Fare Increase

OMG! Another fare increase!!!
What's wrong with the world!?!? Prices are going up, spend is going up, but the supply remains the same.

The Philippine Inquirer today published the news about another fare increase that has been approved by local authorities and that will take effect within the week. I remember back during my elementary days (that's about 12 years ago) that the fare was only Php 1.50 per person (Php 1.25 if student). Now, the fare is at Php 8.00 and will be at Php 8.50 within the week. That's almost a 6-fold of its original cost! Wow!

If only the fares are directly proportional to our money-making.

Full story at the Philippine Daily Inquirer here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080708-147151/UPDATE-NEDA-approves-fare-hike

The Filipino Attitude

I always believed that Filipinos have this "opportunist" attitude. By "opportunist," I mean they always seem to be very aggressive in every circumstance that would probably be beneficial to them. Sometimes this is what I call the "this-may-be-good-for-me-therefore-I-should-grab-this-opportunity" attitude.Well anyway, who wouldn't? But what sets the Filipino apart from all the other races is the MEANS to get what they want. Some people break their moral and ethical standards, or even go as far as breaking the law just to grab that "wonderful" opportunity in front of them.

Let me give you an example. This morning on my way to work at the MRT station, there were only 2 ticket booths open. Because of the large number of people wanting to buy MRT passes, a long line started to form. Then suddenly, the third ticket booth opened. I was on my way to the third booth (tinawag ako nung babae, "Miss dito na po"), and I was about to give her my money, but there was this guy who just arrived at the station and who suddenly ran in front of me and gave his bills to the lady. What an ass. See the attitude there? He saw the small space between my bill and the ticket booth lady and grabbed the opportunity of buying first instead of me, even if it meant totally disregarding the people who have already been in line for a couple of minutes.

This morning, I finally realized why only Filipinos are like this. My answer is that, we are in a country where people are not given equal opportunities. And so with that, people find ways and means to grab every opportunity that comes their way, because they might not get that chance again. In other countries, everyone has equal opportunities. They don't have to be so aggressive and disregard their ethics because they know that they will have a fair share of what's there. When I was in the States and in Singapore, people calmly line up and wait for transportation to arrive, because they know that the next bus or the next train or the next taxi will be there in a few minutes. Here in Manila, you'd have to push your way to the swarm of people just to get in front of the line.

Hay Buhay.

Yosi Boys sa Sidewalk

Haynako bad trip tong mga tao na mahilig magyosi habang naglalakad sa kalsada. Kala mo sa kanila yung daanan, buga lang ng buga kung kelan nila gusto. Hindi ba nila alam may mga tao na nasa likod nila na sakam na sakam lahat ng binubuga nilang usok!?!

Bad trip talaga pag may makasabay ako sa umaga na nasa harap ko at nagyoyosi kasi lahat ng usok nila eh nalalanghap ko. Masakit na nga sa ilong, masakit pa sa mata!! Alam ba nila ang konsepto ng "downstream" ha!?! Aynako sana naman maging considerate ang mga tao at wag na magyosi habang naglalakad kasi kawawa ang mga nasa likuran nila!!!!

Ulan = Baha = Basura

Ang isa sa mga kainakainisan ko tuwing umuulan eh ang lumusob sa mga lugar na may baha o kahit talsik talsik ng tubig lang, lalo na tuwing papunta akong opis or pauwi. Take note, yung piktyur eh yan ang dinadaanan ko lagi. Sa araw araw ba namang nilalakad ko yun, nakikita ko kung gaano kadumi ang dinadaanan ko -- may mga dura, mga plema, mga basura, mga suka (!!) ng lasing, mga natapong mga pagkain, at kung anu-ano pang madumi na nakakalat sa daan. Buti pa kung hindi basa ang daan kasi nakikita ko ang mga dumi at pwede ko itong i-avoid. Pero ngayong umuulan, wala akong choice kundi maglakad sa basang daan na kung saan naghalo halo na ang tubig ulan at mga basura. Naiinis ako lalo na kapag naka-tsinelas lang ako kasi nababasa ang paa ko, at malamang lahat ng bacteria e nadikit na sa mga kuko ko. Eh kadalasan pa naman naka-tsinelas ako kasi ayoko masira ang sapatos ko (pucha vain ito, mare). Kaya pagdating ko sa opisina o sa bahay, todo linis at alcohol ako agad sa paa, kasi kung hindi eh malamang pugad na to ng mga dura, plema, kulangot at suka. Kadirs naman o!! Bat pa kasi nila kelangan magkalat sa daan!!!

Erap Found Guilty

Today marks another memorable date on the Philippine calendar: Erap's Judgment day. Earlier this morning, former President Joseph Estrada was found GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of plunder, and has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

However, his son Senator Jinggoy Estrada and his lawyer Eduardo Serapio were acquitted of their crimes. And though the six-year trial for the former leader has finally been decided, the perjury case against Erap was dismissed, thus allowing him to stay at his resthouse until further notice.

I fear we might expect some turmoil from the crowd, especially the masa who have embraced the ex-President with open arms despite the accusations. Will this spur another EDSA revolution? Or will the masses just accept the fact that their 'hero' is not who they thought he was?

I doubt it. There are a lot of die-hard Erap fans out there, people who admire him not for being a good leader, but for his past as an action star. Sometimes Filipinos can be so gullible, and sometimes they just don't think. Or it may be because they are so passionate that their emotions cloud their thoughts. And so I don't think we'll hear the end of this anytime soon. I'm sure there's more to come.

Photo courtesy of www.inquirer.net

MRT Diaries... Again

Haynako, eto na naman ako nagsusulat tungkol sa MRT Mentality ng mga Pinoy. Pano ba naman, kaninang umaga male-late na ako, eh may eps pa sa harap ko na napaka-AWAT!! (Ewan ko ano sa tagalog yun, basta yung nakakainis na antagal na ewan!). Anyway, ganito kasi yun, di ba sa mga MRT station, meron mga escalator? Ano ba ang purpose nun? Hindi ba para mapabilis ang pag-akyat ng isang tao?

Nung nagpunta akong States, ang mga tao dun pag sumasakay ng escalator, umaandar din sila. Meaning, inaakyat rin nila yung hagdan ng escalator. Sa Pinas hindi ganun. Sa Pilipinas, ginagawang elevator ang mga escalator. Meaning, hindi ito isang means para mapabilis ang traffic, kundi isa itong means ng tamad para akyatin ang hagdan. Watdahell!? Oo guilty ako minsan sa ganun, pero naman, sa may gilid lang ako para kung sino gusto umakyat eh pwede makadaan.

Pero sa MRT, hindi lahat ng tao ganun!! Haynaku, kung kelan male-late na ako, putsa ang mga tao ayaw pa magpa-daan!! Sa gitna talaga sila ng escalator naka pwesto, at hindi ako maka-akyat sa steps! Grabe naman, late na ako eh. Kakainis!!! Kelan kaya maiintihan ni Juan dela Cruz na ang Escalator ay HINDI Elevator. Tsk.

BTW, eto pala picture na nakuha ko sa MRT Station. Wala lang, astig yung kuha ko. Walang paki-alamanan!