• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The car-free Sundays program of the Bacolod City government will continue until next month, also from corner Cottage Road to Ramos, BS Aquino Drive, in Lacson Street, from 5-8 in the morning.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod favorably acted on the July 3 request of Mayor Alfredo Benitez on the temporary road closure of this 1.2-kilometer stretch of Lacson Street every Sunday of the months of July and August this year.
In Executive Order No. 038, series of 2024, dated July 1, Benitez extended the car-free Sundays program that started June 9, following positive feedback from various sectors of society.
The mayor also took note of a pending car-free Sundays proposed ordinance already approved by the SP on first reading last month, “recognizing the health benefits it promotes to the residents of Bacolod.”
“The car-free Sundays program in Bacolod aims to promote sustainable transportation, enhance public health, and foster community engagement,” the EO said, adding that there is need to promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
Benitez, in his State of the City Address July 3, said that the initiative aims to encourage people to walk, jog, and bike.
“A super city moves people, not cars. Our aim is not just economic development, but the improvement of quality of life. We want Bacolodnons to be more active and healthy,” the mayor stressed.
“I understand that closing Lacson Street for three hours will delight health and fitness junkies, but will annoy car-owners. But, at the end of the day, the long-term benefits outweigh the temporary inconveniences,” Benitez added. | CGC
