“Sa mga niuli og probinsya, ayaw na mo’g balik sa Davao para walay traffic!”
While such remarks may be made in jest or frustration, we must recognize that blaming provincial residents as the “number one source of traffic” is unreasonable. The influx of people after the holidays indeed worsen traffic conditions, but are these individuals truly the primary cause of the congestion?
Instead, we should investigate the factors that magnify traffic and redirect our focus to the local government’s role in addressing this issue. By asking, “What is the local government doing to solve the traffic?” we can address traffic as a systemic issue instead of attributing it solely to those returning to the city.
Traffic is horrible, but it’s equally unfair to crucify the people who spend time and resources coming to the city to study, work, or relax. Instead of casting blame, pressure the local government to implement effective solutions to mitigate the traffic.
Photo and caption by Edrian Nabos