Streets hold a high level of
significance in our lives, literally and figuratively.
Literally, they are the paths we tread upon everyday to get to our daily
destinations—work, school, calling, responsibilities, home. We need them to
realize our directions; to go to places we like or to escape from whatever we
want to get rid of.
Figuratively, they are the symbols of social aspirations. It is in the
streets where we fight for our rights; where we voice our collective opinions;
where we listen to each other; where we evaluate aspiring leaders and
representatives.
Thus, streets are not just receptacles of dirt, stones, asphalt, cement—and
sometimes, garbage—they are the skeletal system of the society. Nation building
is conceived, born and developed through the generosity of the streets.
Streets, therefore, deserve a level of respect from us—not necessarily
in the boundaries of reverence, but at least in the spirit of gratefulness.
True, it is hard to think of ways of showing gratefulness to streets the fact
that being trampled upon is a part of their essence.
But, maybe, we can start showing our respect to streets by treating
their street names properly. We must write them correctly. We must post them
properly. And we must not use street posts for our own personal interests.
Remember: Most street names are names of people who sacrificed a lot for our
country—therefore, using them for our selfish interests is simply unethical.
For example, in some posts intended for street names, the name of a
barangay official is boldly written. In some instances, the official’s name is
even written in letters much larger than the street name itself. This is a
display of abysmal poor taste—a high degree “epal”.
Also, many street names are disastrously misspelled. In one street in
Laoag City, the street name is spelled as GUMBORZA, instead of GOMBURZA. Fathers
Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were martyred for the sake of our independence, yet we
can’t even spell their names correctly.
Can’t our local officials do something to correct matters like these? Or
do they understand their deeper implications despite their seemingly shallow
appearance? For sure, many officials will again blur the issue with the
premises of jurisdiction, job description, administration priority and
triviality.
Well, let’s just hope that some government officials and agencies will
spare even just a small portion of their precious time to check this problem.
It may not be as big and controversial as the BBL debate or the Napoles wealth
or the Spratly heat or the tuition fee hike worries.
But then, it still deserves attention and rectification. True concern is
not exclusively for hot issues. It is also open to small matters which hold the
potential to encroach into larger predicaments of the society.
Let’s not forget that even the most ravenous cancer started as a
seemingly insignificant infection.
***
BARD NOTES: Happy bard-reading to
Mayor Chevylle Farinas, Vice Mayor Michael V. Farinas, Provincial Treasurer
Josephine Calajate, INWD General Manager John Teodoro, Dr. Miramar Bumanglag
and PNB Laoag Branch Manager Metty V. Guerrero.
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