Wasting Your Life: One Peso at a Time, One Minute at a Time

I commute to work on a daily basis. I wake up at around 6:00 AM to make sure that I arrive at the MRT station before 6:30 AM. If I arrive any later than that, I basically missed my chance to make it to my 7:30 AM class in Makati.

My teaching obligations end at 5:30 PM. Everything that happens before 5:30 PM, I consider a privilege. I get paid to talk about things that I like talking about. But after 5:30 PM, that’s when the real work begins.I’m talking about the rush hour commute between 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM. The experience is unpleasant, stressful, unproductive, and time-consuming.

In the station I often ride the train from, the MRT platform has a pathway that links it to the Alphaland Mall. The platform links to the third floor. The line, however, often extends to the entrance of the mall. During rush hour, it would take more than 30 minutes just to get to the MRT platform. And let’s not talk about the shoving, grinding, swearing, and cramping that happens once inside the train.

Deep inside everyone who takes the MRT at this time feels that something about this experience is extremely wrong. Everyone that takes alternative means of transportation, via buses, feels equally as miserable. I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but the feelings we all have about our commute is correct – it’s bad for us.

mrt
North Avenue Station

Commuting Makes Us Unhappy

In the article “Your Commute is Killing You,” Anne Lowry discusses how long commutes can make us fat, cause neck pain,increase our feelings of loneliness, cause stress, and may even lead to divorce. According to her, researchers at Umea University in Sweden discovered that, “Couples in which one partner commutes for longer than 45 minutes are 40 percent likelier to divorce.”

In the same article, she mentions how a survey done by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and Princeton economist Alan Krueger reveals that among common activities that 900 Texan women share, they find commuting in the morning the most unpleasant.

The misery of the commute extends to other areas of a person’s life. It was revealed in a report by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index that workers with lengthy commutes report more adverse emotional conditions.

Commuting Isolates Us from Fulfilling Relationships

Robert Putnam is another name that was mentioned in Lowry’s article. Robert Putnam is a Harvard political scientist and is the author of “Bowling Alone.” According to Putnam, every 10 minutes we spend on our daily commute results in 10% fewer social connections. He warns that our social capital is plummeting, and our lives and communities are becoming impoverished. We, as a society, belong to fewer organizations, know our neighbors less, meet with friends less often, and spend less time with our families.

Personally, I spend almost 10 hours a week commuting to and from the office. As much as I can, I try my best to spend Sunday lunch with my siblings and my grandmother. We would sit at the same table and chat from around 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. That’s 3 hours.

Sometimes, if I am lucky, I can spend an evening having dinner with a few friends. We’d meet at around 7:00 PM, but we’d have to part ways before 11:00 PM because I have to be at the MRT platform by 6:30 AM. I can honestly say that I spend more time at the commute with strangers than I do with my friends and family. That sucks.

Commuting is Unpaid Work

Mentioned in Lowry’s article is another study by Thomas James Christian of Brown University. According to Christian’s research,each minute spent at the commute reduces our exercise time, our food preparation time, and our time for sleep. The length of our commute also determines our propensity for making non-grocery food purchases.

In other words, if we often find ourselves in long commutes, we tend to buy unhealthy food knowing that we will have no time to prepare healthier meals when we get home. Other people,in their desire to avoid the rush hour, would have dinner at a fast food instead to kill time. In both cases, we’ll be spending more, eating less healthy, and we’ll be having less time and energy for exercise because we’re too tired.

When we compute for how much we’re earning, one of the invisible liabilities we often forget to acknowledge is the cost of commuting.

According to Lowry’s article, two economists at the University of Zurich quantified the value of how much more a worker should be compensated to make even just an additional hour of commute worthwhile.

In the paper entitled, “Stress That Doesn’t Pay: The Commuting Paradox,” economists Bruno S. Frey and Alois Stutzer found that for an extra hour of commuting, a worker has to be compensated with a 40% increase in salary, just to make it worthwhile.

