We think of feminism and the first thing that comes to mind is that women are a group of oppressed individuals. And that, they have humanistic virtues that must be codified.

Because of various cultural and social norms, we believe that women should be relegated to the role of a “housewife.” Roles like taking care of the children or manage any household affairs. Such ideas are dangerous whereas parenting should be a partnership that any financial, emotional or physical turmoils must be solved dynamically by life partners.

The idea of feminism is that an individual, male or female, is injected with ideas that a person must be nurturing. A person must have the motivation that we always have to care for other people. A feminist react with understanding rather than violent emotions like anger and disgust. A feminist builds on the concept of sisterhood, that people should have solidarity to solve the problems in our communities. These feminist values are the antithesis of values that espouses violence.

Equality is a core value of a feminist. The role of our women should not be decided based on their gender. Women should not be relegated to roles that only prioritize the responsibilities within the household. These things limit what women can do outside the family. Values like this in the workplace can improve teamwork thus increasing productivity.

Improving the roles of women in our community can bring new potentials to the effective management of our local resources. There is an untapped potential in Candon’s female population. 

Last Nov 28, 2019, Angat Bayi conducted a seminar at Terraza de Niño Resort in Bantay, Ilocos Sur. The seminar entitled: “Candon Young Women Fellowship Program” is aimed to empower young women in Candon and neighboring municipalities by teaching the ideas of feminism.

The event was organized by Candon Youth Movement where they invited experts from the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies. The event was funded by the International Republican Institute based in the United States of America. The program is also supported by the the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives of the Embassy of Canada and the Office of Vice President's Angat Buhay Program

"Identitatis Nostra Historiae Noster" --- Our History is who we are. We are preoccupied on the things that are going on with our lives. We have responsibilities in our life. Those responsibilities is what preoccupies our day to day activities. We have to do our chores in school, at home or during work. We strive to keep good relationships with others. All of these are the mundane and ordinary. We don't pay attention to the mundane and ordinary things because we believe that they will always be there ever unchanging.
Just like the water we drink. We know we can always have some later but we don't pay mind on how far that water have traveled or how much processing it has gone through to get into our system. Or perhaps, like Air, we breathe it in and breath it out but do not give much attention on it, where it came from or how it affects our health in ways we can't imagine.
With these, we can find parallels with our old acacia trees along our town proper. They dominate our lives. It's point of fact that many of these trees are older than any of us alive today. We don't pay too much attention to them because they are mundane things that we have to live with. But just like our old houses in Candon, they may be neglected and not given a higher value than they ought to have.
These trees are very important to Candon. Candon wouldn't be like we are now without these treasures. We wouldn't know the health of its soil, if these trees can still thrive to where they are. We wouldn't know if it has plant diseases like "heart rot" that spells total disaster for the life of the tree. We wouldn't know how much damage it has already taken from human interaction. Or we wouldn't know if it is considered by the public as a significant cultural heritage. Perhaps we can reason out that we simply don't have the resources or monetization. We probably think that the care we give them is enough to get them to heal and thrive. But how much of that is truth or are we just deluding ourselves?
These trees aren't just made to create wood for our buildings and material wealth, they are life essentials. You simply wouldn't live and grow without them. They have purified our air for as long as we live. They house birds, wildlife and microbial lifeforms that keep soil healthy and tillable for our farmers. They protect us from geological, meteorological and even social problems that we have to undertake as a community.
In just this decade alone. A few of them have already started to topple down. We blame the weather and not questioning ourselves. How much of those are our fault? Did we care for them like we care for our loved ones at home?
Just like any organism alive. It can get hurt. It can get sick. We shouldn't nail things into it or remove its protective bark. These are some of the few ways we can care for them.
They are irreplaceable. Once they are gone, future Candonians can never see something as majestic as these trees again.
Perhaps, its time to protect these trees and ultimately save our properties, our lives, and our identity.

We would look at the news, we see how people in the Philippine slums get evicted from their homes. We begrudgingly stereotype people who live in these slums as “iskwater”. We would see that evictions can easily escalate to violence. Policemen use shields and water canons and attempt to push away these people who live in those “iskwater” areas. Such affairs are indeed messy and provocative. It’s hard to understand for a lot of us why people would be so stubborn in keeping properties that they do not own.


