Philippine Better Roads Association, Inc.
Media
Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal
- Title
- Philippine Better Roads Association, Inc.
- Creator
- Dayrit, P. J.
- Language
- English
- Source
- The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXVIII (No. 8) August 1952
- Year
- 1952
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- Philippine Better Roads Association, Inc. By P. J. Dayrit Executive Secretary and Legal Counsel THE Philippine Motor Association, principally through its President, Mr. Benito Legarda, is credited with much of the spade work that initiated the Better Roads movement in the Philippines. The first organization meeting of the Philippine Better Roads Association was held in the Manila Hotel on September 21, 1951, and on the 29th of the following month, a meeting of the members took place in the same hotel at which the following men were elected to serve until the annual meeting held on January 28 of this year. President......... Vice-Presiden t. Treasurer......... Secretary.......... Jose P. Marcelo Cirilo Paredes Roy Davis David SyCip After the recent annual meeting, the present Board was constituted as follows: R. J. Monical, Caltex (Philippines), Inc. M. E. Holt, Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. Roy Davis, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. of the Philippines John D. Coon, International Harvester Co. of Philippines B. G. Brandt, Luzon Stevedoring Co. Jose P. Marcelo, Marcelo Rubber & Latex Products Cirilo Paredes, Nalatroa David SyCip, Northern Motors, Inc. Eduardo Melian, San Miguel Brewery Pete Syquia, Rizal Motors, Inc. J. A. Parrish, Standard Vacuum Oil Co. Mr. Marcelo was elected President while Mr. Monical was elected Vice-President, Mr. Davis, Treasurer, and Mr. SyCip, Secretary. r\NE of the outstanding developments in 1951 was the increasing trend among governments to welcome the cooperation of industry and business in highway planning and construction. Despite the worldwide surge in roadbuilding, tem porarily aided by large expenditures of the United States for this purpose in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Central Amer ica, there remains the almost universal difficulty of insuf ficient funds for highways. This prevents both effective planning and adequately stabilized programming of high way development. This and other problems impeding the extension and improvement of highway systems and the unrestricted use of highway transportation can be solved more readily by government and industry working together. The na tional good-roads associations affiliated with the Inter national Road Federation (IRF) have intensified their efforts to bring about such teamwork. This unity of interests holds the hope of an accelerated highway development and more rapid social and economic progress as a conse quence. *t|he Chilean Association, for instance, received official recognition for its contribution to highway development in a national decree, and the President of the Association was made a member of the Council of Ways and Communications, giving him a voice in the planning and coordination of all the communications of the country. (Comparable recognition had been given earlier to the IRF’s Brazilian associate). One of the outstanding achievements of the Association was its successful campaign for an anti-diversion clause in a law concerning gasoline and oil levies. The Bolivian Association worked for an official routing of the Pan-American Highway in Bolivia. The Government recently established such a routing, this forming the backbone of the future national highway development in the country. The Peruvian Association in 1951 successfully concluded a campaign for a six-year highway-development program and for government adoption of the contract system in highway construction. Among the many other activities of this Association is a drive for the creation of a national highway council, to be composed of government and private enterprise representatives, which would decide highway policy. The Ecuadorian Association has been administering a limited program involving the expenditure of approxi mately $1,000,000 yearly for highway improvements and maintenance. The Indian Association, while promoting a rural road-program, has worked against nationalization of high way transportation and is campaigning for a separate budget for the national road system, with a central board in charge of all revenues raised from road users. It is con stantly working for the removal of present discriminatory measures hampering the development of road transporta tion,—for example, the present excessive taxation and the restrictions preventing long-distance haulage. The Belgian Association is working for the