Las Pinas Friendship Route hours to be extended; Reaction of a homeowner here

Another concerned and frustrated villager wrote to us last week expressing disgust and hopelessness over local government officials.

The die has been cast, apparently.

The Friendship Route opening hours has been extended until 12 midnight.

This, according to a Las Pinas resident who was privy to the information.

Here is the email from the villager:

“Whatever the local government of Las Pinas decides to do with the hours of the Friendship Route, the villagers are asking that they be consulted first, especially since they will be directly affected if an extension pushes through. For now, “We just have to wait and see.”

Interestingly the last paragraph of the entry for June 14th in the Alabang News (reproduced above) fell on deaf ears. There has been an extension of hours granted by Las Pinas City Ordinance 715-06 until midnight, seven days a week. Why and how did this happen?

There are two reasons. The first is the Charter of Las Piñas City, known by the Republic Act 8251. (a copy of which can be easily found on the web.  This allows the municipal authority, “…subject to the pertinent provisions of the Constitution, open or close roads, streets, alleys, parks or squares, or any other open space, including those of subdivisions, villages or compounds …” The City of Las Pinas has used this provision to create and amend the Friendship Routes through a series of City Ordinances with seemingly no concern for or consultation with the resident affected by these routes.

We, homeowners, residents, lessees, have no fundamental rights in the prevention of any extension (or shortening) of hours. This has happened over a period of time. Central government has continually failed with the monitoring of policies and has allowed the devolvement of too much power to the City. It would prove to be an almost impossible task to regain the balance.

The second point is that as the sub-divisions (and certainly BF Resort Village is one) do not own their own roads, the villages retain no power to prevent the use of the roads as deemed in RA 8251 and the subsequent City Ordinances.

Is there a real reason to increase the hours? Referring to BF Resort Village the scenario is such: traffic from Alabang travels the Dang Hari; traffic from the Coastal Road will go to Zapote and onto the Aguinaldo Highyway, or onto the Molino Boulevard; traffic coming from Paranaque  via the CAA Road  will now be allowed to pass through BF Resort  Village Friendship route until midnight. Traveling frequently late at night, to and from Molino, via the Alabang -Zapote Road and Moonwalk, very little traffic is encountered, in either direction. So where is the congestion sited as the reason for the latest extension of hours?

Do you think the purpose of this increase in hours is anything to do with the proposed building bridges in BF Resort Village over the river? Justifying an increase in hours, makes any request seem reasonable that a bridge(s) would aid the flow of traffic out, and vice versa, the shipping in of students from Molino.

The thousands of residents along the route are being penalised with sleep deprivation, tiredness, and general decrease in health. Not to mention the increase in fair wear and tear and thus reducing the value of the property.  Does anyone care? No, residents will never have the right run their own village, and must succumb to the draconian rule of thumb initiated by a very tightly worded RA 8251.

How about you? What are your reactions to this?