The Hellish Traffic of Manila

…making life in the city equally hellish!

By Apolinario Villalobos

Manila is no longer a dream city that it used to be…and the culprit is its hellish traffic! Whether the season is summer or rainy months, the unpleasant experience of traveling around the city can get into one’s nerve. Distance is no longer what one reckons when going to his destination, but the heavy traffic and the ongoing road projects. Doubling the allocated travel time has become the norm, so that one shall not miss an appointment.

What makes the situation worse is the unreliability of the dilapidated mass transit systems – the LRT and the MRT. These poor man’s transport systems have in many instances jeopardized the safety of commuters by abruptly getting stalled kilometers away from stations. The commuters had to get off the train and gingerly walk on the railway planks. On the other hand, evil-minded taxi drivers dupe passengers by offering their contracted service instead of using the meter.

With the onset of the rainy season, commuting students and office workers can be lucky if they make it home before midnight. During heavy downpour, they either patiently stand under awnings the whole night or wade through knee-deep flood all the way home.

The weather bureau no longer issues warning on the oncoming typhoons alone, but also on expected heavy downpour that could cause floods all over the metro in minutes. And, because of the clogged drainage system of practically the whole metro Manila and its suburbs, even exclusive subdivisions, to date, are also suffering from inundations.

Those in the provinces are therefore advised not to spend hard-earned money for fares to Manila if their intention is to shop or enjoy the sights in the city. First of all, major provincial capitals all over the Philippines have malls that equal the “grandness” of malls in Manila. Secondly, there is not much to see in Manila other than the historical sites that are still waiting to be rehabilitated. There are theme parks alright, but are not really that impressive. Lastly, it is best to check the internet for better destinations around the country where hard-earned money can be wisely spent.

If there is one word that can describe Manila, it is “decrepit” emphasized by stinking esteros, uncollected garbage, and of course, the hellish traffic. The mushrooming of towering structures cannot camouflage its real state. What foreign tourists who made the mistake of including Manila in their list of Asian destinations, can do, is spend precious time in casinos, rather than gulp the polluted air of the city while stuck in the traffic, especially during the rainy months. Their best option, however, is getting on flights for provincial destinations to see the real Philippines, making Manila just a transit point in their journey.

If one may ask who are to be blamed for all those. The answer as always, are the corrupt government officials who obviously allow the construction of worthless roads that cannot even stand light rains, hence, get pockmarked with holes in just less than a year. The poor quality of projects give them reason for regular repairs that call for regular release of budgets…and what else follow, but fat commissions! Worst, even freshly asphalted roads get peeled so that they can be overlaid with concrete, that of course, are expected to crack in just less than a year, too, because of their poor quality!

So, that’s the Manila today…

Ang Pakikinig

…sining at kakayahang nawawala na

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Ang pakikinig ay isang sining at kakayahan, subali’t sa panahong kasalukuyan, nawawala na ang mga nabanggit na pantukoy  dahil ang mga tao ay nagkakanya-kanya na ng mundo…halos wala nang panahong makipag-usap sa isa’t isa. Kung makipag-usap man, nagmamadali kaya hindi pa man umiinit ang puwet sa inupuan ay nakatayo na agad at nakaakma nang umalis.

Siguro ginawang dalawa ang tenga ng tao upang para sa mga ayaw magtago o magtabi ng mga napakinggan ay pwedeng palabasin ang mga ito sa kabilang tenga. Mayroon din sigurong mga tengang hindi nililinis palagi upang matanggalan ng tutule kaya ang mga sinasabi sa kanila ay hindi nakakapasok. At mayroon pa rin sigurong maraming liku-liko ang loob ng tenga kaya hindi naiintindihang masyado ang sinasabi sa kanila, kaya iba ang mga ginagawa sa mga dapat ay pinapagawa.

Ang isa pang dapat mangyari ay manimbang ang isang nakarinig ng mga kuwentong hindi maganda kung ito ay ipaparating sa iba o sarilinan na lamang niya. Kung minsan, ang kawalan ng panimbang ang nagiging dahilan ng mga kaguluhan dahil naikakalat ng isang nakarinig ang mga kuwentong dapat ay tumigil na sa kanya. Ito rin marahil ang dahilan kung bakit ang gamit ng tenga ay magbigay ng balanse sa ating katawan. Dapat malaman na ang isang dahilan kung bakit naduduleng o tabingi ang pagtayo o paglakad ng isang tao ay dahil may diperensiya ito sa tenga.