In other words, don’t work for a far location if the salary difference is minimal. If you’re working at an office 15 minutes away for P14,000, the same work SHOULD pay you P19,600 if it’s 1 hour and 15 minutes away. If it’s 2 hours away, the same work SHOULD pay you P27,440. Anything less and you’re incurring a loss.

The time we spend commuting takes a major toll on our lives. We experience neck and back pain,spend less time with friends and family, experience loneliness, spend more, get fat, exercise less, sleep less, worry more, and get stressed.

80% of Filipinos are commuters. 80% of Filipinos will have their happiness and their health compromised. Every minute we spend in the MRT line or on a bus along EDSA is a minute of work that we did for free. It is a minute with a loved one that was taken from us. It is a minute we could have invested in our own physical or intellectual development. It is a minute we could have spent preparing a healthy meal. It is a minute we could have spent with our children. It is a minute of our lives that was wasted.

Apparently, it’s not just our money, our taxes, that corrupt and inefficient government officials can squander. They’re wasting our lives: one minute at a time, one peso at a time.

113 comments

  1. Well, do not blame the government for having poor transportation modes because your workplace is far. First of all, you accepted the contract and you are aware of the long commute before you applied SO you SHOULD be aware of the consequences. Beggars cannot be choosers. You needed a job, they gave you an opportunity. So you need to get up early to commute. Unless you are super rich and you don’t need the 9-5 hustling.

  2. […] Tokyo is a city that houses 13 million residents. It’s one of the most populated cities in the world. If you walked around the streets and looked at their roads, you wouldn’t think many people lived there. Even during rush hour, it didn’t seem like many people were out and about. It should be noted, the public transportation in Japan is top notch. We stayed in the Shinjuko area, 3.5 million people pass through the train station every day. That’s 3.5 MILLION with a capital M. That’s a crazy number. That station isn’t even the most populated station in Japan. Imagine if we had that kind of volume in the Philippines. […]

  3. Trim your expenses and shun the freeloaders in your life no matter who they be, children, parents, relatives and friends. Save the piso for yourself and yourself only. Save your money, live cheaply and then buy a motorbike, car and a better apartment closer to your job. Stop complaining. Your time and labors are easily replaceable. Be glad that you have a job.

    Then someday, when you are in a better position in life, by having money saved, you own transportation, and independent and free from relying on public transportation – which you are complaining so much about, THEN think about helping others.

    You will NEVER get ahead if you do not put YOURSELF first. (and you’ll also find out who your true friends are)

    • Your so Stupid! Nobody would listen to your comments. How ignorant your comments are. Buy a motorbike or a car, the traffic situation in Edsa is far worst. The trip takes 2 hours from Q.C. to Makati even if you have a car. Relocate near work? You retard. Manila is already congested. No more properties available. Condominiums are expensive. A regular filipino could not afford those luxaries even if they die working hard for it. I think your the one who didn’t get ahead you stupid prick. The truth is even if you put any president to lead this country, even how ideal and promising it will still end up corrupt. Corruption in the Philippines is a bottomless pit. Its already an organization in a global scale.

  4. napa isip lang po ako and sana ganito kaya…kahit sino man maging pangulo mga nasa gobyerno kung hindi cla magisip magsearch..kung ang malalaking companya jan sa pinas ang employee nia minimum 500 pataas bigyan ng gobyerno ng rules na within the building may mga dorm na jan fully cctv para gaya dito ibang bansa walang trafic.

  5. If we use and sum up all the spending for politician’s premature campaigns on tv, we’d be able to buy more than enough train coaches to resolve this mrt issue once and for all.

  6. I agree that everyday commute costs us our “life”. And to some extent, the government can implement something that can alleviate or lessen commute time. Truth is though, we can’t control the government and how they will fix this problem.

    However, there are things that we can control.

    1. Where we work: I know some people who work miles away from where they live. There have been a lot of progress and business expansions at the outskirts of the metro. Exploring work options near your homes would not only be beneficial to uou but to your family as well. Less travel time, less money spent.

    2. If you so decide to stay at the current company you are in, miles away from home, bring healthy food with you. After workTake 30-60 minute walks/runs near your office instead of going to the mall. If you’re worried about how you will smell after, Ithink you’d smell the same way anyway inside the MRT in this heat.

