My Painful Message to You (Las Piñas City)

It’s been quite months since I come and go in Las Piñas City from Alabang. Meaning, its about 7-months that I am wasting my almost one and half hour of almost everyday sitting in the jeepney to arrive in my greatest Zapote destination. You might think that traffic is hilarious only if coming from Alabang, but no, same is happening from Manila thru Coastal to Las Piñas. What is wrong, virtually, looks like the never ending road projects are the main issue here. But, is that really the main contention? I do not understand, are they fixing the same good road for months? Traffic is very constant in these 3 landmarks: along Alabang Toyota, Casimiro, SM SouthMall. Had I ever mentioned that one can stop at SM SouthMall for about 30 minutes, breathe some alternative air-conditioned air, come back and find Manong driver of the jeepyney you are riding for. Yes, this is how excruciating the situation can be in Alabang.

This all dramatic traffic situation is emotionally stressful that one may want to cry out loud and throw some tantrum to its Mayor. You see how many times I have been late with my schedules. A very much ransack schedule, no matter how early I leave from Alabang, still I am considered late. Of course, I bet that I am not the only ranting about this being late everyday. This is making us (the people surviving Las Piñas) un-professional.

Forget the traffic and let me share with you other unhappy experiences for again my 7-months in Las Piñas:

1. Busses (many) are smoke belchers, you see, most commuters coming in and out of Las Piñas are via PUJ (Public Utility Jeepney). FXs are only available from Las Piñas to Lawton. These busses are producing heavy black amount of smokes that are happily entering the open windows of these poor jeepneys polluting every passenger’s good lungs and brains. Don’t they know that smoke and dust, those tiny particles are capable of entering into our brain cells and starting to damage them? Very unhealthy.
2. PUJ Manong drivers, most of them, are smoking while driving while they have these stickers post upfront their jeepneys saying “Smoking is not allowed in PUJ under Ordinance XXXX”.

At the end of day, these dramatic situations are very much frustrating and paniful. I hope that my brain and lungs are still of good after inhaling a 7-months amount of smoke, dust from Alabang to Las Piñas and likewise.

*Attached image is under property of Cleo Dagdag

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Your Run, My Run: Hope it is not business

Someone once told me “Run for a cause can be one of future root-causes of an evil action called ‘corruption’”. Therefore; I asked for his’ elaboration, he said: I do not understand why these participants are paying of such good amount to make themselves sweat. Are those sweats worth glorifying for? Secondly, on the question of, how sure are you that those funds are rightfully distributed for? The thought may be simple, but may create an impact on questionable minds.

On my subjective opinion: I have two folds of school of thought towards this activity. One, it is making the society holistically healthy, may that be: emotionally, physically, and socially culture wise. Secondly, it is an ideal way to generate income. Making it a more business oriented activity more than the cause.

Let us dwell on them piece by piece:

1. It may not be an everyday event that one may noticed that run for a cause is creating a very good job of scrapping the wide differences between the rich and the poor. There might be some money involve, when I said that; it means a money-registration process versus some that are of free fun runs. During the activity, everybody seems to be boldly equal if in question of status. It is by chance that people are capable of meet and greet along the road and initiate a new moderation of friendliness. Not just a status alone, it scraps the idea of age-racism. This activity threshold an idea of everybody can run and prove to oneself that: I may be on my 50’s but I can finish a 10km run. Or, I may be 7-yr old kid but I can finish a 5km run. Isn’t it appealing and self-fulfilling.

Lastly, Filipinos may be known to be good at sports arena in so many ways. However; on a common knowledge it is our brothers and sisters on Northern part of Asia, are mostly known for their sustainable healthy lifestyle, their love for Kung Fu, Taichi, dancing, and etc. On my basic observation, fun run activities here are gaining an attainable sustainable result for many of the Filipinos are now embracing a very good option of such healthy activity in repentance to bad cholesterol. Now, after running, biking is begetting more popular as well. Indeed an indication that most of the Filipinos are being open minded to such wellness.

2. In spite of the holistic wellness. It is not deniable that popularity correlates business, and gaining profits. It may not hold true due to none existence of evidences but merely based on observation. Comparing last and this year’s fee of a same event, it is obviously becoming more obvious that registration fees to some of these run are getting more excruciatingly expensive. I’m afraid with the idea of gaining profit before the cause. Again, as aforementioned, how it is equally or rightfully distributed. Or, why can’t the graphics trend can’t be this way: lowering rather increasing the fees to invite, accommodate more freewill runners. It may be an ugly course of action if participants would ask the event personnel to show their books to ensure corruption is not being committed.

To this end, most of these runners hold their trust to the event’s accountability, because that is unity of trust. Then again, hope everyone is rational and clear with the definition of trust and how it is being done.

*Image is not mine, downloaded from Think Quest via Google.