Showing posts with label light rail transit. Show all posts

The Hopeless Light Rail Transit (LRT)

By Apolinario Villalobos

When I took the LRT to Sta. Cruz on the morning of January 10, 2016, I noticed that the driver was not making announcements about precautions and as we were approaching stations as part of their standard operating procedure. Instead of the announcement via the PA system, the security guard on board was making the announcement to the highest level of his voice that he could muster. I presumed the driver was not in the mood or just plain lazy, until I finally drew enough courage to ask the security guard why it was so. He told me that the PA system of the train I have taken was kaput…broken…wrecked, defunct - for several days.

While the LRT management may treat such breakdown a trivial matter, for the commuters, especially, those who are new in Manila, it is not. The announcement being made as the train approaches each station is an important information for the local and foreign visitors who are taking the “risk” of riding the LRT train despite the discouraging forewarnings from the media about its frequent breakdown. Without the announcement, those who are not familiar with the stations along the route must crane their neck to have a glimpse of the station signboard or ask other passengers, otherwise, they might overshoot their destination.

The joke today is that, if one plans to take the LRT or its “sister train of anguish”, the MRT, he or she must have an “allowance” of at least two hours. The two hours are for the trek along the rails to the nearest station when the train suddenly comes to a grinding stop….yes, grinding because of the frightening “metal to metal” screeching sound of the wheels. When there’s a downpour, pity are those without umbrella. When the sun is generous with its scorching rays, pity are those without the same contraption for shade.

The elevators are still out of order. The escalators are still resting. The toilets are still padlocked, except for one or two. But, fortunately, the employees are doing their best to be nice with their ever ready smile and uncomplaining stance even when four or five passengers one after another pay in crispy one thousand peso bill. These are the people in the lower rung of operation who are trying make up for the handicaps of the LRT system. Meanwhile, those at the top, including the DOTC secretary, Emilio Abaya, are so embarrassingly naïve to the situation that noisy calls for their resignation fall to deaf ears….theirs and those of the president of the nation, Benigno S. Aquino III.

Progress: Philippine Style

By Apolinario Villalobos

If progress could also mean “growth” and “development”, then the Philippines is far from it, yet. However, if the present administration, as well as, the local and international survey firms insist on their “perception” that indeed, the Philippines is moving forward, let them dwell in their dream!

What perhaps, the Philippine government touts is the “showcase” contained in the bursting city of Manila where condos-cum-commercial structures and malls have mushroomed, staffed with underpaid Filipinos kowtowing to foreign owners, while its periphery is yes, bursting with depressed areas, squatters, in the common lingo. On the other hand, the countryside is totally left out. College and university graduates flock to Manila and one or two other major cities to add their number to the already massing unemployed. Aging and poor parents have no recourse but sell their rice fields to unscrupulous subdivision developers, reducing in the process, the source of the country’s staple food and necessitating importation from neighboring Asian countries whose rice technicians and scientists have enhanced their knowledge at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna…. PHILIPPINES!

It is embarrassing, but the country’s mass transport system that should be among the marks of development are floundering, fast deteriorating due to substandard materials resulting to frequent breakdowns – that is the state of MRT, pride of the Arroyo administration. And, now under the Aquino administration, the management of the said mass transport system is found to be allegedly reeking of corruption, resulting to the booting out of its former chief, Vitangcol. Embarrassingly, the present administration has literally applied the “band aid” solution to the frequent breakdowns, by welding up the cracked segments of rails!...and, for how many weeks will the welded segments of the substandard steel rails last?

As if the frequent breakdown of MRT is not enough, passengers are also clamoring for toilets in every terminal. This important facility is likewise, not found in LRT terminals. For sure their respective management will defensively declare that there are toilets, but where are they located? This facility is supposed to be located at every terminal for the convenience of commuters. What are the high fares for, if the commuters will not be provided with toilets?

The administrations after Marcos did not appreciate the former dictator’s idea to apply a stiff control on the importation of cars, in view of the limited road space. To date, while the total length of road system remained the same, cars, both brand new and pre-used from other countries, continue flooding the local market. New cars even run with conduction stickers instead of the officially-issued plates which during the time of Marcos was prohibited. The reason?...non-availability of new plates! But who is at fault…who faltered? What happened to the budget? Are those responsible for the failure ever charged?

