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DID you
read our previous column about the “Death Highway” which
is Commonwealth Avenue?
Last
week we attended a Bible study in Ortigas, Pasig City,
where the congregation gave a eulogy for the victims of
a tragic accident that happened on the intersection of
Tandang Sora Street and Commonwealth Avenue, where the
car of Rev. Kevin Mark Bisquera Alamag and his wife
Belle was hit by a speeding Nova Bus at about 7 in the
morning of February 14.
The
couple left behind their two kids—10-year-old Maria
Isabella and eight-year-old Jose Carlos. Their relatives
are now crying for justice, since the case appears to be
rotting in the police blotter.
“It
seems the police are reportedly not lifting any finger
to solve the case,” said my wife, who gathered as much
from the bereaved. What are the authorities doing about
this?
Reverend
Kevin and Belle are just two of the countless victims
whose lives were snuffed out by “road maniacs,” many of
whom are drivers of buses plying “Death Highway.”
The
culprits must be sent to jail and made to pay for what
they have done. Those who kill or maim poor motorists on
the road seem to be more courageous in “going for more
blood” because they remain free and untouched.
****
HOW many
times have you driven on streets in Metro Manila that
are riddled by potholes and unfinished diggings?
The
problem stems from the apathy of not only the city or
municipal governments but also from those who should be
keeping streets clean and pothole-free—the barangay
officials.
I can
count on my fingers those barangays that really care
about their roads and streets. The rest take those
potholes and unfinished diggings for granted. If there
are no concerned people willing to fix them, they become
big craters later on.
The
authorities should order the barangay people to not only
clean their surroundings but also to patch up those
potholes and unfinished diggings as soon as they crop
up.
****
ARTPETRON, the annual nationwide art contest which aims
to promote Philippine art, culture, tradition and values
to the Filipino youth, is once again accepting
applications to the Eighth National Student Art
Competition entitled “Alay sa Pistang Pilipino.”
This
year’s theme, focusing on Philippine festivals and
celebrations, pays tribute to festivals that are at
least 10 years old. Some notable examples of Philippine
festivals include the Ati-Atihan (Kalibo), Sinulog (Cebu),
Dinagyang (Iloilo), MassKara (Bacolod), Kadayawan (Davao),
Panagbenga (Baguio), Binatbatan (Vigan), Pahiyas (Lucban/Sariaya),
Pista’y Dayat (Pangasinan), Subli (Bauan), Lantern
Parade (UP Diliman), San Juan (nationwide), All Saints’
Day (nationwide).
The
painting and photography competition is open to all 15-
to 28-year-old students enrolled in a regular university
or college course or in a museum-based tutorial art
class. Entries may be in the form of oil and watercolor
artworks or colored photos. Six grand-prize winners
(three from each painting category) will receive P50,000
and an ArtPetron trophy made by National Artist Napoleon
Abueva, chairman of the ArtPetron board of judges. Six
runners-up (three from each painting category) will
receive P20,000 and an ArtPetron trophy. In the
photography category, six grand-prize winners will be
awarded P30,000 and an ArtPetron trophy, while six
runners-up will receive P15,000 and an ArtPetron trophy.
Application forms are available at the President’s or
Fine Arts Dean’s office in all schools and universities,
as well as from participating Petron service stations
and bulk plants nationwide. A downloadable application
form is also available from the web site
www.artpetron.com, or from the ArtPetron Secretariat
office (Studio 5 Designs, 895-2971). Deadline for
submission of entries is on July 21 at the Petron bulk
plants nationwide or at the ArtPetron Secretariat.
****
ALWAYS
have somebody look after the car you bring to the
mechanic whether the latter is a trusted one or not.
When a
problem with my vehicle arises, I bring it alternately
to three shops that I know, all of which have good
owners and mechanics. After consultations, they give me
a list of things that should be done, what parts need to
be bought and the time it will take to finish the job.
By the
time I come back, the vehicle is always ready to be
driven home. But there were times when the vehicle would
act up on the way home.
I can
hardly forget one day when I smelled something burning
from behind me. When I looked back, the rug immediately
above the battery case had caught fire when both the
positive and negative terminals of the battery rubbed on
metal and short-circuited. The mechanic failed to
replace the rubber insulator. Luckily, I extinguished
the fire before it got bigger.
You
should watch while your vehicle is being fixed if you
don’t have a driver to do it for you. Since you know
your vehicle inside and out, there are things that you
can tell the mechanic as he is fixing, such as the way
things are laid out, as well as how you want the job
done.
You can
also ask him how to fix or repair the problem in case
you encounter the same thing on the road again—something
that could prove important one day. |
