Sun.Star Davao

The good is the bad

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TIMES are not usual these days with that Diversion road landslide creating more inconvenie­nce than expected. But then, those are things we do not have full control of. Like yes, the Department of Public Works and Highways can pry and prod the boulder-sized limestone chunks up there to fall down, but how long it will take to be dislodged is something else.

Earlier, the DPWH said it was trying to break the limestone boulder but failed to, thus extending the closure of the road. At past midnight of that day, the boulder fell. That is why things cannot be rushed. Safety first is their mantra.

We have to be thankful that the cracks on the earth were detected before the earth slid. The families were warned, they were moved, and not one single casualty was recorded. Kudos to our disaster risk reduction and management team, they did well and more than just reduced, they removed the risk.

It is up to us, the people to further reduce the risk not just of the disaster, but of the circumstan­ces that resulted from it: like its effect on our productivi­ty because of the horrendous traffic.

We’ve noted some individual­s offering to share their vehicles, and that alone is already commendabl­e. We’ve noticed that amid the traffic jam, majority of the motorists stuck to their lanes and thus did not exacerbate the already exasperati­ng situation. Very few counter-flowed. Again, that is commendabl­e.

The traffic jam all southbound residents experience­d was expected in the first two days after the slide since the people were still getting their bearings right and many were not yet properly apprised of what happened. But quickly, Dabawenyos adjusted. A few of those who had the means offered rides, others found alternate routes, even if it was the longer one, majority just started their days early. Many, using social media, shared the traffic situations where they are, thus helping spread informatio­n.

The situation was still exasperati­ng, but more bearable by the third day, and we all deserve a round of applause. It’s situations like this when our spirit as a community as one harmonious society is tested, and we are happy that despite the rants shared on social media, we all managed to reduce the inconvenie­nce of the situation not only for ourselves but for all those around us.

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