Overhaul archaic road laws

“The land transportation and safety regulatory architecture of our country is archaic, severely broken and is destroying many lives. It is so convenient to simply comment on and share the viral videos and news articles and social media posts about fatal collisions on our roads. But that kind of activity is not enough to solve the problem,” this, according to Rep. Bernadette “BH” Herrera-Dy of Bagong Henerasyon Party-list, and House chair of the committee on public information.

“The real and constructive way to address the issues and underlying problems is the overhaul, updating, and future-proofing of our land transportation and road safety laws, as well as the related criminal and civil laws,” she said.

Herrera-Dy has filed House Resolution No. 1486, calling for the creation of an inter-agency task force to handle the revision of laws on land transportation, road safety, and reckless driving. She calls on the departments of transportation, justice, trade and industry, public works and highways, and the office of the court administrator at the Supreme Court, the University of the Philippines Law Center, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to draft a new land transportation and traffic code.

The new code addresses a continuum of issues, from the time the driver’s license is issued during the process of manufacturing a land vehicle, and when the roads and bridges are built, to the law enforcement, investigation, prosecution and adjudication aspects of road collisions and incidents.

The new code, she said, should provide for a traffic court and adjudication board where all cases of reckless driving will be heard and tried in a court of original jurisdiction.

Present laws are archaic, she said. The Land Transportation and Traffic Code became law in 1964. The Revised Penal Code was enacted in 1930. The Public Service Law which governs the issuance of the certificate of public convenience (commonly referred to as prangkisa or franchise), was passed in 1936, and the Civil Code of the Philippines dates back to 1949.

 Yes, time to modernize archaic laws.

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The long-lasting Bulong Pulungan sa Sofitel media forum highlighted its Christmas festivity by giving exemplar awards to PAL president Jaime Bautista, for “steering PAL to greater heights and more tourist destinations in the country,” Rep. Karlo Nograles for “his tireless efforts as chair of the House appropriation committee in securing the P42-billion for free tuition for state universities and colleges,” and PAGCOR chair Andrea Domingo, “for her leadership in securing more record-high revenue for government social projects through gaming.” San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez was awarded for her “outstanding and consistent performances as local government official in a highly urbanized city.”

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Two of the country’s best classical artists, three times Aliw Awardee Dondi Ong, tenor, and Lisa Cabahug, coloratura soprano, ,will be performing Broadway hits and Gospel classics like “I Dreamed a Dream,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “You Raise Me Up,” and “How Great Thou Art,” on Dec. 16 at the San Lorenzo Village, Makati multi-purpose hall.

The event is organized by veteran events producer Ed Dames in honor of his sister, Desiree, a long-time choir director of various community choirs since her high school days and most recently, of the Ellinwood Bicol Choir who’s battling cancer, stage 3. “It will be a great night to celebrate her life and faith among good friends who appreciate good music,” said Ed.

Ticket is only P1,500 inclusive of dinner. For reservation, text 0920-9543599.

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Thank you, C5 Special Traffic Zone personnel for coming to my husband’s and my aid, when our vintage but dearly loved Mitsubishi pick-up stopped on the C5-Ortigas bridge, thereby starting to create a traffic jam. C5 STZ supervisor Marcelo Rosal quickly sent TAI Jaymark Pilar and Owen Romero to guide our vehicle to a safe place, which happens to be the MMDA emergency station under the bridge. Also helping in the process was SPO3 Orlando Fontanilla, of the PNP engineering service who came by in a motorcycle. In a few minutes Road Emergency Group Charlie members Elvis Cabariban, Fernando Aspile and Raul Pal checked our vehicle and changed the culprit – a worn-out clutch lining.

 Thank you, MMDA Chair Gen. Danny Lim for having such good men under your command.

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A significant documentary film, The Glass Ceiling, chronicles the life and struggles of Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first female Sherpa to reach the tip of Mt. Everest. The film is directed by Nancy Svendsen and produced by Alison Levine.

Sherpa’s story, Nancy wrote me, is “an extraordinary true story – moving, inspiring and tragic.” Sherpa was born into poverty, was never allowed to go to school, but had a dream to climb Mt. Everest. “Cultural norms, however, dictated that Sherpa women stay home and raise children, work in the fields and keep house while the men in their families worked as trekking guides. Pasang refused to accept that she too could not climb mountains – she refused to be defined by others. And even though Pasang could not read or write, and was an ethnic and religious minority with few civil rights – she still had the courage to battle profound obstacles (including the government of her own country) in her fight for the right to climb Everest.

“Sherpa was the one who shattered that ‘glass ceiling’ for a new generation of women in Nepal. In 1993, after three failed attempts, she made history and became a hero to her nation when she reached the summit of Everest and became the first female Sherpa to do so. Tragically, she did not survive the descent.”

Pasang, according to Nancy, is a legend in Nepal (where she has a statue, roads, a hospital, a school, a strain of wheat and even a mountain named after her). Yet her story is untold outside of Nepal.

Alison and Nancy are “passionate to tell the rest of the world Pasang’s story, which proves that one person’s courage and determination can impact an entire country.” If Pasang had lived, she would be Nancy’s sister-in-law, as Pasang’s brother, Ang Dorjee Sherpa, is married to Nancy’s sister. So this story is also deeply personal.

Alison Levine, by the way, is a history-making polar explorer and mountaineer. She served as team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, climbed the highest peak on each continent and skied to both the North and South Poles—a feat known as the Adventure Grand Slam, which fewer than 40 people in the world have achieved.

 In January 2008, she made history as the first American to complete a 600-mile traverse from west Antarctica to the South Pole following the route of legendary explorer Reinhold Messner. Levine completed this arduous journey on skis while hauling 150 pounds of her gear and supplies in a sled harnessed to her waist. She made history again in 2016 when she completed two first ascents: Hall Peak in Antarctica and Khang Karpo in Nepal. Her success in extreme environments is noteworthy given she has had three heart surgeries and suffers from Raynaud’s disease, which causes the arteries that feed her fingers and toes to collapse in cold weather—leaving her at extreme risk for frostbite. 

 Interested parties may view the film trailer by clicking on to http: www.theglassceilingmovie.com/trailer/. 

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