Today, a great number of people live in those disease-infested and crime laden areas. Local government seems to be passive in providing proper solutions to this issue. Red Tape, corporate interests and a lack of proper financing only compound these problems that are being faced by people who simply want a place to live and raise their families. People simply want somewhere to live and that is a fundamental human requirement in living a normal and happy life. For all Filipinos or any human being for that matter, settling is a basic necessity that cannot be pushed under a rug.


But we seem to overlook the core of this problem. We quickly point out politicians who do kleptocratic practices or the lack of discipline by people who live in those slums. We never talk about the reason why people started living in those places. The simple answer to this is that people were simply looking for work. These people move to the city to find better opportunities that are simply lacking in the provinces. And to most of them, they cannot afford to buy real estate assets.


Local government is not much help to their plight. Common practice would be to execute evictions then remove those informal settlements and send those settlers to far-flung government housing projects that normally wouldn’t have a proper livelihood and lacking the basic commodities like water, electricity or sewerage.


This problem has sensible solutions but the problem, it seems is the lack of implementation and follow-through.


The video below tackles the subject of informal settlers and find ideas and solutions toward solving this crisis.

The traffic crisis of metro manila is such that it has been dubbed as the “Worst in South East Asia”, according to a web application, Waze. This problem has been taken as a national debate. People would talk about solutions that seem an easy choice but, as it turns out, may not be something easily executed. The cause of this problem comes from a multitude of factors that have culminated in the detriment of public health, local and national economy and public safety. The lack of proper infrastructure and the slow consolidation of existing traffic and transport systems are amongst the chief reasons why the traffic crisis is worsening. Getting from point A to point B has never been so hard in the Philippines ' capital.


This problem is something that has been building up for a long time. Common arguments on the matter range from the lack of political will, political corruption to a lack of livelihood in the country. But amongst the debate there has been a growing awareness towards urban planning and sustainable development. These subjects, as it seems, are the biggest factors in solving the traffic crisis of the metro, perhaps, even the solution to the problem.


Political will is based on what the general public feels about a topic. The public will only decide on national matters if there is an apparent culture or a prevailing popular belief in regards to a socio-political issue. With urban planning and development being a more popular topic, one has to question: Do Filipinos have a culture of urban planning and development? In this culture, what are the set of ideas that one has to know so we can achieve real-world solutions to the problem of traffic?


There are prevailing ideas in regards to urban planning and development. But the best example as a result thereof has been existing for decades right in the heart of Metro Manila. The ideas advocated by Ayala land corporation may seem only applicable to a select few but looking deeper into it, it’s less a matter of financial capacities than having an open mindset in accepting these ideas. These ideas understands the core of the traffic problem and finds lasting solutions so that future generations can enjoy their world with fewer problems in urban living.


Some of these ideas are shown in the video below:

​China, to me, has always been something of an enigma. It seems like the place is bathed in awe and mystery. Probably because that country has a very, very long history. Noodles, bamboos, pandas, sio-mai; this is the extent of my knowledge about China. Before, I would have thought that that country would be too weird for me to go to. I don’t know how to speak in Chinese and considering that China is where soy sauce was made, it's hard for me to figure out what I could eat. all of their food seems to have soy sauce in it considering I’m going on a gluten-free diet.
 
I have friends who are Chinese and I try to understand their mannerisms and lingual inflections. I make an effort to pick up some similar words into English but to no avail. Communicating with a Chinese person would easily devolve into a miming contest between me and said, Chinese person. What I have heard about the current things in China is mostly taken from what I have heard from the news. Generally, the news seems to portray that country negatively, as if someday they will rule the country or within the stretch of my imagination, would rule the world and all its material wealth or something like that. Me being too much of a pessimist would easily fall prey to the rhetoric espoused by the evening news. Or maybe not.
 
