I WENT back to the Philippines as a balikbayan to study in a seminary in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
Weekly, from Bulacan to Nueva Ecija, I drove a car and it took me about three hours to reach my destination. The problem, e.g. Baguio and other places in Luzon, is not so much about the conditions of the road but about the tricycles who hamper travel by using the national highways.
These tricyle [drivers], though they have the right to earn a living, are blocking the streets particularly in public palengkes or markets. Without these tricycles on the streets, I could have reached Cabanatuan within one-and-a-half hours. Lack of discipline and training for traffic rules compounded the problems — endangering both motorists and pedestrians.
Let’s not wait for some big disasters to happen — they are causing deaths and accidents in every part of the country. I urge the MMDA and the LTC to act on this nuisance and obstruction in our our national highway. I urge Mr. [Bayani] Fernando, who is doing a good job as MMDA chair, to travel more by car to those places to see these problems.
– Paddy Padilla, Carson, California (via e-mail)
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September 21st, 2007 at 6:57 pm
The Philippines is a poor country. It is not even in the developing country rank these days. The only “hanapbuhay” or work that poor pinoys can do to feed themselves and their families is tricycle transportation. How many pinoys can work as factory workers? Factory must reach at least high-school or 2 years college couse. Everything is a problem in this benighted. The only untroubled in Pinas are the Filipinos themselves.
September 21st, 2007 at 5:40 pm
bulacan to ecija in 3 hours!!!!! whoaaa!!! that’s a lot of speed, mate. i’ve never heard of people dying caused by tricycles numbering by the ants on our highways. and my brother barely survived his x-trail turned turtle in NCLEX for doing 90 kph! manila-baguio in 3 hours!!! wtf!!! drive at 2 a.m., take kennon road and at top speed, you’d be lucky to arrive in four hours!! get a life. i’d rather get stuck with this hard working people than drive side by side with a speed nut sweating his patient out.
September 21st, 2007 at 9:08 am
[...] Vox Populi : Balikbayan on 3-hour Baguio trip [...]
September 21st, 2007 at 6:51 am
This is the job of the local officials primarily the mayor… (not the MMDA). The presence of tricycles on highways is one clear proof that the mayor of that town/city is not doing his/her job and does not deserve reelection…
Although I salute BF for cleaning many parts of the Metro, I do not think that he has done enough in Balintawak. The traffic there is still often heavy…
September 21st, 2007 at 1:44 am
Tama ka kabayan, sabi nga tricycle ang hari ng highway, pero sila minsan cause ng delay sa pag - travel lalo na hindi ganun kalawak ang Mc. Arthur Hi-way. Yes, Bayani Fernando and the rest of MMDA did a very good job in Metro Manila and we salute you for that, nung last vacation ko, nagulat ako sa balintawak since its so clean and walang traffic, also sa kahabaan ng edsa. Anyway to cut the story short, I agree with Paddy, Sir Bayani Fernando, go go go! Cut the travel time of Manila to Baguio to 3 hours, since I’m also from Baguio.