By Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA CITY - On an ordinary day, Zamboanga City’s traffic congestion is bad – bumper-to-bumper. Most of the roads are too narrow to accommodate thousands of vehicles plying daily. Rarely has there been a day when motorists and public utility vehicles would not be stuck in traffic, sending many to complain as if it would miraculously ease the congestion.
But 23 days following one of the most publicized tragedies in Zamboanga, the people have grown to see traffic in a new perspective. It isn’t as bad, after all.
On Oct. 9, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels infiltrated the city, taking several residents of the barangays Sta. Catalina to Rio Hondo area hostage. The otherwise cheerful Zamboanguenos were shocked at such an occurrence. For days and nights on end, shots and explosions could be heard. Over a hundred thousand people have left their homes for evacuation centers. Homes have been burned down. Lives have been lost.
Mayor Beng Climaco was quoted as saying that “Zamboanga will never be the same again,” But she remained optimistic that the city could rise above its present condition.
As soon as the last shots have been fired last Friday night - when all the hostages have been rescued, and a few remaining MNLF fighters being pursued by the government troops - shops and business establishments opened up.
People are anxious to get back with their normal lives. All of them are raring to catch up and earn a living.
For one, bank branches that opened up were increasing day after day. Zamboanga Bankers and Financiers Association President Alma Paculanan disclosed that of the 61 bank branches, only six banks have remained closed until today. These six branches are within the clearing area designated by the authorities.
The long queues in ATMs commonly observed last week, have now become sparse.
The Zamboanga City Hall, the seat of the city government, is operating with most of the employees reporting back to work.
Mayor Beng Climaco led yesterday’s flag-raising ceremony, and emphasized that the pole will only fly the Philippine flag. The flag, however, is raised in half-mast, in honor of those who died in the three-week conflict. It is tattered and frayed on the ends because it stayed flying at the pole for the whole duration of the crisis.
Several malls within the downtown areas have also opened. Southway Square and the Gateway, located less than two kilometers from the conflict zone are now open, along with the Shoppers chain of stores.
Mindpro Citimall, which is a little bit farther from the two malls, has been open since Thursday. But security remains stiff, and the police and military presence remains.
As of this writing, the government troops have only sealed the areas within the immediate vicinity of barangays Sta. Barbara-Sta. Catalina-Rio Hondo. Police Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca said that they are still conducting intensive clearing operations to rid the area of explosives.
Meanwhile, buses can only leave the city until 5 p.m. The curfew outside the immediate areas of concern has been moved from 8 p.m.-5 a.m. to 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also announced that it has now shifted from relief operations to rehabilitation. Relocation sites for the families whose homes have been devastated are being studied. Mayor Climaco has also instructed the local officials to swiftly define the areas of resettlement.
The DSWD, together with the local government of Zamboanga, will address the immediate and long-term needs of the more or less 100,000 individuals who have been displaced by the three-week conflict in Zamboanga. (PIA9)