As luck would have it though, I had the opportunity to visit that country along with my boss and my company’s videographer for a project with Bank of China. At first, the pessimist in me thought that things would be a lot different there than it is in the Philippines. And, I was completely right, albeit with the wrong assumptions. I thought that I had to watch my back all the time. I wouldn’t want to offend anyone in China. I thought maybe there would be plenty of security forces, people armed with all sort of modern weaponry that If I would in as much say something bad about their country that I wouldn’t be able to see the Philippines ever again. Or maybe, I’m just being paranoid. But when we landed the first time just a couple of months ago, I did not expect to be blown away. Going to China made me realise the sheer space it has. The sense of space there seems to differ from what I’m used to. The towns and villages are connected via expressways with the the width of EDSA. The communities, the politics and social structure seem to have been multiplied many times there comparing back home. Quickly, I grabbed my phone and try to google all sorts of stuff regarding China. And, to my surprise, there was no google. It seemed that Google was not allowed to be accessed in China. And also I quickly found out that there was no Facebook, Instagram nor Wikipedia in that country. Being the millennial that I am, I found it a bit troubling that I couldn’t access those things on the internet. But luckily, anything else on the internet was readily accessible in china. My option at that point was to use another search engine by Microsoft called Bing.com. So I went away on researching information on China. It is apparently, the most populous country in the world with a land area that can fit several Philippines' if it was jammed together into that subcontinent. It is amongst the biggest and richest economy in the world with a history longer than the great wall of china itself.
 
China is the land of extremes. Everything there is big. Forests of tall skyscrapers in the cities seem to be the norm there. People live their lives in these skyscrapers. The first "extremes" that I had to experience once I landed there were the airports. We landed at Xiamen airport and waited there for a connecting flight to Changsha, capital of hunan, a province in China. Another airport I went to is in Guangzhou. All of those airports were ridiculously big, they seemed a lot bigger than the NAIA 3 terminal. Especially the one in Guangzhou, it was unmistakably a lot bigger than NAIA 3 terminal. It was breathtaking. Those airports had endless restaurants and retail stores. you won't get bored just walking around in those places. The check-in areas we’re big with hundreds of check-in counters of various airline companies. I was blown away by the security in those airports, the security personnel we're surprisingly very courteous and may I dare say maybe even more courteous than the airport personnel in the Philippines. Being a consummate local traveler myself, I was looking for parallels with our provincial airports in the Philippines. And I concluded that there was no comparison, tricking myself that this was an apples and oranges argument. And yes, those airports were provincial in China. I started wondering what it would be like to be in a bigger airport in China maybe like the ones in Beijing or Shanghai. Perhaps, I can go there at an opportune time.
 
Getting to places in China isn’t hard. I found that many people there had their own cars. Most cars that were roaming the streets was what I would have recognized as luxury cars or premium car models back home. In the cities, their public transport system rivaled that of the ones you can find in places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan or Taiwan. They had their own bullet trains, a network of rails, buses and its almost impossible to turn in any direction and not see bicycles roaming the streets. Rentable bikes on a lot of street corners were the norm in the city of Shenzen. There are so many bikes that people seem to just neglect it and just place them everywhere. Wouldn’t it be nice if bikes were so accessible like that in Metro Manila?
 
At one time, we were checked in at a rather lavish hotel called Turandot in Changsha City. The hotel was incredible in itself. It had its own park beside it, whereas, at night families were playing with their small children. Lovers, kids, dogs, street vendors and kiddie rides, all seemed normal and no different from places like Star City or Quezon Memorial Circle in Metro Manila. I imagined that people would have some sort of curfews but there was certainly a nightlife there. I decided to take a night walk to get some videos and maybe enjoy the cool night air they had there. Nights there became quite chilly, we were in fact just above the tropic of cancer. I figured It would have been nice If I bought a jacket with me. Alas, there was none.
 
