Rotary collaboration

Egay Uy

I WAS invited to speak before the Rotary Club of East Cagayan de Oro last Tuesday. This Rotary Club is close to my heart because it was through this club that I became a Charter President of one of its daughter clubs, the then RC Cagayan de Oro East Central. That was in 1987.

The invitation was first discussed with me by RC East CDO past president Cels Balat who is also a golfing buddy. The formal invitation later came from incumbent President Gilda Echavez.

In that meeting, Past President Leonie Go was in attendance, and was still very much into the discussions. He used to be an active volunteer on traffic management and raised several suggestions. So did PP Cels Balat and Rtn. Noel Beja who, if I’m not mistaken, used to be the Chairman of the City Committee on Police and Public Safety.

When I became the Charter President of East Central, the then Rotary Governor for RI District 387 [now RID 3870] was Gov. Alberto Solis of Cotabato Light and Power. He was succeeded by then Governor-Elect Binong Privaldos who was my immediate boss in Cepalco. Probably at that time it can be said that RI District 387 was electrifying.

Among those in attendance last Tuesday were Atty. Noel Beja, Atty. Robert Raypon, and several Lady Rotarians led by President Gilda.

The RC East CDO once had a community project that helped much in the orderliness of pedestrian [and vehicular] traffic at the Mogchs area. The club put up some pedestrian railings and caused the painting of pedestrian lanes across Velez Street. I was also informed that several East Rotarians used to spend personal hours to help man traffic there.

The club asked how they could be of help in restoring orderliness in the streets. I suggested that they revive the pedestrianelated project and where possible, replicate the same in an elementary school because it would be good to start the young right in terms of obedience to traffic rules.

I sincerely thank the Rotarians of RC East Cagayan de Oro. I hope the gesture will be emulated by some other organizations whose presence in community has already been felt in many other ways.

I have to mention that the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro CenterPoint conferred last year a “Most Outstanding Traffic Enforcer” Award to one Traffic Aide of the Roads and Traffic Administration, and presented secondary awards to ten others, which I hope will again be done again this year.

As we all know, traffic enforcers are underpaid considering their exposure to the elements – heat, dust, rain – not to mention the bashings and unfair accusations, and the threats and intimidation coming from the pasaway and hawod road users.

Thank you very much, dear Rotarians. Your cooperation will go a long way in making the lives of roads users comfortable.