When I went home to Tanauan to experience the joyous occasion of its annual town fiesta, I already had a list of the things I planned to do. Apart from lending a hand at home and taking some responsibilities for the occasion, I always had it in mind to make the most of a one-week vacation. When you’re in the corporate world and at the same time you litigate, you need a break and going home, being with people you hold dear, is always a pleasure and reward.

With all the festivities around, the town plaza as the center of all these activities always buzzing with life because of the long list of daily “nighttime” entertainment and shows, more balikbayans everywhere arriving as the fiesta draws near, the busy streets buzzing with life from the seemingly restless constituents because of all sorts of “preparations”, you can’t help but smile at this familiar happy feeling—swept with anticipation of an event that takes place only once a year and celebrating the occasion with cherished family and friends. Tanauan fiesta is nothing like it…

In my experience when still younger, people in the barrios troop to the plaza every night, as activities and shows already start at least nine days prior to the actual date of the fiesta, and the voices of excitement and anticipation of all these people passing by our streets is always expected yet reassuring. People are in the mood for celebration—that is something good to think about, despite the hard times and whatever situation they may be in. I arrived home on the 11th of August and by evening came to notice the streetlights gone. The whole stretch of our neighborhood, from Solano Bridge all the way up to the residence of Mr. Andres Modesto, was in darkness. Literally. I didn’t mind at first because whoever may be responsible for loss of the street wire connecting the streetlights have already been reported to the authorities and are already subjects of investigation. It serves them right. Besides, the people who are responsible for the restoration and reconnection of these streetlights are just busy attending to all their personal preparations for the upcoming fiesta. Further, there remains two more days before the eve of the big event and assuming competence and efficiency on our elected leaders, they can still do something about this.

I learned that the cause of our literally dark “kalsada” is because felons stole the wire connecting the streetlights. While this matter has already been reported to the Tanauan Police Department, no news of prosecution has reached me concerning the alleged perpetrators of the theft. I can only surmise that people responsible for this loss can be good in what they’re doing considering the facility employed to disconnect and cut electric wires on top of the electric posts! For a well-conceived plan of theft, and for the obvious realization of such criminal act, there is nothing left but the consequence of prejudice experienced by the residents in the affected area.

So that come the bisperas, the actual day of the fiesta, and MORE THAN TWO MONTHS after the reported loss of August 2, 2007, more or less, sadly, nothing constructive has been done about it. The streets remain to be engulfed in darkness and this situation already creates a climate conducive to risks for our motorists plying this route, danger to life and limb of pedestrians nearby, not to mention the threats to safety and security of the households affected because of unlighted streets.

Who is the right person to relieve these households of the present predicament they are in?

With the barangay elections over and winners already proclaimed, perhaps a swift action is reasonable. This simple and basic need to restore these streetlights, even at the level of our barangays, would be a feat, more of a reassurance actually, in this era where discharge of government services is always put to test. Actually, this problem has endured months, and to this day, more than three months to be precise. It is sad that this author, who happens to be afar can be the beacon to call the attention of those who ought to be responsible to these affected households. Anyhow, distance should not be used an excuse not to mind and be concerned about what goes around in his neighborhood! For after all, when I think of the schoolchildren and other pedestrians using these affected streets, dim, dimmer at the strike of nightfall until the area becomes pitch black, I always sigh along with a muted prayer for their safety and protection. And with this feeling comes always the renewed resolve to never cease on thinking only the best if not the urgent concerns of our neighborhood, which undoubtedly remains to be an area that cannot be lightly ignored. With each day passing by with these streets still unlighted, I do reserve the thought that politics is not the issue here, that the hand of fate stretching out to remedy the situation is not wittingly and consciously restrained, that these affected households are not inconvenienced on account of their political preferences and choices. These schoolchildren and pedestrians who use these streets everyday will mature to be qualified and intelligent voters soon and mind you their votes will count.

At nighttime, it is still pitch black in my neighborhood even to this day. My kid brothers have actually grown and even toddlers in my neighborhood grow fast since I last went home. I hope by the next time I go home, I will be welcomed by these streets now illumined…it is never healthy for these growing children to have childhood memories of pitch black and dark streets…instead happy memories “only in lighted streets” should be etched in their minds.