Just a few days in China is all it took me to realise just how I have wrongly perceived the motivations of its people. I guess I was wrong thinking that people there were some sort of conflict-driven culture like other communist states before it. To me it seems, the people there took advantage of the good things about their brand of socialist governance. They turned their economy into a driver of social progress for its people. I imagine that many people back home would be apprehensive with the idea of this but I decided to take this with an open mind. I do not consider myself a communist or would subscribe to its fundamentals anytime soon but It was clear to me that what China is now has been defined by is people and not by its government. This wasn’t a country where most of its people were oppressed or underprivileged. It truly was a free country, as free as my own country or like any country who values democratic ideals. Sure, I may worry that they censor their internet there but it wasn’t that bad. I can still access the information I needed. I can still communicate freely although on different platforms and different methods. People back home worry about the limiting of freedom of speech and freedom of the press but having looked at it with my own two eyes, people in China have a more advanced lifestyle than what we have in the Philippines. They are certainly more progressive than us as a nation. Sometimes I ask myself: Are we overemphasising those freedoms disproportionately? I understand that it's important that we should have our own voice through freedom of speech but how much do we actually really need of that considering speech can easily become rhetorics that can destroy reputations or bad mouth undeserved individuals?

Looking at it now, our country's history has been intertwined with the history of China. We have traded with them long before communism was even a thing anywhere else. Many of our favorite food have been influenced by Chinese cuisine. We have adopted a lot of their cultural superstitions and traditions like feng shui, chinese zodiac sign and many more. A lot of us probably has a Chinese friend or a Chinese boss from the company we are working at or we know a Chinese person who are businessmen providing jobs for our friends and family alike. 
 
For me though, there is still so much to learn about China. It's such an interesting country. For whatever prejudices that I have had regarding that country is all but gone. I have learned that it is bad to judge something if you haven't felt it, tasted it and seen it within a self capacity.  I'll take that lesson and keep it, thank you very much.
 

It came like a judgement, so swift and compelling. It reminds that all things built are easily wasted.

Thunderous clouds declared that it was time to go. Indifference was answered to that howling call.

Misery, disgust, horrors, tragedies and mishaps. It was overpowering, shaking the core of my soul.

We are a mere string that is bound on endless strands. We rely on each other, keeping us unimpaired of torment.

Grief stricken, stories unfold to tell us: "we are small" We are insignificant but the soul determines our greatness.

Heroes inspire. They help us cope with tough times. Their deeds maybe unheard but it, hopefully, be preserved.

In the wake of destruction, new beginnings arise. A new world, devoid of this sorrow, be stuck in stone.

I hope for tomorrow. To forget.

I hope for peace. To grow.

I hope for compassion. To bond.

I hope for inspiration. To move.

I hope for life. To joy.

I hope for love. To forever.

It was my first time going to Hong Kong. The first thing that I noticed was that the weather there was cooler, It reminded me of the icy cool air of Tagaytay or Baguio back home. At night, the city is inconsolably windy and it is so cold that staying out for a few minutes becomes a challenge, at least, for someone from the tropics like me. I went to hong kong armed with the curiosity to learn about its people and culture. I envisioned it to be a fantastic learning experience but ,as it would turn out, it was more that what I bargained for.

The Transport System

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It is purported to have the best public transport system in the world. It caters to at least 7 million people. The transport system is so efficient and robust that 90% of commuters is being handled only by its public transport system. This means that a Hong Konger does not need to own a car to get from point A to Point B safely and efficiently. Their transport system comprises of a system of road networks that criss-crosses the islands. Endless miles of tunnels passes through mountains and it sometimes dives underwater. The most spectacular bridges that spans one of the most beautiful harbors in the world, Victoria Harbor. Public transport range from buses and minibuses, trains, taxis, trams, ferries and even cable cars that gives you the most spectacular views of the city and its lush green surroundings. All of which, interconnected by a highly planned and organized system of bus stops, ports, train terminals and stations. To make it even faster and more convenient to travel around Hong Kong, there is a electronic payment system called the octopus card. The card can be reloaded via electronic atm-like machines in all train stations and can be used to pay fares on the all mass transit system in Hong Kong. It can also be used as payment in convenience stores, car parks, groceries, fast food restaurants, etc.