creation of a road fund to provide the necessary continuity required for an improved road system. In addition, this group is undertaking the publication in French of outstanding technical manuals published abroad. The British Association, which represents more than 200,000 various business and industrial interests, is leading campaigns for an increased highway budget and for correction of traffic bottlenecks. The Association im plements its campaigns with films, pamphlets, books, and radio programs and is carrying out an intensive educational program in the schools. The Canadian Association, in addition to supporting the Trans-Canadian Highway project, is developing a national roads-research institute with the cooperation of government, industrial, and educational leaders. The Spanish Association has five specialized sec tions: Technical, Construction, Manufacturers and Dis tributors of Equipment, Road Users, and Education. All work closely with the government authorities. The French Association was instrumental in the removal of gasoline rationing in France. Comparable activities are being carried out by the many other associate national members of the IRF. Each association strives to have its national government define and establish a long-range highway program; to assure the necessary financing for the construction, maintenance, and operation of such a program; and to obtain public support for these aims. The associations depend on the International Road Federation as a source of information and technical guid ance; they are receiving greater and greater service as they grow and the International Road Federation itself expands. President Elpidio Quirino in his recent State-of-the* Nation Message stressed the importance of maintain ing the highways and in his “Annex to the Message” asked Congress for a “more systematic construction of roads, bridges, and other means of transit”. The rehabilitation program of roads, streets, and bridges, authorized by the United States Congress under the Rehabilitation Act of 1946, is nearing completion. This program, which was authorized in the amount of $40,040,000, has been prosecuted under the general direction of the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads in cooperation with the Philippine Bureau of Public Works. The Philip pine Rehabilitation Act approved a program of construc tion and rehabilitation and the re-establishment of certain governmental functions to be carried out by nine U. S. government agencies. The act stipulated that eight of these agencies were to complete their work by June, 1950, and the ninth by April, 1951. The U. S. Bureau of Public Roads has been granted two extensions, or until June 30, 1952, to accomplish this very necessary road-building program. Through the joint efforts of the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads and the Philippine Bureau of Public Works, there have been built since 1946, using rehabilitation funds in whole or in part, approximately 254 major and 239 minor bridges and 495' kilometers of improved highways and streets. Of the $40,040,000 allocation, approximately $36,500,000 has been spent to date. The remainder of this fund is obligated by work under contract and is expected to be substantially expended by June 30, 1952, the deadline for the completion of the rehabilitation program. The lengths of national roads in existence in the Philip pines as of June 30, 1951, classified as to four general types of surfacing, are given in Table 1. The same information for provincial roads and city streets is given in Tables 2 and 3, respectively: TABLE 1—National roads in existence in the Philippines as of June 30, 1951, classified as to surface-type and class: Pavement High Type. .. Intermediate.. Gravel............. Earth.............. Total.... 1st Class Length (Kms) % 1465.8 1379.0 6173.0 16.2 15.3 68.5 NATIONAL 2nd Class 3rd Class Length Length (Kms) % (Kms) 9017.8 100 2646.2 99. 27.2 1. 2673.4 100 , Total Length % (Kms). ’'“.8 0 5 8 1 1 9.3 90.7 100 1465 1379 8883 652 12381 TABLE 2—Provincial roads in existence in the Philippines as of June 30, 1951, classified as to surface-type and class. PROVINCIAL 2nd Class 3rd Class Length Length (Kms) % (Kms) \ Type of Pavement High Type. Intermediat' Gravel........ Earth.......... To’tai 1st Class Length (Kms) 182.5 . 477.6 . 4229.3 % Total Length (Kms) 4889.' 100 4644.0 247.8 4891.8 151.6 94.8 3593.8 5.2 3745.5 100 95. < 100 9024.9 3841.6 13526.6 TABLE 3—City streets in existence in the June 30, 1951, classified as to surface and class. the Philippines as of Type of Pavement High Type. . Intermediate. Gravel........... Earth............ 1st Class Length (Kms) % 168.0 20. 208.6 25. 451.8 54. CITIES 2nd Class Length (Kms) % 3rd Class Length (Kms) ! Total Length (Kms) Totai./. 