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A city councilor in Lipa, Batangas expressed dismay over a signage placed along the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Tollway which allegedly confuses motorists.
Councilor Nilo Catipon, in his privilege speech last week, summoned the officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and the Startollway to answer his constituents’ questions about the directional signage in the newly opened toll exit in Barangay Bulacnin.
“Ipinarating sa akin ng ating mga kababayang motorista ang nakalilitong karatula sa STAR Tollway. Dati raw ang nakalagay ay ‘Balete Exit’ at ‘Lipa City Exit’ tapos pinalitan ng Leviste Exit. Tapos dinagdagan naman ng ‘Hall’ ang Lipa City (My fellow motorists have told me about the confusing signage at STAR Tollway. In the past, it indicated the Balete Exit and Lipa City Exit but now it says ‘Leviste Exit.’ Then they added ‘Hall’ after ‘Lipa City’),” Catipon said.
Balete mayor Joven Hidalgo also expressed disappointment after seeing the signage at the STAR Tollway exit leading to his hometown.
“Dinidinig ko lang ang mga hinaing ng aking mga kababayan. Pagkakataon na sana ito na makilala ang Balete dahil sa karatulang iyon (I am just conveying my constituents’ disappointment. It was Balete’s chance to be more familiar to motorists,” Hidalgo said.
Hidalgo said signage at expressways commonly use the name of a place and not a person’s name.
“Bakit naman ganon? Hindi man lang kami kinunsulta bago nila binago ang karatula. Ang gusto namin ay manatiling Balete ang tawag sa naturang exit (What happened? We weren’t even consulted when they changed the signage. We want that exit to remain as the Balete Exit),” Hidalgo said.
STAR Tollway marketing head Tony Reyes said Batangas Vice-Governor Mark Leviste last month requested modifications to the particular signage.
Leviste, for his part, said, “The naming of ‘Leviste Exit’ is based on a 2008 Provincial Board Resolution with the approval of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and the Star Tollway Management.”
He said the move is dedicated to his grandfather and former Batangas Governor Feliciano “Sanoy” Leviste, whom he described as a champion of the masses.
Leviste explained that the road from Levitown in Lipa City, up until the southern part of Balete that connects the former Balete toll exit, was named after his grandfather.
Mayor Hidalgo, however, disagreed with Leviste and insisted that only the Congress has the power to name roads and highways.
Critics of Leviste, meanwhile, called the renaming of the toll exit as a political move of the vice-governor as he is planning to run for the governor in 2016.
Text and photo: Arnell Ozaeta, ABS-CBN News Southern Tagalog
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
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