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Showing posts with the label Manila

A Day in the Life of Juan dela Cruz, a Filipino Commuter

A typical working day of an ordinary Filipino usually starts at four (4) o’clock in the morning. Really? Well, that’s a rough estimate. But the reasoning behind is that if you will come from the north or south of Manila, allocating two (2) hours travel will land you safe – helps you avoid getting late for your 9:00am time-in job. But still there is no guarantee to that. Practically, a three to four hours total time allocation or allowance will enable a Filipino commuter to be at work just right on time. How true is that? Alright, for the sake of argument, let’s dissect that lengthy hours right on this blog. Filipino Commuters fighting for space in a Public Utility Bus If you are a Filipino commuter, chances are, you don’t have to argue with me on this matter. But one may say, it depends on where you live and where you work. Okay, we’re talking about the average Filipino commuters here. Those who are living more than 20 kilometers outside Metro Manila, practically Filipinos wh

Metro Manila - the City of the Filipinos that Never Sleeps

They say that, like the big New York City, “the city never sleeps”. Well, that applies to Philippine cities too. In the eyes and ears of a businessman, this looks and sounds so true. Just think of shops like 7-11, Mini Stop, and Mercury Drugs – these are some of the stores here in the Philippines that attends to the Filipino needs day and night. The lights are lit, air-conditioning units are on, and the door is open 24/7 to customers. And for workers on graveyard or night shifts, stores like these are the places to go – to grab a hot coffee or bite a piece of bread. Metro Manila at Night Time Metro Manila In the Philippines, that call name or nickname of the city is very much applicable to Metro Manila. For instance, car engines are roaring, red lights are flashing, the traffic lights are blinking, and street lights are shining in this gigantic city from sunset till dawn. This is an indication that Filipinos are also ready to conquer the nights in order to survive, earn a l

"Wonder Boy"

Several weeks ago, when me and my wife are into this exercise-walking routine, we met this guy in his 30’s. He came out of nowhere and showed up on us right in front of a Catholic Church where we stopped for a while. All of a sudden, while I am taking photos of the wall art in the other side of the road, this guy in a funny yet sincere tone asked me: Isang picture naman diyan oh! (One photo shoot if you please!) With bit of a surprise, I told the guy, “O sige, posing ka” (Okay, you do your pose). But then instead of just posing the normal way (that moment wherein it is your first time to meet a complete stranger, you know), this guy poses the unusual ways. Quite cumbersome to describe, so here are the photo shots for you to have a look! Near this wall art is where I met "Wonder Boy". After this interesting yet mind-blowing photo-shoot encounter, the guy then tell something again. “Kuya, konti barya naman diyan oh”. (Brother, some small amount i

"Singaporing" Manila – Reversing the Reality Part 3

This blog is the continuation of the previous post: "Singaporing" Manila – Reversing the Reality Part 2 When I went to Singapore in 2012, there is an estimated 163,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)in this country. When you look at the map of Singapore, it is really so small that some call this country as the “little red dot”. The government of Singapore is parliamentary (it has a prime minister) and motorists drive on the left side of the road. Now, take a look on these photos portraying the everyday life in Singapore. Singapore has 55 urban planning areas that are organized into five regions. If you take a closer look on the public transportation system of this country, you will notice how the railroads, highways, streets, and even river systems were developed. They devised the so-called 1991 Concept Plan which was introduced by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Here in the Philippines, we have the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) which was formed in 1975. Acco