828.' 100 14.6 85.4 100 Summarizing, the existing Philippines as of June 30, 1951, 1142.4 470.2 1989.2 roads and streets in are as follows: % 8.4 10.5 57.3 23.8 100 the Leng t h Percent High Type................................ 1816.3 kms. 6.5 Intermediate................................. 2065.2 Kms. 7.4 Gravel......................................... 19050.8 Kms. 68.3 Earth.............................................. 4964.6 Kms. 17.8 Total................................... 27896.9 Kms. 100 These figures show that only a small percentage of the existing highways in the Philippines is well - surfaced; more than four-fifths are only gravel or earth roads. According to the engineering standards on highways being adopted by the Bureau of Public Works, 9,533.5 kilometers, or 77%, of the 12,381.1 kilometers of national roads and 5,410.6 kilometers, or 40%, of the 13,526.6 kilo meters of provincial roads fall below desirable standards. Even if a considerably lower standard is applied, to mea sure the condition and needs of the present road system, the records show that there still are 5,571.5 kilometers, or 45%, of the total national roads and 2,975.9 kilometers, or 22%, of the total provincial roads which fall below tolerable standards. With respect to bridges and other river-crossing faci lities—spillways, fords, ferries, and pontoons—there are 9,127 of them existing as of June 30, 1951, totaling an ag gregate of 177,720.8 lineal meters. Of this number, 7,372, or 81%, are of temporary construction; ferries or fords involve 127,271.4 lineal meters, or 71%, of the total length of all structures. It is estimated that around P225,000,000 is required for improvement alone to bring the highways in the Philip pines up to desirable standards. With the present highway revenues available for maintenance, improvement, recon struction, and construction, estimated at P90,000,000 for the fiscal year 1953, such a gigantic improvement program could not be accomplished in less than ten years. In a work like this, which involves the selection and execu tion of a limited number from a mountain of desirable projects, most skillful and intelligent planning and program ming is necessary. It is a difficult task to select those which would represent the best investment of available funds. The main financial backbone for road construction and maintenance in the Philippines is the so-called Motor Fuel Tax (Sec. 142 and 361 of the National Internal Reve nue Code), the proceeds of which are exclusively earmarked for the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. qr'HE Philippine Better Roads Association (PHIBRA) A has actively helped in the propagation of the better roads movement through the dissemination of information by means of letters, pamphlets, newspapers, and radio on the central theme that good roads are the basis of better living. The PHIBRA, in cooperation with the International Road Federation (IRF), has also awarded a scholarship in advanced highway-training in the United States for the school-year 1952-1953. It has actively cooperated in the public information campaign in connection with the ap proval by Congress of the Highway Bill with its antidiversionary clause prohibiting the use of the gasoline tax fund for purposes other than the maintenance of roads. Conferences are often held between those actively engaged in road building and other responsible officials interested in roads for the purpose of studying the com mon problems of highway development and working out the solutions thereof. ' At present there are 30 active members. The basic membership fee is P250 a year and runs up to P 1,000 for sponsor members, the fee being based on the financial ability of the organization, firm, or member, to support and further the aims of the Association. The Association is operating on a minimum budget, and for more effec tive work additional sustaining members are needed. The PHIBRA, therefore, appeals to members of the Amer ican Chamber of Commerce to join. Mr. J. L. Manning, President of the American Chamber of Commerce, has offered his cooperation to the Philippine Better Roads As sociation of which he, personally, is one of the most active members. For its part, the Philippine Better Roads Association will endeavor to help in studying the financial problems (Continued on page 319) 298 August, 1952 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL • 319 COST OF LIVING PRICE INDEX OF WAGE EARNER’S FAMILY1 IN MANILA BY MONTH, 1948 TO 1952 * (1941 = 100) Bureau of the Census and Statistics Manila 1948 1 All 1 (100) Food (63.43) Home 1 cloth- |Fuel, Light|Miscel-|purchas(11.96)| (2?04) |8 nd Water laneousing Power (7.73) |(14.84) [of a Peso January........ 