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By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
02 October 2011

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Surely, taking a business class-seat flight from Riyadh to Manila with a scant two-hour stopover at Hong Kong was just fair enough after three years of being barred from vacation due to massive workloads and pressing project timelines and deliverables. Other than feeling peculiarly different while seated in this classy cabin, the stress associated with traveling has been completely toned down to my advantage.

And I thought it was at all comforting. Welcomed by the melancholic storm rains, the Cathay Pacific Airbus touched down at the tarmac of NAIA 2 at about 5:00 p.m. From the window of the aircraft, I can visibly see the flooded lanes where this steel aviary was taxiing, evident of the storms. When my nephew picked me up at about 6:00 p.m., I knew the perks I enjoyed in the trip have been infringed.

Driving our way out from NAIA 2 to Magallanes Inter-Change was as tactically mazy as proving the most heinous of crimes of the century – the Maguindanao Massacre, or in convicting these annihilators. While all traffic lights are technically working, the humps and bumps along the troubled thoroughfares en route to EDSA are as obvious and dubious as the turns and twists the Ampatuans and their colleagues are crafting, ultimately, to the advantage of the One.

Finding the best way out to Fairview for my overnight accommodation was as horrendous as proving the 2004 electoral fraud lodged against the former petite lady of the Palace now Pampanga Representative. While most of the roads are technically passable, the rain waters deposited in the sewers of the Metropolitan Manila are as dreadful and atmospherically horrible as the twists and turns the first family and its camp are crafting for their advantage.

Plying the historic EDSA was rather suffocating than breathtaking: the billboards donning “skins” of showbiz personalities in the guise of endorsing commercial products sans the metaphoric invites of the flesh trade, massive skyscrapers in the guise of building “homes” sans the rhetoric lures of quick-and-easy life, the metropolitan rails plying the spreads of highways in the guise of economic solution to traffic sans the allegoric invites of corruption in government contracts, and all, and all.

If at all these are the proposed solutions to social stigma at hand, then I hold no qualm against them. While it is true that unprecedented rise of commercialism has gradually eradicated authentic Filipino industry, creativity and value, it has somehow, literally and figuratively, benefited its recipients, if it would be sacrilegious to call them prey. However, I do have one to the plaguing traffic problem in the metropolis because for the same score, the situation has never improved; worse, after a brief period, it has worsen.

Sans the hullabaloos from critics, the government has imposed the “60kph” speed limit in major thoroughfares. For one, discipline has to be imposed to erring motorists; two, lives of the motorists have to be protected.

The sterling question is: For how long can the government sustain to do this?

In Saudi Arabia, CCTV cameras are installed in four areas of the traffic posts. In the absence of traffic lights, AUVs are parked along conspicuous portion of the roads or highways with CCTV cameras installed in them. These CCTVs are controlled by central monitors in the respective police stations, which are then connected to the system network that integrates all agencies of the government. Once a violation is detected, the system automatically captures and records the offense, transmits warning notice to the all concerned including but not limited to the Immigration (for the expatriates), Interiors (for the Driving License and Car registration), the motorist (via SMS) and the bank for automatic deduction from the account of the erring motorist. In the event that the motorist does not have bank account, upon renewal of National ID or Iqama, the system shall automatically retrieve the offense and thus penalize the offenders.

In contrast, speed violation in the Country is detected by a traffic officer who operates manually the speed reader. He then informs another traffic officer who shall apprehend the offender. Once this happens, a traffic violation ticket is issued and the offender has to settle with the Land Transportation Office.

What is the difference between the two systems? Saudi Arabia’s is systematic, effective and less prone to corruption. In contrast, ours is manual, less effective and absolutely a fertile ground for corruption.

And why should Saudi Arabia be any different? Is it because they have money? Is it because they have imposed National ID system?

The answers to these preceding questions are denominated to a big “NO!” Saudi Arabia made it happened because for one, its government has the political will; two, Saudi Arabia maximizes its money; and three, Saudi Arabia has maximized its existing system.

If our government can only define prudent spending or re-tame this animal deduced to“pork in a barrel” in its truest form and meaning, only then novel projects like this can be implemented, or, succeed!

Take it from the petite lady!