Analysis

Commuting in Hong Kong is like the difference between heaven and hell if it was compared with commuting in Metro Manila. Taking any mode of transport in Hong Kong is convenient and comfortable because it gives you the least time waiting in line to get your ride and more time sitting and relaxing in fully air conditioned vehicles.At the same time you get to enjoy the lush green surroundings of Hong Kong. The interconnection of the transport systems also gives you less time walking from one station to another. Even while walking in between stations there are the added benefits of covered walkways, walkalators, elevators, pedestrian overpasses that seem to aim to never let you get wet when its raining. What surprised me is that what we consider as a not so busy day in NLEX or maybe SLEX, they would consider it heavy traffic. The trains are a breeze to ride. All of its station is like a shopping mall, complete with amenities and conveniences. The train ride is considerably safer and less stressful compared to LRT, MRT or LRT2, especially during rush hour. It is so safe in fact that mothers with newborn babies with their strollers can safely and confidently ride the train even during rush hour, something I would never see in Metro Manila trains. The buses would be my preferred mode of transport as it gives you the most scenic routes. The buses can get you to your destination the fastest and most convenient way. All buses are air conditioned. It is probably the most efficient way to travel, it would get you to your destination quickly and comfortably. The buses stop at designated stations for only less than 30 seconds before they would start driving again, this gives you more time travelling than waiting for passengers. The buses are normally double deckers that has two electronically controlled doors, one for entry and the other as an exit. One of the doors are noticeably wider and it has a retractable ramp so it can accommodate people on wheel chairs. The doors would only open and close only in designated stops so it can avoid commuters who might go down in undesignated stops during the trip thus not causing traffic, unlike in the Philippines, people would go down on undesignated stops and would normally cause traffic and accidents. The ferries interconnect the outlying islands with the rest of Hong Kong. Hong Kong also has ferries that gets you to Macau and China. The famed Star Ferry of Hong Kong offers the most unique experience in viewing what is considered to be the most beautiful city skyline in the world. All of this modes of transport can be easily paid using the octopus card, a prepaid electronic card system that can be used to pay for fast food restaurants, convenience stores, retail outlets, etc. The octopus card makes it very convenient to travel around Hong Kong and I believe that it is an important commodity to have while in Hong Kong. It makes it quick for you to pay your fares and it gives you discounts that are quite significant if you are in a low budget.

Accessibility For Everyone

A stark reminder to as to why Hong Kong has the highest quality of life and highest life expectancy rates in the world is that all infrastructure in Hong Kong seems to provide accessibilities and accommodations for people with disabilities, pregnant women, elderly and children. Ramps, railings, elevators, moving walkways, etc. Pedestrian overpasses and tunnels also has ramps. These things seems to be everywhere to accommodate pwd's. The floors of train stations would have raised tiles to direct the blind and visually impaired to their destination. All the double decker buses are designed to accommodate people with wheel chairs with its wide doors, ramps and a widened, designated space in the bus. Hong Kong, is safe to say, a great destination for people with disabilities.

Analysis

These accessibilities are absolutely lacking in Metro Manila. Elevators on the train stations are present but they are normally inoperable. There are designated ramps for people with disabilities but are nominal and mostly designed to be too steep for safe usage. There is practically no buses to accommodate people on wheel chairs. It is very dangerous for pwd's to be traversing Metro Manila on foot. They would have a better chance if infrastructures are properly specified with such accessibilities and that the buses would be refurbished to something like that of Hong Kong that can accommodate disabled people. Such devices could help disabled people in becoming more productive and can alleviate their already limited lives.

The Residences

Hong Kong has this chronic issue of real estate. With limited space for infrastructure in Hong Kong, this is the primary reason why Hong Kong had to build many tall buildings. Hong Kong's area for business is mostly concentrated in three places. The tall buildings are found on Hong Kong Island. North of Hong Kong Island is the Kowloon peninsula, where you can find lots of tourist destination for activities like sight seeing and shopping. West of Hong Kong Island is Lantau Island, where you can find the airport and its most popular tourist destination, the Lantau Island Buddha. North of Lantau Island are the New territories, where we can find so many skyscrapers that are mostly meant for mass housing and residential services.

