In the early 1980s, commuting students via PUJs took less than 10 minutes to get to La Salle from downtown Bacolod during prime hours.
Traffic was not congested then as although at that time Bacolod City had already the biggest volume of vehicles in the region.
Smooth traffic flow. Not anymore these days, with the number of motor vehicles increasing by about 500 percent in the city and the rest of the country (from less than a million in 1981 to about 5 million now, or about 100 percent increase annually per decade), according to available statistics.
In Bacolod, the annual increase in the number of vehicles appears identical to the national figures – at 10 percent.
With the volume of cars, including the phenomenal growth in the number of motorcycle owners, travel time has doubled in that span of at least 2.6 kms.
If we are complaining of road congestion here, perhaps, we should instead feel blessed as the situation is not as bad as in Iloilo City, Cebu City and, worst, in Metro Manila.
Traffic has been part of the daily woe of executives, workers, students and other commuters in the Big City that it is common to hear that the capital metropolis has the worst traffic snarls in the world.
The claim is not that true – Manila is the Top Ten but there are other metropolitan centers that have worse congestion, if we trust the study on the most congested cities in the world conducted by TomTom, a Europe-based creator of location technology and consumer electronics.
According to the study, London is the most congested city with Manila ranked No. 9 in the list.
The study considered travel time in the city per 10-km. distance as well as the congestion level, which “represents the average extra time lost to traffic compared to driving in congestion-free conditions.”
For the 10-km. distance, London commuters spend 37 minutes and 20 seconds.
Their counterparts in Metro Manila registered 10 minutes less than Londoners at 27 minutes and 20 seconds. Consequently, the report said, London commuters lose 148 hours annually due to traffic which moves at a sluggish average speed of 14 minutes per hour.
Occupying the second spot is Dublin (29 minutes and 30 seconds).
With London and Dublin, three other European cities are also in the Top 10 – Milan, Italy, fourth (28m, 50s), Bucharest, Romania, eighth (28m, 40s) and Brussels in Belgium, 10th (27m).
Toronto, Canada is third (29m) while Lima, Peru is fifth in the list (28m, 39s).
Two Indian cities have higher congestion rates than Manila – Bengaluru, and Pune which rank sixth and seventh – at 18m, 10s and 27m and 50s, respectively.
Manila, however, tops the Southeast Asian figures with only another SEA capital in the Top 35 list – Indonesia, which is No. 30 (23m, 30s).
New York and Tokyo are 20th and 27th (25m, 30s and 23m and 40s).
Also in the Top 30 list are three other Asian Cities – Taiwan’s Taichung, 11th, and Kaohsiung, 17th as well as Sapporo, Japan, 14th.
What problems do traffic congested traffic conditions bring? The study said it causes high level of pollution caused by vehicle emissions, which consequently affect human health and the environment.
It also results in increased travel time, leading to “productivity losses and reduced quality of life.”
Other impacts mentioned in the report are stress and road rage, environmental degradation compounding concerns on climate change, infrastructure strain and public health concerns
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Important events are being observed at this time of the year.
Feb. 21 is International Mother Language Day. IMLD is observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
The theme of the observance this year is “Multilingual Education – A Pillar of Learning and Intergenerational Learning”.
The concern on mother language is heightened due to the following facts, among others, shared by the United Nations and UNESCO:
• Every two weeks language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.
• At least 45 percent of the estimated 7,000 languages spoken in the world are endangered.
• Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.
• Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages, which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.
• Today, an estimated 40 percent of children are not accessing education in their native language, a figure that exceeds 90 percent in certain regions. Many find themselves marginalized or even forced to deny their cultural heritage.
• Research underscores the benefits of using learners’ native languages in education, fostering better learning outcomes, self-esteem, and critical thinking skills.
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Another global event being observed is World Day for Social Justice – on Feb. 20.
The United Nations said “supporters contend that promoting decent work and a fair globalization agenda focused on fundamental rights, employment opportunities, social protections, and constructive social dialogue among governments, employers, and workers is key to putting social justice at the core”.
Advocates have pointed out, UN said, the persisting grave injustices, widespread labor insecurity, high inequality, and unraveling social contracts exacerbated by global crises.
“These harsh realities threaten progress made on social issues. Reinforcing institutions and policies that truly advance social justice is seen as an urgent priority,” UN further said.
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The crusade for justice and freedom takes center stage on Feb. 25 when the nation marks the 38th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution. By the twist of the president’s pen, it is no longer a “special non-working holiday” in 2024 as it used to be in the past years.
On February 25, 1986, Filipinos ousted the 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos through the non-violent revolution at EDSA.
People Power has remained deep in the hearts and minds of freedom-loving people not only in the country but also elsewhere.
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Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34) | NWI
