EDITORIAL - RA 10666 must be implemented aggressively

Cebu City councilor Joy Augustus Young, like his boss, just doesn't get it. He now wants the city to be exempted (as if that is even possible) from having to implement Republic Act 10666, or the law banning small children from being transported on motorcycles. According to Young, there are areas where the only means for some people to get their little children to school is by motorcycle.

Therefore, says Young, the new law is not only a hindrance to education, it is also anti-poor. These arguments not only do not hold water, they are also not original. They have been mouthed before, by the boss of Young. But the worst thing is that they are not genuine. They are not rooted in any real concern for either the poor or the education of their children.

These arguments hew to the populist view, having noted very well just how many motorcycle owners there are and how many of them use these motorcycles to bring their children to school. The sheer number of motorcycle owners can tilt the balance in any election, especially very close contests. Take up their cause, and you can have a large chunk of the voting population in the bag.

But here is why the mantra about being anti-poor and a hindrance to education easily falls by the wayside. The law banning the transport of little children on motorcycles increases tremendously the chances of those children actually getting to school safe. Getting to school safe increases their chances of finishing their education. Finishing their education gives them the opportunity to haul themselves out of poverty.

On the other hand, allowing small children to be transported on motorcycles increases their chances of meeting an accident. If they meet an accident, its either they survive or they die. If they survive, chances are they will be incapacitated for a while. That will likely affect their schooling. And it will likely affect them not only physically but emotionally and psychologically, thereby drastically reducing their chances of success even if they get back to school.

If children die in a motorcycle accident, not only will that put an end to their schooling, that will also wipe out their chances of ever helping their families out of poverty. So which is now the real hindrance to education and anti-poor? But of course Young is not expected to see this. Neither is his boss. Both are not poor. And both never had to walk to school. But the world is full of beautiful stories about people whose education came at great sacrifice, including walking.