Quezonians' months-long agony

Residents of Quezon, whether working or just traveling from point to point, are now frustrated with the condition of the roads from Gumaca to Guinayangan.

Following the recent typhoons that pummeled Bicol and Southern Tagalog in the past months, the roads there were devastated and have now literally become like a “sungka,” with large holes evident. This has made the travel time a staggering three to four hours from Gumaca to Guinayangan, compared to the usual one hour.

Yet, the provincial and local government units seem oblivious to what is happening.

“Paano yung mga emergency situation? Yung mga kalakal na dapat maihatid on time? Ilang buwan na kaming nagtitiis. Pa-utay-utay ang construction. Kung bakit ba naman kasi ayaw gumamit ng matibay na pundasyon at materyales. Kinukurakot kasi (What about emergency situations? The goods that need to be delivered on time? We’ve been suffering for months. The construction is being done in bits and pieces. Why won’t they use strong foundations and materials? It’s because of corruption),” a resident told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Commuting from Manila to Guinayangan, Quezon, which passes through the municipalities of Gumaca, Lopez, and Calauag, usually takes six hours at night.

But with the dilapidated roads, the journey to the destination has become 11 hours.