Ang pinakamasaklap ay ang kusang hindi pakikinig ng isang taong nangako pa naman sa simula ng panunungkulan – with a smile!….yan si Pnoy. Ang sinabi niya noon na: “kayo ang boss ko…hindi maaaring hindi ako makikinig sa inyo”, ay walang nangyari. Sa dami ng mga sinabi sa kanya tungkol sa pagka-inutil ng mga tauhan niya, kahit isa ay wala siyang pinakinggan. Ang napapansin ng mga Pilipino ay ang mistulang ugali niya na “sige na lang” kapag Ombudsman ang kumilos tulad ng ginawa nito kay Purisima at nitong huli ay kay Vitangcol. Sa Ingles, ang tawag sa kanila ay mga “sacrificial lamb”, naubusan na kasi siya ng dahilan upang pigilan pa ang desisyon na naibulgar na.

The Passage to the Other Life

…if indeed, there is one

By Apolinario Villalobos

My experience of a “near- death” was when I rolled down Mt. Hibok-hibok resulting to a series of bumps that my head suffered from the boulders. What I felt was a floating sensation while I was enveloped by a blinding light. I did not see the light at the end of a tunnel as other near-dead claim. When I came to, I found out that it happened in split second…so fast that I did not feel so much physical pain. What pained was my pride.

There are stories about spirits of those who encountered sudden death that still linger at the site of accident. There are also stories of those whose spirits still cling to their worldly wealth. Still, there are stories of those who died without taking the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, so that their spirit kept roaming around to seek help by way of prayers. And, finally, the spirit of those who died without talking to their adversaries to seek forgiveness, are said to be lingering in limbo, waiting for dispensation.

The belief in the afterlife is not universal. Some religions do not advocate such, while some even claim rebirth in another body, or reincarnation. Some religions do not believe in hell, hence, for them there is no heaven, too. But some believe in such two eternal destinations of spirits.

Whatever is our belief, it should be noted that there are just two things that we can do in this world: to do good or to do bad. The universal view is that if we do good, we make others happy, and if we do bad things, we make others suffer. It is important therefore, that we leave the world with a clean record, by seeking clemency for our wrong deeds while we are still gasping for breath, so that others will not remember us for our bad deeds.

Tolerance should be respected

By Apolinario Villalobos

There is nothing wrong with tolerance which even the people’s pope, Francis is practicing. It is important however, that we should recognize and respect such. It should be noted that our rights end where the rights of others begin. Tolerating the ways of others should not mean that they are given the right to go beyond the line beyond which others dwell on their own rights.

In this regard, it is important that religions should be tolerated and respected – not abused and ridiculed. The latest bombing of Charlie Hebdon in France is a clear manifestation of how some people can have the temerity to ridicule other people’s religion, this time, Islam. The bombed group even has the gall to justify their act by mentioning that the new pope had his share of ridicule, but the latter did not react. How can these people forget that human beings differ in their degree of tolerance?  …or better, people belonging to different races differ in character from each other? Why can’t these French just ridicule their fellow French, for fun?

Most importantly, religion is such a sensitive issue deserving utmost respect. Its spirituality deserves the highest degree of esteem, as it deals with a person’s total being – his life and relationship with his Creator. And, nobody has the right to question such faith.

The Islamic State issue is more than annoying enough that it even disheartens some Muslims who go against the violent ways of the said movement. Comparing faiths at this time is uncalled for and can just worsen the heating up friction between the Christian and Islamic faiths. Groups of so-called “concerned intelligentsia” are nothing but hypocrites who cannot even discern the simple meaning of the “Golden Rule”.

Finally, the best act that one can do if he desires to go beyond boundaries of differences is by simply extending a hand beyond them for the sole purpose of helping.

The Threat of Uncontrolled Tourism

…signals the downfall of Philippines’ last hope

By Apolinario Villalobos

Due to the unbecoming effort of the Philippines to become a prime tourist destination in Asia, it disregarded one important factor in this kind of industry – control of infrastructure. One glaring ruthless result of this is the virtual “rape” of Boracay Island. The tiny island fringed with white sand beaches is now suffering from the onslaught of the uncontrolled rise of 5-star hotels and resorts that resulted to the pollution of its water due to overflowing septic tanks. The once pristine and clear waters are now covered with layers of muck and algae.

What happened to Boracay can happen to any other touristic destinations around the country. The problem lies in the failure of the Department of Tourism to spearhead and advocate eco-tourism which is what the Philippines, as a third-world country, needs. The people behind the desks in the offices of the agency seem to have forgotten that not all tourists require luxurious hotels and resorts. These people thought that for a destination to be attractive, it must have 5-star luxurious facilities, that is why, they keep on encouraging investors to put these up in prospective and thriving destinations.

During the 70’s, “backyard tourism”, the precursor of “eco-tourism” has been advocated, primarily, by Philippine Airlines in cooperation with travel agents and the earlier eco-oriented personnel of the Department of Tourism. The idea was to give the opportunity of managing the needs of the tourists to the locals. In line with this, establishment of comfortable facilities, not the type of multi-storied hotels and expensive resorts, were encouraged. The backyard tourism was conceptualized to preserve the exemplar setting of the destination, thereby, preventing the drastic alteration of its landscape. Also, the locals are given the chance to show what the real Filipino hospitality is like. But those former people of the agency are gone, supplanted by another set of personnel with a different outlook.