    3. Just to make you feel better about spending time away from kids, you can spend quality time with them during weekends. Watch DVDs at home, play games at home or go out and have fun together.

    You can always turn something negative into something positive.

  7. The problem is the government itself and they share their plague to every Filipinos. Can you imagine what happens to a train if it hits a broken rail? This is what’s been happening to us for so many years and until someone puts on the break…. we’re all going to crash!

  8. We all know the problem. Let us focus on the solution. There are many solutions that are being brought out. The only problem is the implementation. Government officials will no longer think of solutions because of these people providing the details. The only thing they need to do is to implement the BEST solution. And if that solution works then maybe they can give a reward to the source of the solution.

    There are also solutions from other countries all we need is to copy that solution and IMPLEMENT. This brings back to the leader who is responsible in implementing. Now the question is, who votes for the leader? – The people. So the root cause of this problem is the people. So the solution is the people. The people needs to vote for the RIGHT / BEST leader who will IMPLEMENT this solutions. Simple as that. “Garbage in garbage out” – Wrong leader, Wrong result… Just saying 🙂

  9. hellos,

    Yes I know the Skytrain Manila with infernal waiting.

    I think of you when I look at this picture, it is not human

    up waiting there the rest car gauze rawhide whole city

    I wonder how? they will faires authorities with current generation

    with the number of cancer and other Pulmonary diseases, mental illness and other spycologique depressions with this polution, thenthe sterility of men and women, serious problems for men problems

    irections of serious ++++++.

    If I am Filipino! I do not pourais child with living conditions

    hurbaine such as your a manila, it’d be condanné my child to death.

    Dear friends Filipino friends and you have a pretty country and a nation

    warm, kind, land of smiles, sunshine with all these paradisiacal islands.

    I address you messalutations most respectful.

    Roger Swiss city Geneva

  10. Get a better paying job. Get a car. It is that simple. Others have done it, so can you. Quit whining and make do on what we have right now.

    • Pollution is the problem and her issue. Getting a car won’t help the environment but a combination of educating the people on how and what causes pollution, why it is necessary that every one do his/her own part to curtail and, just as importantly, strict legislation, beginning with the use of unleaded gas for vehicles, regulations/laws for factories, etc. California has stringent laws regarding pollution, products causing health problems, the environment in general, etc. they would be a good model to follow, in my opinion,.

    • It is NOT that simple. Getting a job in itself is not simple. Getting a better paying job isn’t that easy. It is not wrong to complain or “whine” if you are a good tax paying citizen of the Philippines and you get crappy public transportation. Get a car? Do you even own one? Do you know the implications of owning a car? Even if one does own a car, it would still be the same. Have you been to EDSA on a rush hour? I bet not. Not only will you add to the pollution, you will also add to the road traffic congestion.

      This is not whining. This is an expression of one’s sadness and helplessness of someone who feels that their life is wasted on commuting in this city with a crappy public transportation system, thanks to our brilliant government officials.

    • So easily said than done, you seem not connected to the truth, these are poor but industrious people that makes up the large percentage this article is paying concern for… Ow why do i need to explain to this urrg

  11. I’m trying to sell a new concept that can fix this; forget the MRT or buying new coaches (it’s expensive)…either you change buses’ wheels to run on rails or cover the rails with cement so all buses can run on the existing MRT platform…this way we get rid of the buses’ nuances in EDSA and get them to really cue in line (without overtaking) with 20 second stop-and-go-intervals for each station,,,that should get rid of EDSA Traffic/ the waiting time for all commuters/ the corruption involved in buying and maintaining trains/ the corruption and chaos of building new highway in EDSA entails…….just do this and that’s it decency and quality of life for everybody using the roads are restored…

  12. tax in philippines starting 500k salary is 32% (saw it from news). so it’s obvious what is happening to the tax we pay.

