Malilong: Seek Retribution

Rewritten Article:

Hit the road for a three-hour drive from Cebu City to Boljoon, another hour to Bato, Samboan, and a half-hour ferry ride across the Tañon Strait to Tampi on a Matiao RoRo boat. That's how our thrilling three-day adventure in Negros kicked off last Labor Day weekend.

Why wouldn't we love Negros? In other words, what's so terrific about Negrenses that we should envy them?

Their roads, that's what sets Negros apart. Apart from the Bato-Tampi leg, our journey was all on land - from Dumaguete to Sipalay via Bayawan, Sipalay to Bacolod via Kabankalan, and back to Dumaguete via Mabinay - an impressive 800 kilometers of smooth-as-silk roads. A mere understatement, truly.

We've become spoiled by Negros' fantastic roads that even the ride back home, with its bumpy highways, took us by surprise. A bitter pill to swallow, indeed.

Poor Talyux Bacalso must be spinning in his grave. The highway leading to the south, named in his honor, isn't living up to its namesake these days. In its current state, the highway does nothing but ridicule him.

To be fair, there are portions of the highway, such as the Minglanilla-Naga stretch, that retain their charm. Surprisingly, the main road in the entire first congressional district is in better shape than the rest, credit to the Gullas congressmen.

They've widened and paved the road between Sibonga and Argao, but cracks are starting to show less than a year after it reopened. Go figure.

The land in Negros is flat and expansive, so they can expand it easily without right-of-way issues. On the contrary, in Cebu, there are countless obstructions, including trees that some people claim are too old to cut. So instead, we wait for them to wither and die.

But trees are just a part of the problem. The real villain here is the row of houses lining the highway. Ignoring the law that mandates a setback from the road for any structure, these buildings have resulted in skyrocketing demolition and road-widening costs.

And then there's the corruption factor. In the past, contractors were expected to pay a 15% kickback for every project awarded. That practice, allegedly, is now a thing of the past, since some congressmen and mayors have taken on the contractor role themselves.

When you're out voting on Monday, take a look at the road leading to your voting center. If it's in dismal shape, dump your congressman, mayor, board member, or governor. It's time for a change.

Despite the rough ride heading back home, we found ourselves missing the smooth roads of Negros, particularly the 800-kilometer stretch from Dumaguete to Bacolod, a reminder of the contrast we experienced during our three-day adventure.
The envy-worthy car-maintenance lifestyle of the Negrenses seems to stem from their well-maintained roads, making them an ideal destination for travelers seeking a smooth and hassle-free journey.
The Negrenses' remarkable road infrastructure makes us long for similar improvements in Cebu, where we often encounter obstructions like old trees and houses lining the highways, leading to demolition and road-widening costs.
We can't help but feel envious of the Negrenses as we pass by their eye-catching, well-maintained cars, a testament to the positive impact of their smooth roads on car-maintenance costs.
The roads of Cebu and Negros offer a striking comparison, with the former being marred by cracks, old trees, and houses encroaching on the right-of-way, whereas the latter boasts of smooth, expansive roads that make travel more enjoyable and cars easier to maintain.