390.7 427.6 453.9 224.5 304.6 249.9 .2560 February.... 369.8 394.0 453.9 223.8 301.1 254.4 .2708 March........... 349.4 361.0 453.9 214.6 308.1 255.9 .2862 April............. 354.6 374.1 453.9 209.4 289.7 254.8 .2820 May.............. 349.8 360.2 453.9 214.2 289.7 271.6 .2859 June.............. 354.3 370.4 453.9 205.2 283.2 262.9 .2823 July............... 356.4 374.2 453.9 201.3 281.6 262.4 .2806 August......... 363.6 385.7 453.9 199.8 281.6 261.7 .2751 September. . 370.6 397.2 453.9 199.2 279.6 260.6 .2698 October........ 374.9 404.0 453.9 204.8 283.2 257.9 .2668 November... 368.7 394.4 453.9 202.0 281.6 258.7 .2712 December... 365.9 389.9 453.9 202.0 282.4 258.9 .2732 1949 January........ 363.8 386.8 453.9 202.0 279.0 258.9 .2750 February.... 343.8 355.5 453.9 203.0 277.5 258.9 .2909 March........... 345.3 358.2 453.9 202.0 276.3 258.5 .2896 April............. 348.7 362.6 453.9 197.6 287.5 257.1 .2868 May.............. 348.8 362.8 453.9 197.2 287.5 257.1 .2867 June.............. 349.0 362.9 453.9 203.9 287.5 257.2 .2865 July............... 351.7 374.0 453.9 194.2 265.8 240.5 .2844 August.......... 337.5 351.2 453.9 196.3 266.6 241.2 .2963 September. . 333.6 345.1 453.9 190.3 264.8 243.1 .2998 October .... 332.9 343.3 453.9 199.9 264.8 245.0 .3004 November... 339.6 356.1 453.9 191.1 258.4 239.8 .2945 December . 329.6 335.9 453.9 202.9 259.5 256.2 .3035 1950 January .... 332.3 336.8 453.9 238.0 253.1 269.3 .3010 February.. . . 336.9 340.2 453.9 233.3 257.8 284.1 .2969 March........... 339.0 341.4 453.9 236.7 257.8 292.6 .2950 April.............. 331.8 328.6 453.9 237.7 252.9 301.2 .3015 May............... 320.2 308.6 453.9 244.7 249.7 309.1 .3123 June.............. 323.1 310 9 453.9 243.5 249.7 319.1 .3095 July................ 332.0 322.4 453.9 252.6 249.7 328.7 .3012 August.......... 334.4 325.9 453.9 258.7 251.1 328.4 .2990 September . . 341.3 335.0 453.9 317.4 252.5 327.5 .2930 October......... 352.8 351.1 453.9 337.3 249.7 334.5 .2835 November... 354.1 353.2 453.9 322.8 249.7 335.9 ,2825 December.. . 352.2 350.5 453.9 325.2 249.7 334.8 .2839 1951 January......... 355.2 355.0 453.9 331.5 249.7 334.6 .2816 February. ... 358.4 359.8 453.9 342.8 249.7 334.4 .2790 March............ 352.4 349.3 453.9 379.4 248.8 334.3 .2838 April................ 361.2 362.6 453.9 398.6 247.5 334.7 .2769 May................ 365.0 367.0 453.9 410.4 247.5 339.5 .2740 June............. . 367.8 372.0 453.9 399.5 247.5 337.7 .2719 July............. . 366.3 370.1 453.9 382.0 247.5 339.0 .2730 August......... . 365.1 371.4 453 9 354.0 247 5 329.1 .2739 September.. . 363.0 369.0 453.9 356.4 247.5 325.4 .2755 October .... . 358.1 361.1 453.9 350.4 247.5 326.7 .2793 November.. . 351.1 351.1 453.9 343.8 247.5 323.3 2848 December . . . 349.0 348.9 453.9 335.2 247.5 319.4 .2865 1952 January........ . 355.1 357.8 453.9 323.0 247.5 324.6 .2816 February.... . 348.0 349. 8 453.9 282.9 243.4 318.3 .2874 March............. 344.3 345.1 453.9 273.7 243.4 315.0 .2904 April............... . 342.7 342.7 453.9 276 1 243.4 313.8 .2918 May................. 342.2 341.8 453.9 279.9 243.4 313 8 .2922 June............. .. 345.4 346.3 453.9 277.1 243.4 316.3 .2895 July............. . . 347.6 349.5 453.9 273 6 243.4 318.3 .2877 * Average number of peraona in a family = 4.9 member*. ♦For explanatory note, see the August, 1951, Journal. Philippine Better Roads . . . (Continued from page 298) that will arise in connection with road improvement, and in promoting the education of both the public and officials of the Government in the social and economic benefits generated by adequate road systems. The Association will serve as a clearing house for information relative to highways and highway transport, and will provide a non-govemment approach to technical assistance in the planning, financing, and development of highways and highway transport. The slogan of the Federation and its affiliates is “Better Roads Mean Better Living.” Good roads raise living standards, and the establishment of higher living standards is our ultimate goal. COLUMBIAN ROPE COMPANY OF PHILIPPINES, INC. HEMP AND COPRA EXPORTERS STEAMSHIP AGENTS ¥ 206 Myers Building Port Area, Manila, P. I. ¥ BR ANCHESi Davao • Tacloban • Cebu • Tabaco SMITH-CORONA PORTABLE One glance at the new SMITH-CORONA. . . and you’re convinced that it’s the most beautiful and sturdy portable typewriter you’ve ever laid eyes on! Not just a “new model”. . . it’s a revolutionary all new typewriter. . . with a total of nineteen new features plus fifteen SMITH-CORONA “exclu sives”! Its smart, new Color-speed Keyboard is full standard office machine size. . . has rimless keys colored a restful non-glare green and “comfort shape” to cup your finger tips. ERLANGER & GALINGER, INC. 123 T. Pinpin, Manila • Magallanes St., Cebu City