  13. blame it all to the urban planning we have in the Philippines, the government don’t have the balls to redesign the urban plans we have. and why?private business man is more powerful than the government itself they can put their building wherever they want (see Luneta for example) so how can we eliminate the traffic at edsa? (drop a bomb? lol) road widening? how?is the government have the balls to demolish those big malls and condos? for sure no but they can demolish all those side walk vendors for sure, reduce the number of buses along edsa, How? if the government is strict and interested regarding the implementation on clean air act i think 80% of the city bus and jeepneys will be eliminated. impossible because even smoke emission companies are private they don’t care as long as you can pay. people who runs our country are a bunch on idiots and cowards who is ruining our beloved country, I’m hoping its not too late yet.

  14. the best way to lessen traffic is to lessen people living here in metro… and the best way how to live the people here on their own provinces is give same compensation and benefits.. abolish provincial rate. fyi fares and and price of commodoties in provinces were same here in manila.. lack of opportunities on provinces is the main reason why people wants to live here despite of traffic and pollution.

  15. I came home in May this year and I almost missed my plane back to Sydney after being stuck in heavy traffic from San Andres Bukid to Terminal 1. When I left a couple of years ago, this could have been a half an hour cab ride, our country is dying and going deep down.

    I am proud to be a Filipino, but I don’t want to come home to my country.

    If this is the way I would think, what more would the tourist have to say?

  16. It’s not just the officials fault, it’s our fault too. We do not choose battles that will really change our daily life. What did we protest against in the recent past… Erap, and now he is mayor of Manila, Corona, who knows what he’ll be running for soon, Napoles, still undetermined fate? But if we went out there and protested for better driver education, for better traffic enforcement, for more sensible traffic flow management, if we took to the streets en masse, as often as we can, perhaps we can get this message across? It’s all right to fight for principles, but let’s also fight for the simple daily needs that contribute to our humanity too.

  17. Good urban planning free of corruption is necessary. Limit the influx of high density employment companies in the already congested urban centers and be allowed to sprawl slowly outward towards the immediate outlying areas, so that good transportation planing will not be impacted drastically by this move. Also, the planning must conform with the environmental effect down the line, to preserve cleaner environment and flooding problems. High occupancy high rise residential buildings should also be strictly planned and restrictive so as not to compound the already
    seemingly insurmountable problem. Usually, the rich, some foreigners with proxies nullify the laws with bribes to politicians or their proxies too. It must be the next governing bodies to go after those who thrashed the laws of the land and prosecute them! Politicians, foreigners, common people! Nobody should be allowed to be above the law!

  18. PUT UP JEEPNEY STOPS AND BUS STOPS, THEY SHOULD NOT STOP.. FOR UNLOADING OR LOADING ONLY BASIS… NOT THE terminal style of filling up the jeeps or buses with passengers before they launch off. long long lineup of bus waiting each turn to fill up thier buses on each stop.. sometimes occupied by 2 to 3 lanes on edsa… it will take you 2-3 hours enroute from baclaran to fairview qc because of this bulok style… any violation committed should be strictly implemented on the third strike.. drivers lic. should be suspended permanently.. motorcycles should stop also in traffic like cars with out any zigzag singit on sides of lanes. ibalik sa mga pulis ang traffic.. violation tiket agad..walang lagay implement higher violation fees and let 10 percent goes to the apprehending officer.. like 2000 php for first violation and suspension of lic for 15 days.. 5000 php for the second offense and suspension of lic for a month. third offense is permanently. suspension and cancellation of drivers lic. the most important violation must be stop or slowdown give way on all pedestrian lanes.. pedestrians has all the right of way.. traffic must stop… when pedestrian crossing.. not all motorist know that… they say they have the right of way.. and blow their loud horns and accelerate more so the pedestrians will run…..that is wrong.. pedestrians has always the right of way. it has been that way a long long time and it will be now. it must be a major serious reckless offense.. intentionally disregarding the safety of the pedestrians… its my point of view..

  19. Hindi lang dapat transportatiom ang planuhin ng govt. Dapat isabay nila na ikalat ang business district. Halos lahat kasi nasa south kaya ganyan ang flow ng traffic. Sa Singapore, naka kalat ang mga trabaho, pati location ng schools, church, malls, hospitals etc, tama ang zoning nila. Dapat tignan rin ng Govt natin yan.

