A plea to the local government of Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City

The puddle at the corner of Aramis and Ambuklao isn't this bad...but it
will be unless someone will do something about it. Click the image
for a clearer view.

If you're expecting me to discourage people from lighting up firecrackers or going Grifter tonight, well, sorry to disappoint. I ain't hopping on the New Year bandwagon and join the bigwigs of local media in warning people about the dangers brought about by our traditional way of welcoming the New Year. Whatever I had to say about the festivities, I already blogged it for more than a month now.

The coming of 2011 is synonymous to a fresh start for everybody. To those who got a load of bad stuff during 2010, it's time to move on and leave it all behind and start making strides towards a brighter tomorrow. And for those who were blessed during the year that was, don't rest on your laurels. Save up for the rainy days or work on improving yourself further. You see, the New Year guarantees everybody a fresh start. Everybody except for the people living in a barangay called Pasong Tamo which is situated in Quezon City.

What's killing me right now is the fact that there is a problem that seems to be taking too long to solve. As if I'm some fanboy waiting for a superhero that will arrive someday to slay that demon, dragon, monster, bad neighbor or whatever you feel like slaying. And who knows when that someday is.

The problem I'm raising is the puddle of mud at the corner of Aramis and Ambuklao. And it ain't the kind that rocks.

If you don't have a clue as to what the hell I'm talking about, or where to find it, then refer to the map above. The puddle ain't as bad as the one shown in the map, but there's a good chance things could get worse if people will just turn a blind eye on it. 

The puddle is caused by some clogged drainage from a very huge hole along the sidewalk in that area. Now I don't really recall when it all started, but if memory serves me right, this problem, or that hole, didn't really show up until the end of the 90s. 

Day in and day out, people just drove past this road and ignored it like some street kid asking for money. I mean who would bother? The road was passable after all. As long as it works, it probably doesn't need any fixing. Save for some drivers who got stuck in the said hole, everything was fine in Brgy. Pasong Tamo.

But when Ondoy came, lo and behold, the corner of Aramis and Ambuklao was a very good replica of a pond. We're talking about freaking knee deep flood water.

During that time, I bet everyone was putting the blame on the hole. But when the waters cleared and road was passable again, everybody moved on and forgot about the hole thing. Pun intended.

Two scary things about that hole: 1. The water that accumulates the hole becomes mud. Any person not familiar with the area will mistake it for something you can step on, only to realize that you're going to lose your leg to a bacteria infested pit. And even if you're from the neighborhood, one wrong step and you'll still wind up it in that hole. 2. Even drizzles can cause minor floods in the area thanks to that hole and its clogged drain. Just imagine the floods if Quezon City gets hit by another Ondoy-like typhoon.

In addition, the road is taking some serious punishment from the minor floods. Expect a very bumpy ride on your way to work or school.

So now, I appeal to Brgy. Capt. Marivic Co Pilar and her council. Can we please do something about this? I know it's not much, but I pay for barangay clearance every year from our Brgy. Hall. In some sort of way, I contribute to the community treasury so I believe I have the right to make suggestions/demands that would lead to the improvement of our community. I had to take this online because my cellphone isn't good for taking pictures. It's pretty useless to be a YouScooper or a Bayan Mo Patroler if you don't have any visual aid to go along with the type of information I'm sharing.

And if you're asking me why I didn't go straight to the Barangay Hall to report this, well, I figured if some of Capt. Co Pilar's council members take this road everyday, they should be the one bringing this matter to her attention, if not, the ones with the solution for this problem. Turns out I was wrong.

And if their going to tell me that the barangay doesn't have the funds, then shouldn't the barangay bring this up to Congressman Winston Castelo, DPWH or to DILG? I tried to go directly to those offices, but my connections in the government discouraged me, saying that this problem is something that the barangay should be dealing with it. So you see Capt. Co Pilar, the ball is in your hands.

With the New Year approaching, wouldn't it be nice if we start things right?

Happy New Year everyone!