The other day, my friend coming from Canada called me up to have a bonding time for the two of us. We're doing this for a decade now, when both of us, are actually at the Philippine soil. Before, when I was working in Dubai City, I called him up regularly to extend some news that he passionately love, Philippine Politics.
I went to pizza restaurant and waited for him for two hours, that I nearly went home waiting for him. But, when I saw him, my anger was washed away by tsunami and bear-hugged him saying, “I miss you friend.”
He looked at me squarely without saying a word. We seated facing each other and he started to eat. I picked a slice of pizza and ate it too. No words coming from both of us. After finishing the two 12-inch pizza, I observed him totally. He wryly smiled at me and said, “How are you my friend?”
I said, “I’m okay and you?”
My question triggered his emotion to tell me his observation about the Philippines.
“Friend, I thought our country’s well and productive as of this moment, because of the present Administration. But I was wrong.” He continued his sorrowful storytelling while I listened to him.
The first subject matter he discussed about was the traffic congestion along EDSA that he encountered while coming from his resident in Quezon City. “Of course I know how much money is lost due to non-productivity from traffic. Now adding to that, the misery of inflation due to the MRT3 breakdowns was not even benefiting the economy coz it went to the drain perfectly. And after all this, we still have horrendous traffic affecting every sector of Metro Manila. I mean, the medicine that was supposedly to cure the disease just accelerated the progression of the illness.
The Pnoy Administration’s not at all concerned with what was happening with MRT3 train system and the riding public. He assigned Joseph Emilio Abaya as DOTC Secretary but nothing’s changed from the onset of his management. The maintenance people cannot give proper solutions to the breakdowns every now and then. So, what they’re doing was wasting their time and energy when dealing with this kind of problems.
I admit Mayor Joseph Estrada broke the status quo and after this truck ban thing, hopefully something good will come out of this crisis. But why are people complaining? It’s not because they are resistant to change, it’s because the truck ban was not well thought of. There simply was no alternative ports; Subic and Batangas ports just don’t have the capacity (combined capacity is only 1/4 that of Manila ports). The national government should construct a big port that can take up at least 50% of the load of the Manila Ports to make it profitable and economical for all stakeholders and this just might ease up traffic a bit.
The truck ban caused traffic jams from different areas in Manila alone. The businesses were getting thinner every day for their revenues.
Mayor Erap should have consulted the MMDA and the Mayors of neighboring cities before implementing this truck ban because, at present, all neighboring cities in Metro Manila were suffering for his mistakes. Not only that, the truck ban affects the entire nation as far as trade movement is concerned.
The Pnoy administration’s apologizing to the public about the MRT3 mismanagement of its operations and the traffic congestion brought by this truck banning.
The government must instantly and immediately apply their total concentrations and actions when dealing with these problems. It must have a plan beforehand to combat these kinds of crisis when worst comes to worst.
I asked him, “How do you know these…all that’s happening in the Philippines?”
“Well, my friend, remember, my father is a news anchor in Canada?” He stopped for a moment looking at me bewildered and said, "Didn't I tell this?"
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