  20. and nobody talk about the PNR which is not in operation for almost 3 months now. Unlike MRT, PNR most passengers are poorest of the poor and has no interest or no talent in posting rant about the PNR.

  21. FILIPINO APATHY

    NOW, something is definitely not right in all Filipinos. Something is amiss.

    Something needs to be done URGENTLY about the APATHY that is currently plaguing Philippine society, because it is spreading very fast and infecting everyone (rich & poor, young & old) and I don’t know what to make of it. But I’m definitely sure it is NOT GOOD for the Philippines and it will create a BAD future for all.

    Is this the Philippines that we live in now? with a handful of people (corrupt politicians & oligarchy) have made it their business to loot public resources at the expense of 100 millions of Filipinos, while 100 millions of Filipinos watch it happen right in front of their eyes. Rather than make noise, protest and take action, why do Filipinos simply accept?
    1. unknowingly or ignorant.
    2. blinded or brainwashed.
    3. pretends it not happening.
    4. know but don’t care.
    5. influence by religion (Obey & stay quiet).

    It is so common to see comments on social media asking writers or bloggers @ GetReal Philippines, BayanKo, CoRRECT movement, Filipino Scribe, etc. (Ilda, Bening0, Grimwald, Orion Perez, Carmen Pedrosa, Jerry Ocampo, Flippinflips, Mark Madrona et. al.) to do something about an issue.

    Doesn’t this country belong to every Filipinos?

    It takes great effort & courage to write or voice out big issues concerning our nation problems and reveal anomalies, corruption, fraud, lies, deception and wrong doings by our leaders and government officials.

    But why do majority of our people (rich or poor, young & old) simply watch it happen. Why is Filipinos watching their country being looted and saying nothing about it? At what point are we going to say enough is enough?

    If you are a concern Filipino, you need to ask yourselves some fundamental questions:

    1. Have you lost your capacity as Filipino to feel? To love? To care deeply? for our nation, our countrymen, and our surrounding and our children’s future.

    2. What kind of society have we become?

    a. Where BBL is being railroad or push to be approve despite of Mamasapano Massacre and wide public disapproval.

    b. Where public resources are looted by our politicians (PDAF & DAP scam) right in front of our eyes.

    c. Where worsening MRT, transportation and plate no. problem seems to be new norm and people experience and watch it happen again and again….

    d. Where our government makes your life worse in-order for you to leave and work overseas. And eventually you make sacrifices being away from you family, friends & loveones. Either you end up being discriminated, exploited, raped, abused, jailed, killed, executed, and permanently separated or abandoned your family. OFW=Modern Day Hero or a form of slavery.

    e. Where worsening poverty, population explosion, street children, child labor and prostitution happens do not shake the core of our humanity.

    f. Where Poor Quality Leaders produced, groomed, promoted and eventually elected due to:
    – Popularity or Name Recall
    (Showbiz/Sports/News Celebrities)
    – Sympathy Vote (popular dead relative)
    – Political Dynasties, Machinery, Traditional Politicians,
    – Money Politics (rich or endorser/sponsor)

    g. Where your government is more concern on collecting & pocketing donations (local/foreign) rather than improving Disaster Risk Prevention, Response & Preparedness against Super Typhoon, Flooding, Earthquake and Fire.
    .
    .
    .
    .

    I believe every Filipino wants to see things work and I don’t believe that our people are not moved by all of the above.

    I believe that every Filipino wants Philippines to finally progress, afford the basics: education, healthcare, food, shelter, transportation, peace & security, and a achieve better & safer future.

    Every Filipino must be determine to get out from these problems and to be determine to take back our country, and protect it for our children’s future and next generation.

    Out of the Storm of apathy, Philippines must rise again!

  22. Manila is a typical third world capital, with thousands of inhabitants who have no urban skills just taking up space. I don’t know any remedy.

  23. FILIPINO APATHY

    NOW, something is definitely not right in all Filipinos. Something is amiss.

    Something needs to be done URGENTLY about the APATHY that is currently plaguing Philippine society, because it is spreading very fast and infecting everyone (rich & poor, young & old) and I don’t know what to make of it. But I’m definitely sure it is NOT GOOD for the Philippines and it will create a BAD future for all.

    Is this the Philippines that we live in now? with a handful of people (corrupt politicians & oligarchy) have made it their business to loot public resources at the expense of 100 millions of Filipinos, while 100 millions of Filipinos watch it happen right in front of their eyes. Rather than make noise, protest and take action, why do Filipinos simply accept?
    1. unknowingly or ignorant.
    2. blinded or brainwashed.
    3. pretends it not happening.
    4. know but don’t care.
    5. influence by religion (Obey & stay quiet).

    It is so common to see comments on social media asking writers or bloggers @ GetReal Philippines, BayanKo, CoRRECT movement, Filipino Scribe, etc. (Ilda, Bening0, Grimwald, Orion Perez, Carmen Pedrosa, Jerry Ocampo, Flippinflips, Mark Madrona et. al.) to do something about an issue.

    Doesn’t this country belong to every Filipinos?

    It takes great effort & courage to write or voice out big issues concerning our nation problems and reveal anomalies, corruption, fraud, lies, deception and wrong doings by our leaders and government officials.

    But why do majority of our people (rich or poor, young & old) simply watch it happen. Why is Filipinos watching their country being looted and saying nothing about it? At what point are we going to say enough is enough?

    If you are a concern Filipino, you need to ask yourselves some fundamental questions:

    1. Have you lost your capacity as Filipino to feel? To love? To care deeply? for our nation, our countrymen, and our surrounding and our children’s future.

    2. What kind of society have we become?

    a. Where BBL is being railroad or push to be approve despite of Mamasapano Massacre and wide public disapproval.

    b. Where public resources are looted by our politicians (PDAF & DAP scam) right in front of our eyes.

    c. Where worsening MRT, transportation and plate no. problem seems to be new norm and people experience and watch it happen again and again….

    d. Where our government makes your life worse in-order for you to leave and work overseas. And eventually you make sacrifices being away from you family, friends & loveones. Either you end up being discriminated, exploited, raped, abused, jailed, killed, executed, and permanently separated or abandoned your family. OFW=Modern Day Hero or a form of slavery.

    e. Where worsening poverty, population explosion, street children, child labor and prostitution happens do not shake the core of our humanity.

    f. Where Poor Quality Leaders produced, groomed, promoted and eventually elected due to:
    – Popularity or Name Recall
    (Showbiz/Sports/News Celebrities)
    – Sympathy Vote (popular dead relative)
    – Political Dynasties, Machinery, Traditional Politicians,
    – Money Politics (rich or endorser/sponsor)

    g. Where your government is more concern on collecting & pocketing donations (local/foreign) rather than improving Disaster Risk Prevention, Response & Preparedness against Super Typhoon, Flooding, Earthquake and Fire.
    .
    .
    .
    .

    I believe every Filipino wants to see things work and I don’t believe that our people are not moved by all of the above.

    I believe that every Filipino wants Philippines to finally progress, afford the basics: education, healthcare, food, shelter, transportation, peace & security, and a achieve better & safer future.

    Every Filipino must be determine to get out from these problems and to be determine to take back our country, and protect it for our children’s future and next generation.

    Out of the Storm of apathy, Philippines must rise again!
    Game

  24. WHO and HOW can we solve all our Problems?

    “Politicians (even if they were sincere) cannot solve all these problem because they have no technical capabilities, poor problem solving skills and lacks observations/imagination (no vision) and bad organization skills (since politician are mostly lawyers – nature of work are disputes/chaos).

    Architects, Engineers, planners, Scientist, researchers & technical people are trained to solve all these problems because they have the capability, experience & know how to design, plan & construct building, community & cities – making all our lives & environment better & safer.

    SO WHY NOT USE THEM?

    1. @ >$25billion annual remitance, Philippines main Export commodity are OFW – modern day hero or a form of slavery? Philippines rank 103 in the 2014 Global Slavery Index

    http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/download/

    In fact, real population control measure will never be implemented to maintain a continuous supply of cheap/quality labor and organ/stem cell donor to the world.

    Our money (Philippine Peso) is backed by the U.S. $ or other Foreign Currency from:

    1. Remitances our OFW bring

    2. Generated by our BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) or IPO (Industrial Process Outsourcing.

    Without these Foreign Currency – our Peso is basically worthless and trading will be difficult or impossible. 

    Nothing is wrong with overseas employment, but the sad part is we Export our Best People (OFW w/c are hard-working, productive, highly skilled & intellectual) to which result to “Brain Drain”. And forever relied on their dollar remittances to fuel our economy. Those left behind (lazy & AMPAW) who are tasked or voted to lead our nation and others are appointed to vital positions in the government.

    “It stands to reason that where there’s sacrifice, there’s someone collecting sacrificial offerings. Where there’s service, there’s someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and master, and intends to be the master” – Ayn Randolph

    2. Ruling Profession or Majority of our POLITICIANS (President/Leaders) in Government or Congress are ff.:

    a. Popular Actors/Media personalities – whose nature of work is movies/TV (fantasy or Sports not real world), or Sports Celebrities (muscle & brawn) often lack of political acumen due to poor observation & awareness (spoiled) of the real problems of our country. An actor/boxer/newscaster turned politicians can easily be manipulated (puppet) by people around him, because they are so used to reading Script or Teleprompter, and follow instructions given buy their a Coaches or Directors.

    Just because someone is popular (name recognition & charisma to capture votes and manipulate our mass with looks, smooth talk, act, sing or dance and box around important issues) doesn’t make him a good President.

    b. Lawyers – whose nature of work are disputes of legal matters (negative). They simply talk or discuss & disagree/argue with one another and often forgets logic and reasoning. So they usually end up fighting w/ one another. Thus, no one cares anymore, who is right and who is wrong. All that matters is who is friend and who is foe.

    “Being in a fight creates a new frame of mind, attitudes, expectations, and reactions that comes w/ arguing. Because the parts of the brain that handle reason and logic will be dormant. And the parts of the brain that handle hostile attacks — the fight-or-flight response — lit up.”

    This is why our political system is so divided and Philippines remains to be a 3rd World.

    We need Leaders from other professions like the ff.:

    a. Architects/Engineers – whose nature of is to Create/Build/Plan (positive)

    b. Doctors – (Dr. Mahathir) who cured & made Malaysia a very healthy (wealthy) nation.

  25. Solution: MASS TRANSPORT

    More train will reduce vehicles, pollution, accidents and promote safer & better (convenient/cleaner) future for all. Instead of EDSA Sharing Scheme and more road/flyover/expressway.

    a. EDSA Sharing Scheme – is a sure failure because of our weather condition (heavy Rain & extreme Heat) and worsening pollution problems.

    b. Road Projects – will just benefits the Motor Vehicle manufacturers and the Arabs or oil producers due to our dependency on fossil fuel.

    Government should focus not only on additional coaches, line extension or new lines (Subway/LRT/MRT/PNR), maintenance & upgrading existing train facility. But much better to include the following:

    1. Additional Railway for semi or full express train service (w/ limited stops) to reduce travel time and prevent train fast deterioration (wear & tear)

    2. Exclusive railway for Freight (container/cargo) train to accelerate the flow of goods and reduce no. of truck or lorry in roads/highway.

    3. Airport express railway system that is directly connected link to a Centralise Transport Terminal with hotel facility.

    “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transport”

    – paraphrased from Enrique Penalosa, former Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia

    https://m.facebook.com/notes/navdeep-asija/famous

    Except for the LRT, FMarcos did not improve our train system because his allies & politicians (Farinas, Singson, et.al) own the bus franchise. Maybe same reason why our government still cannot or won’t invest more on trains MRT or mass transport system.

    Even buses in Metro Manila are owned or controlled by Politicians. Provincial buses also use roads & operate also in Metro Manila.

    Maybe main concern our Government is providing employment for drivers of bus, jeepneys, taxis, FX, tricycle, and pedicab. An AMPAW way of JOB CREATION by our leaders with lazy & idle mind.

    Maybe if efficient Mass Transport System (long distant Train) was done before all over Luzon or nationwide, then everything will be decentralized from Metro Manila and it would not be this congested/over populated.

    “Politicians (even if they were sincere) cannot solve all these problem because they have no technical capabilities, poor problem solving skills and lacks observations/imagination (no vision) and bad organization skills (since politician are mostly lawyers – nature of work are disputes/chaos).

    FMarcos wasted 20yrs. 1-LRT

    all Leader since EDSA wasted 3Oyrs (2 MRT lines)

    Total of 50 wasted years (4 MRT/LRT).

    Lee Kuan Yew made Singapore from a dump to 1st world for only 30yrs. (it only take 1 man with vision).

    Singapore Mass Rapid

    Number of lines = 6

    Number of stations = 113

    Daily ridership = 2.899 million (2014)

    Operation Began operation

    November 7, 1987; 27 years ago

  26. lahat ng problema sa traffic, poverty, corruption naka salalay sa mga leaders natin sa gobyerno, meron rin tayong mapiking partisipasyon sa mga naging problema, kasi tayo ang bumoto sa kanila. Kung maiiwasan ang coruption edi sana lahat ng lugar sa pilipinas ay maunlad na, hindi tayo mag sisiksikan sa metro manila para mag trabaho. Maganda na rin yung may mga nahuhuli ngayon na mga mag nanakaw sa gobyerno, pero kung iisipin maige, e nakapag nakaw na sila, pwede namang maiwasan bago gawin. Halimbawa isang tao ay tumakbo ng kagawad at nanalo, malamang ang susunod nyan tatakbo na ng chairman, so on and so fort. Dapat kasi once na nakapag linkod kana sa gobyerno, hindi kana pwede tumakbo at kahit sino man sa pamilya mo. E pano mahuhuli ang mga magnanakaw e ang papalit sa pwesto ay kung hindi anak o asawa. Dapat nga lagyan ng standard ang mga pwesto sa gobyerno para hindi basta basta mapasok ng mgw wala na mang gagawin. E kung sa isang malaking kumpanya nga pag nag apply ka ng manager dapat maganda credentials mo, hindi ka magiging manager sa isang kimpanya kung sasabihin mo lang na sikat ka sa barangay nyo. Ang daminy graduate sa up, lasale ateneo at ust na matatalino, bakit hindi sila pag bigyan maging leader, kasi ang labanan sa politika, pera at kung sinong sikat, kaya nawawala ang pure public service. Kung mababawasan ang coruption, sigurado ang pondo ng bayan mapupunta sa bagong kalsada, pondo pang militar para hindi tayo mukang kawawa. Yung batas natin napaka luma na, dapat ma upgrade na, e computer nga na uupgrade, sa botohan pa lang madami ng contra sa computerization, e pano sanay sa dayaan. Ako sang ayon sa charter change, para matumbok kung saan may pagkukulang, at para mapag aralan kung papano hindi makapag nakaw ang mga nasa gobyerno. Pag ok na gobyerno natin may bullet train na tayo.

  27. Nice thoughts. But the problem is population. The MRT was designed in 1999 to transport 350,000 daily. Today, daily ridership is 600,000. When I left the Philippines in 1984, the population was 50 million and 6 million (daytime-including out of town workers) in the country and Metro Manila respectively. Today, there are 110,000,000 and 20,000,000. It is squeezing three Californias worth of people in a piece of land the size of Arizona. The Philippines has a larger population than Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hongkong, and Taiwan, COMBINED. There are shortages everywhere: electricity, license plates, rice, water. The solution? None whatsoever. Just need to suck it up and deal with it. 😉

  28. It’s the fucking culture of mediocrity in this country. People voted for a mediocre person to be president, and now we get mediocre government service. And it’s still a wonder there are more people who think this mediocre government is doing okay.

  29. This is a very accurate description of the average working & commuting Filipino. And the unfortunate consequences faced due to the challenge of getting to and from work. Thanks Dustin!

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