The trikes are on the highways and nobody seems to care

I have long been wanting to write about our streets. About the highways. The roads we traverse daily. Even the subdivision roads which are now clogged with private vehicles parked on both sides of the road. Highways in this country are not really highways. Where can you find highways in the world where tricycles are racing with sedans, SUVs, transport buses and sand and gravel trucks?Only in thePhilippines! To top it all, law enforcers just don’t care, even when the law says the tricycles are supposedly operating only on tertiary roads. But we have to make do of what we have. In the absence of the best , the worst is better , as they say.

Let me refresh you dear reader particularly the millennials of an article I wrote years ago about streets and subdivisions. This is a local concern, and I hope the Angeles City government can intervene. One must diligently ask if you are looking for a direction in Angeles City. Noticeable are some streets with no names on sign posts. Search me, I don’t know which agency should be held responsible. Is it the city government? Or it is the concern of barangay authorities? Or the Philippine Postal Corporation authorities?

> Streets only don’t tell directions. Gated residential subdivisions and their streets will disclose who are moneyed and leading families in a community.The number one gated subdivision in the city, Villa Teresa was named after Teresa Gomez, wife of Don Juan Nepomuceno considered the richest family in the city.

Carmenville Subdivision was named after writer Renato ‘Katoks’Tayag mother, Carmen Dayrit. The main road in that subdivision was named after Augustina Henson, wife of Pio Rafael Nepomuceno, a native of Quezon province and a classmate of Augustina’s brother in Letran who was invited in a La Naval fiesta and started the Nepo clan in Angeles.

Villa Leoncia was named after Leoncia Laxamana, mother of former governor and exMayor Rafael’Apung Feleng’Lazatin, ex-Congressman Tarzan’s father.

In this subdivision, all streets are named after popular cigarette brands. The irony, Apung Feleng and Tarzan never smoked a stick in their lives. A nearby subdivision, Trinidad Village was named after Leoncia’s husband Trinidad, father of Apung Feleng.

Three other subdivisions in the city were named after the sisters of Rafael Lazatin. These are Villa Angela, Villa Gloria and Villa Angelina.

Hensonville was named after the landed Henson family, and Don Pepe Subdivision in Barangay Balibago was named after Jose Henson, the patriarch of the family.

One of the largest in the city, Nepo Subdivision was developed by former governor and ex-Mayor Francisco G. Nepomuceno and saw to it that some streets will be named after his daughters. Most prominent are Sylvia,Edwina,Corazon and Gail streets. Villa Dolores’ streets were all named after the Panlilio family of Mexico and San Fernando. Don Luis, Don Vicente and Nicolasa are the main roads.

Marisol Village was named after Maria Soledad Dolor of Batangas, the developer. The spine road was named after Emilano J. Valdes, the property owner.

Severina subdivision and later changed to Diamond subdivision was developed by Severina Realty Corporation. The change of named happened after Mrs.Severina Lim, the president of the realty company was gunned down in her office by unknown assailants.

Probably the most known street in Angeles City is Fields Avenue. You might want to ask where it got its name. It was from an American serviceman, Sgt. Fields. I asked around, nobody remembers his first name. He was the head of the customs house of the Merchandise Control Office of of the Americans which was located then near the main gate of Clark Air Force Base. It was a very insignificant road during that time.

Now we know. Added knowledge for all of us.