The current administration has approved a loan-based project to ease the traffic congestion in Manila – the subway system. It could be the longest swimming pool in the making. An expensive disaster. How can it not be expected it to fail, when even the elevated “fly-over” roads get flooded? The underpasses in front of the Manila City Hall and Quiapo cannot even be sustained by suctions of antiquated machines, how much more for the kilometers-long subway? Can we rely on the already proven graft-riddled bidding and construction systems in the country? Are the bright government officials blind to the fact that Manila is below sea level resulting to the flooding even after just a light downpour? Also, the fact that the antiquated drainage system that gets gagged  by just an ankle deep flood is another major cause of flood. Add to this the already seen and experienced poor management of facilities because of the “bahala na” attitude.

And now, for a classic system, it is only in the Philippines where the public facilities change color every time a new administration assumes office. Public facilities are practically repainted to suit the party color of the new administration. Unfinished projects of the past administration become doomed, and some ongoing projects are stopped, with structures ripped down to eliminate the impression of the former authority. The Philippines indeed, has a classic example of a “build and destroy” type of government!

One big question now is, what progress will the Filipinos expect for a pitifully ailing and corrupt Republic in this part of Asia where “friendship” and “indebtedness” among government officials overshadow professionalism?

Ang LRT at MRT

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Ang LRT ay ginawa noong panahon ni Marcos. Hanggang ngayon, ilang dekada na ang nakalipas ay wala halos narinig na aberyang nangyari sa pagpapatakbo nito. Ang MRT ay ginawa noong panahon ni Gloria Arroyo. Iilang taon pa lang ang nakalipas, nakakapanindig-balahibong mga aberya na ang sunud-sunod na nangyari at nangyayari na ang iba ay magkasunod sa iisang araw. Ang sabi ng marami, noong panahon ni Marcos, takot ang mga opisyal na gumawa ng katarantaduhan kaya magaganda at de-kalidad ang mga proyekto. Isa lang daw kasi ang korap.  Subalit pagkapatalsik kay Marcos, nawala na ang takot ng mga opisyal kaya nagkanya-kanya na ng pangungurakot na ang direktang naapektuhan ay ang kalidad ng mga proyekto – isa na diyan ang MRT.

Nitong huling mga araw, naglabasan ang mga kuwento tungkol sa mga imported na materyales pangkonstruksiyon na mahina ang klase. Nariyan ang yero na animo ay cardboard sa kalambutan at bakal na kahit sa tagal ng pagkakatambak ay “lumiliyad” sa kalambutan. Isa sa mga “sakit” ngayon ng MRT ay ang pagkakaroon ng lamat ng mga riles na bakal, kaya kamakailan lamang ay kailangang paigsiin ang oras sa pagpapatakbo nito upang magkaroon ng panahon sa pagkumpuni ng riles tulad ng pagputol ng bahagi na may lamat upang mapalitan ng bago. Ang nakakabahala dito ay hindi na buo ang riles kaya mas lalong malaki ang posibilidad na ito ay maghiwalay sa dugtungan at mangyari ang pagkadiskarel ng mga bagon! Paano na kung sa pagkadiskarel ng mga bagon ay nahulog pa ang mga ito?

Ang tanong ngayon ay kung bakit hindi iginaya ang sistema ng MRT sa maayos na sistema ng tumatakbo nang LRT, lalo na sa klase ng materyales at disenyo upang “nagkakahiraman” ang mga ito ng mga kailangang piyesa, at upang ang pagmintina ay hindi mahirap. Hindi dapat idahilan ang bidding na dapat ay mababa dahil ang nakasalalay ay ang pangmatagalang paggamit at buhay ng mga mananakay.

Kamakailan pa rin ay nagkaroon ng isyu tungkol sa pangungurakot daw ni Vitangcol na dating namuno ng MRT, kaya tuloy nahantad na ang dahilan ng paghihingalo ngayon ng mass transport system na ito ay ang walang takot na pangungurakot!

Sa ngayon pinapatakbo ang MRT kahit may agam-agam pa rin upang kahit papaano ay maibsan ang problema sa pagbiyahe ng mga taga-Manila. Subali’t hanggang kaylan sila pahihirapan ng pag-alala na anumang sandali ay may sakunang mangyayari sa kanila….na sana ay huwag naman?

(LRT – light rail transit; MRT – metro rail transit)