THERE’S an old joke that goes: “If a man calls you a horse, ignore his comment. If a second man calls you a horse, think about what he said. If a third man calls you a horse, go buy a saddle.”
We were reminded of this joke after a Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board official suggested a way to solve traffic on Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue: Ban up to 80 percent of all private vehicles during peak hours.
Then the Department of Transportation and Communications casually said that, if the continuing maintenance problems of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 system cannot be resolved, then, perhaps, it should be shut down, as it was recently, for one day.
Would it be right for us to worry that the looming power shortage might be averted with the government simply shutting down all electricity-generating facilities or increasing candle production? There is overcrowding at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), and new runways aren’t going to be available in the foreseeable future. Would the Naia go the way of the old Nayong Pilipino? Would it be better if its operations were moved to Pampanga province?
In the world outside the government, problems are meant to be solved, not dismissed or attacked with short-term measures. Successful people in every field, from business to the arts, are compelled to plan ahead, gather resources and implement measures based on feasibility, practicality and cost-effectiveness.
Problems can take a long time to grow, and most bad situations must be addressed before they actually become “problems”.
Metro Manila’s poor traffic infrastructure did not happen overnight. Our international airport has been in chaos for years. The flooding problem in the metropolis goes back decades. Yet, it is only when a bad situation becomes
unbearable that governments begin to get serious about it.
Gov. Joey Salceda of Albay province is a prime example of how problem-solving for the public good should be done. He has been working to achieve a “zero casualty” rate during natural disasters since he took office in 2007. Now his efforts are yielding impressive results, first with the recent typhoon and now with the preparations for a possible Mount Mayon eruption.
We doubt if the governor has ever thought the volcano problem could be quickly solved with buying a gigantic wine cork or by digitally erasing Mayon from postcards featuring Legazpi City, the provincial capital.
Long-term planning and a serious commitment to achieve positive results, combined with progressive actions, will yield the desired outcome. That is the only solution to our problems.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano