All Will Drive
The good, the bad and the ugly
by Vernon B. Sarne 27 Feb 2010
As we enter the homestretch of the election season, let me point out three interesting things I’ve noticed on the road recently.
The good: The removal of U-turn slots and the return of green traffic signs. Somebody inside the MMDA finally grew some gray matter. During the time of Bayani Fernando, the agency’s goal was to make the Philippines the U-turn capital of the world, and pink its national color. It was awful.
Bottlenecks became a common sight wherever there was a U-turn slot, with jeepneys and even trucks often jostling inside the turn. The presence of a U-turn slot every half a kilometer or so pandered to the Filipino motorist’s bad habit of wanting to turn as quickly as possible, creating pockets of motorized chaos along the road.
And then, of course, Bayani painted the town pink. Our urban walls became tasteless murals. Tourists only had to look at our traffic signs to understand why this country is so screwed. It’s because we like doing things just for the heck of it.
I’ve driven on C-5 a few times since a new chairman took over the MMDA, with the U-turn slots now removed. I’ve had to drive a longer route to make a turn going to Quezon City from Pasig, but the flow of traffic has been significantly smoother and faster. That’s how motoring should be like.
I’ve also seen new traffic signs rendered in green. They’re clearer, more pleasant-looking and--more importantly--in keeping with international standards. I hear Bayani slammed this development as being politically motivated. Imagine if his logic makes it to Malacaņang.
The bad: GMA’s footbridge banners. If you drive around Metro Manila, you’ve certainly seen this propagandist message: “Salamat po! Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa footbridge na ito.” The first time I saw this, my first thought was: No wonder this country is in deep shit--our president is busy constructing footbridges.
Seriously, why are we thanking anyone for footbridges? It’s our money they use to build these, right? Government officials should be thanking us for the kickbacks they pocket from these overpasses, not the other way around. Or are a few beneficiaries thanking GMA for signing eleventh-hour contracts to put up these bridges? In that case, they should just send her flowers or something. No need to let the public in on their profitable deal. It’s such an eyesore.
Worse, is the GMA camp responsible for these banners, in the hopes they would put some shimmer on her legacy? They should know presidents are not remembered for footbridges; it’s not their job to make them. Presidents are remembered for what they’ve made of the country during their stay in office. And judging by what this country has become under GMA’s watch, not even the San Juanico Bridge can make us remember her in a favorable light.
The ugly: Erap’s pro-poor posters. I was recently trailing a tricycle when I noticed the poster hanging behind it. It read: “Tricycle ni Erap, tapat sa mahirap.” Wasn’t this the same guy we kicked out of Malacaņang nearly a decade ago? How come we’re allowing him to run again for the presidency? In the words of Al Pacino in Scent Of A Woman: “What a shame! What kind of a show are you guys putting on here today?”
The saddest thing here is that we’re allowing this man to keep fooling the poor and toying with their hopes and dreams. When did enriching oneself in power and keeping high-maintenance mistresses become pro-poor? And then we howl in protest every time the international community laughs at us?
The good: The removal of U-turn slots and the return of green traffic signs. Somebody inside the MMDA finally grew some gray matter. During the time of Bayani Fernando, the agency’s goal was to make the Philippines the U-turn capital of the world, and pink its national color. It was awful.
Bottlenecks became a common sight wherever there was a U-turn slot, with jeepneys and even trucks often jostling inside the turn. The presence of a U-turn slot every half a kilometer or so pandered to the Filipino motorist’s bad habit of wanting to turn as quickly as possible, creating pockets of motorized chaos along the road.
And then, of course, Bayani painted the town pink. Our urban walls became tasteless murals. Tourists only had to look at our traffic signs to understand why this country is so screwed. It’s because we like doing things just for the heck of it.
I’ve driven on C-5 a few times since a new chairman took over the MMDA, with the U-turn slots now removed. I’ve had to drive a longer route to make a turn going to Quezon City from Pasig, but the flow of traffic has been significantly smoother and faster. That’s how motoring should be like.
I’ve also seen new traffic signs rendered in green. They’re clearer, more pleasant-looking and--more importantly--in keeping with international standards. I hear Bayani slammed this development as being politically motivated. Imagine if his logic makes it to Malacaņang.
The bad: GMA’s footbridge banners. If you drive around Metro Manila, you’ve certainly seen this propagandist message: “Salamat po! Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa footbridge na ito.” The first time I saw this, my first thought was: No wonder this country is in deep shit--our president is busy constructing footbridges.
Seriously, why are we thanking anyone for footbridges? It’s our money they use to build these, right? Government officials should be thanking us for the kickbacks they pocket from these overpasses, not the other way around. Or are a few beneficiaries thanking GMA for signing eleventh-hour contracts to put up these bridges? In that case, they should just send her flowers or something. No need to let the public in on their profitable deal. It’s such an eyesore.
Worse, is the GMA camp responsible for these banners, in the hopes they would put some shimmer on her legacy? They should know presidents are not remembered for footbridges; it’s not their job to make them. Presidents are remembered for what they’ve made of the country during their stay in office. And judging by what this country has become under GMA’s watch, not even the San Juanico Bridge can make us remember her in a favorable light.
The ugly: Erap’s pro-poor posters. I was recently trailing a tricycle when I noticed the poster hanging behind it. It read: “Tricycle ni Erap, tapat sa mahirap.” Wasn’t this the same guy we kicked out of Malacaņang nearly a decade ago? How come we’re allowing him to run again for the presidency? In the words of Al Pacino in Scent Of A Woman: “What a shame! What kind of a show are you guys putting on here today?”
The saddest thing here is that we’re allowing this man to keep fooling the poor and toying with their hopes and dreams. When did enriching oneself in power and keeping high-maintenance mistresses become pro-poor? And then we howl in protest every time the international community laughs at us?
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