-’70s, of feeding the media with a flood of information about grandiose plans and achievements, to cloak the inadequacy and inutility of the martial law regime and instill a false sense of progress and prosperity in the public mind.

This time, the people are waiting for real results. We haven’t had any update on the Metro Line 7 that is supposed to pass Commonwealth Avenue, and now we have this report about the monorail (from the PR groups, I suppose) when nothing has yet been started. The Metro Line 7 has become more urgent because of the attention that the so-called “killer highway” has been getting very recently. The widening of the road and too many structures (e.g., U-turn slots) that constrict the highway have not improved anything at all. And there’s always that practice, on the part of roadside residents, of immediately occupying a new expansion lane as their “parking lot.” Nothing in the ongoing construction frenzy along Commonwealth Avenue shows some provisions for a future light rail structure. Which means that when Metro Line 7 finally pushes through, there will be a lot of “de-construction” before anything else gets started.

The lack of planning and safety enforcement leaves much to be desired. It seems that some people get a lot more “commission” or “bukol” whenever projects are undertaken, and then destroyed to pave the way for new ones (total: three “bukols”). What an evil cycle!

—ALEX MAALIW,

amaaliw@gmail.com