Clear our paths by Marc Ace B. Palaganas, journalism student, PUP

“Clearing the paths while laying new foundations to transform the Polytechnic University of the Philippines into an epistemic community.”Well, that is an excerpt from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ vision as the country’s premier state university.
In my daily pace as a student of PUP, especially of the College of Communication, I am used with the messy pavement that welcomes me as I walked through the path toward my college. Pureza Ext. has always been a very busy street letting thousands of people from different walks of life pass through it.
Along with that are those sort of cycles; bicycle, tricycle and even pedicab running through the cement, along with vendors comprising its length. The not-that -wide way was shrank smaller because of those queues made by cars parked along the sidewalk. And the most irritating of all, dredging operations and rehabilitation done whenever it is rainy days
With those( these are just few of those), Pureza carry this heavy burden having narrowed pathways not because of how urban planners made it but because of those messy decorations brought by add-ons lavishly put along the way.
One incident I had experienced (this is just one of those), a tricycle bumped my leg hastily and it is all because of the lost of sidewalks and portions of the roads not even fitted to cater two lanes.
The problem brought by these mess, aside from the heaviness, is the accidents made by bumping incidents happening between a man to a vehicle, to an object, to wild animals( and their poof), and even to another man. This has always been the problem.
Monumento is another case. This one is a sort of a portable “tiangge” (bargain stores of pirated materials), composing the supposedly wide sidewalks toward the monument of Bonifacio.
But at one time, when I got off the LRT station, I was surprised with new scenery that welcomed me. A clearer view of the Liwasan, clear sidewalks and finally, I get rid of the messy pavement, the garbage brought by the vendors, damp, bumping bodies and noisy vendors.
It was like refreshing scenery.
But the next day, portable is portable, the real Monumento is back. This scenario is not just evident with these two stated streets but also along the secondary roads webbing through the Metropolis.
These road spacers are mere distraction. We must see this dirt strolling down our major streets. And of how many times we are blocked by those disturbances and inconvenience, been caught with accidents or worst, heavy traffic, we must act for clear roads and safe sidewalks.
If the government really wants to ease the traffic, lessen road accidents, diminish crimes like snatching and stealing and promote tourism as well, they must enforce the law concerning it.
Clear our paths, for sure, development and progress will never get unclogged.