We always thought the ambitious project was the mayor’s. We were so wrong.

The project is actually the work of that hardworking husband and wife team in Congress, Senator Manny Villar and Las Piñas Representative Cynthia Villar, our long time neighbors in BF Resort Village. They live just a stone’s throw away from our home on a street named after beauty queens. Not that this beauty queen had ever tried finding out scientifically if indeed the Villar’s home were really a stone’s throw away from where we live.

Anyway, the day the modernistic fiberglass and metal walkway with escalators at the Casimiro intersection of the Alabang-Zapote road began to operate, a streamer - with the pictures of the congressional couple no less - announcing the completion of the project was hung on that beautiful monument to man’s laziness.

If before we complained that it was ugly, we were so wrong and express sincere apologies. Our perception of the architectural wonders of the structure have been changed perhaps because we no longer have to wait minutes for traffic aides to stop through traffic to allow pedestrians to cross.

If before we thought escalators for pedestrians were too expensive, we still think so. But we’re grateful to the Villars just the same. And we must admit, a lot of Las Piñeros are using the walkways because of the escalators. There’s a lot less jaywalking going on, making it safer for both motorists and pedestrians.

Our favorite eldest son uses the walkway at the Sta. Cecilia intersection on his way to the school every morning which is one less worry for a father who never taught his son how to properly cross streets.

Before the walkway was opened to the public, we sometimes had to wait half an hour to cross. And we’re not exaggerating. In their determination to keep traffic flowing on that notoriously congested thoroughfare, traffic aides sometime forgot about pedestrians.

To be able to cross, pedestrians had to summon their own version of people power, moving as one mass of people across the street and forcing vehicles to stop and traffic aides to scratch their heads and wonder where did these thousands of people come from.

We believe there are four such walkways with two-way escalators: at the Zapote junction; in front of the Fernando’s supermarket; at the Sta. Cecilia entrance to BF Resort; and at Casimiro. We are not sure if the one at Moonwalk is working. There are still pedestrian people power at work over there.

The Villars did Makati one better. Makati’s walkways only have escalators for going up. Pedestrians have to walk down. In Las Pinas, we take the escalator going up and take another going down. Nya-nya-nya-nya-nya-nya. But only from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. if our failing eyes read correctly the sign pasted on the walkway.

A traffic aide or barangay tanod is always on hand at the walkways to play cards on a table with the warning sign: Bawal Umistambay Dito. At least that’s what we see the tanod doing everytime we used the walkway at Casimiro. He may also be there to shoo away istambays with the ever-present big stick leaning against the table. We must say we’ve never seen istambays on the walkways.

We don’t know if the new stoplight at the Casimiro intersection was also placed there because of the Villars. Along with the walkway, the traffic signal light is slowly putting some order at the intersection. Pedestrians no longer have to play patintero with vehicles to cross the wide main thoroughfare of the Las Piñas. And drivers no longer have to play chicken to cross the forever busy intersection.

We hope the Villars move to build more walkways with escalators. They may be expensive to build and maintain. But if that’s the only way to get people to use walkways and not risk their lives jaywalking, the expense should be worth it.