With agriculture gone because of the once rice fields giving way to malls and condo buildings, slumping fishing due to the problem with China in the West Philippine Sea, denuding of forests due to careless logging, and exhaustion of mineral deposits due to incessant ventures of foreign stake holders, the only hope left is with tourism…but at the rate another form of abuse is going, the Philippines will be finally left with nothing else that can be seriously called “industry”, and which Filipinos can be proud of.

The Mental Exercise in the Cyberspace

also Benefits the Body as a Whole

By Apolinario Villalobos

The developers of blog sites such as blogspot, wordpress,Tumbler, facebook, etc., must have known the fact that all men have related ideas but some just beat the rest in posting them, hence, the buttons for the “like” and “comment”. If the viewer of a blog for instance, conforms to it because he has the same idea, he clicks the “like”, and if he feels like bringing out his own, he clicks the “comment” and proceeds to enhance the blog. That is the reason why posted or blogged materials are called “shares”.

Bloggers tickle the mind of viewers so that they will let go of what they harbor deep within the recesses of their brain. This makes the bloggers as initiators of discussions in forums of various blog sites. Some viewers may not even be aware about their ideas until they have come across blogs related to theirs. The only problem in this healthy exercise, are the “bashers” who muddle the discussion by interjecting unnecessary and irritating remarks. These are the viewers who try to join the intellectual intercourse, but could not honestly accept their limitation that gives them a feeling of inadequacy. What the “bashers” should do is absorb, instead, what are shared by bloggers and viewers to enhance their bit of knowledge on what are being discussed.  This opportunity should be seized by the “bashers” to enhance what teeny weeny bit of information they may have in their brain.

A simple vintage photo about happy school days posted on the facebook is enough to agitate the memory of the viewer while identifying those giving their best pose, which means that he is “exercising” his brain. A simple quote about the Virgin Mary or Jesus or the Pope or Mother Theresa, is enough to make a viewer think of something that can be correlated to it – another mental exercise. And, a long dissertation on politics, history, or science can provoke a viewer to think deeper for a better analysis of what is being shared – still another exercise, though, a heavy one.

The internet has given us a cheap opportunity to keep us mentally fit and healthy. All we need to do is just browse through the sites, absorb what we need, and share what we got. The brain is just like the body that needs an exercise, otherwise, if left idle, it will just be wasted and turn into a worthless gray matter that crams the head.

What is nice about the various cyberspace forums is the opportunity to execute what are being shared. Some viewers have learned how to cook through internet browsing. Still others somehow learned of their country’s history though shared trivia. Viewers whose farthest venture away from home is not more than fifty kilometers have learned about Africa through posted photos and travelogues. On my part, I must admit that through the cyberspace, I was able to pick up information about the traditional medicinal herbs that I need to improve my health. In other words, the mental intercourse in the cyberspace also benefits not only the mind, but the whole physical being of the viewer, as well.

Finally, the “addicts” of the games such as “candy crush”, solitaire, etc., as well as, facebook, need not be bashful about them, because they also provide some kind of mental exercise in another form. They are the mental equivalent of the “twirking” and zumba physical exercises that the body needs for toning. So the next time you tell your friends about the point you have earned in the nerve-wrecking and mentally taxing “candy crush”, be proud of it. You should also be proud and feel emotionally-boosted, after you have successfully located your childhood friends and classmates through facebook…so, now you can look forward to a grand and jovial reunion!

TWO THOUGHTS ON FAKE RICE AND NOODLES,

AND POISONED DURIAN CANDIES…

By Apolinario Villalobos

IT IS ONLY BY DOING THE ABOVE THAT THE “INTELLIGENT” AND “HARDWORKING” LAWMAKERS CAN SHOW THEIR “SINCERITY” IN PASSING LAWS THAT ARE NOT INTENTIONALLY- MADE DEFECTIVE SO THAT THEY BE EASILY “BROKEN”…IN AID OF CORRUPTION.

THE LAWMAKERS SHOULD TAKE SPECIAL NOTE ON WHY ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE ONLY CENTERED ON DAVAO, THE DOMAIN OF DUTERTE. THEY SHOULD ASK THEMSELVES WHY….WITH ONE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION…IS IT A DEMOLITION “JOB”?

THE POISONED DURIANS, ALTHOUGH, DISTRIBUTED IN SURIGAO CITY, ARE WITHOUT QUESTION SYNONYMOUS TO DAVAO OR DAVAO CITY…AND, THE PERPETRATORS SEEM WANT TO SHOW THAT DUTERTE IS INUTILE IN CHECKING THEM.