Analysis

With space being an issue in Hong Kong, hong Kongers had to build up. Skyscrapers are a normal occurrence on every street corner of Hong Kong. But with these skyscrapers, I would normally think that the streets below it may be diseased with traffic jams and pollution, a commonality in Metro Manila. A more normal occurrence for skylines in Hong Kong is that the skyscrapers would have a park around or nearby and the streets are almost never congested. If you could imagine a street on a suburban area or a subdivision in Metro Manila then that would be a more accurate representation of what it is like to live in Hong Kong but with even that, it has the added benefit of being able to cater to their masses, being, affordable by their people. The residential areas of Hong Kong is apparently, specifically designed to be easily accessible by public transport. This means that when you go down your home, you can bet that there is a bus station, railway station or a taxi station close by. Unlike Metro Manila that you may have to take the extra effort to access public transport, especially on subdivisions and residential areas. Another thing that is common in Hong Kong especially on residential areas are parks that are well maintained and designed to be near and abundant, sports facilities to encourage people to exercise and be healthy and bikes to further alleviate the traffic conditions of Hong Kong and at the same time encouraging people to be active and healthy. Its a reason why Hong Kong has the highest average life expectancy in the world.

Parks. Bikes. Courts.

Another feature that Hong Kong has is its abundance of parks, bicycles and public sports areas. Parks in Hong Kong are well maintained with complete amenities like restrooms, chairs, children's playground and water drinking stations. If you live in Hong Kong then there is a guarantee that there is always a park nearby where you can do activities like jogging, exercising, playing with your kids or playing chess. Along with parks are the availability of basketball courts, tennis courts, badminton courts and even swimming pools that Another feature in most residential areas of Hong Kong is the abundant availability of sidewalks and bike lanes where bicycles can be ridden. Bicycles are another practical mode of transport that can be used in Hong Kong. Biking, in Hong Kong, is considered a national pastime. It is so popular, in fact, that Hong Kong advertises biking as one of the best activities that tourists can do. There are available bike routes for sports enthusiast ranging from smooth road biking to extreme mountain biking. Basketball, tennis, badminton, volleyball are just some of sports facilities that are ample and easily accessible by Hong Kongers.

Analysis

These facilities are something that I may have used to think to be unnecessary or expensive, in a sense, for business and practicality but coming to Hong Kong, my perception have been completely changed. Facilities like these are important because, by keeping people happy and healthy then they are kept efficient and productive in work. With healthier body it gives rise to healthier mind than can be used in our fast paced modern society. For a third world country like the Philippines this, I would think, would be economically or politically impossible but since my visit in Hong Kong, my perception about that has been cracked.

How was it?

The trip to Hong Kong was a fruitful experience. The food was great. There are no shortage of restaurants that serves the best Chinese cuisines, the best I have ever tasted, if I may add... The combination of a highly urbanized area and greenery was something I have never seen in the Philippines. In Hong Kong, being a weekend warrior is almost to the point that it can become a profession. It has so many tourist activities and attractions that a week or probably a month may not be enough to visit all of these fantastic places in Hong Kong. Tourist attractions include, sight seeing, shopping, sports like biking, swimming, hiking, etc. you can also do island hoping, go to their abundant beaches for swimming and sun bathing, food tripping and so many more... To me, the number of proper tourist attractions far exceeds of that in Metro Manila or even the whole Philippines. Tourism should be given with good accessibility for transport and safety and convenience in the services that go with it. I ask myself why haven't these things being done back home. I would instantly think that its probably that our culture of politics cannot create, support or maintain something like this. But since coming to Hong Kong, I now think that this impossibility is something that the Filipino mind has created because of its subconscious fear to change to something else. Not including the political issues going on with the Philippines, Hong Kong, I thought, was a great model on how Metro Manila should be. If someone would ask me if it was possible for something like that to be available in Metro Manila, I'd say "I don't know..." But i would continue on and say "Why not?"

When an ideal solution does not present itself, the probable best conclusion would be a compromise. A compromise creates accountability forboth parties. To ensure a good compromise, all party must agree that they will not have the full benefit of the disputed article. Another thing is that both party must agree on a doubtful partnership and that in this doubtful partnership, the individuals must agree on a long term trust system that each party and its constituents and its inheritors must agree upon. 

The benefit of a compromise is that it creates a solution for a disputed article on either a temporary or permanent basis.  If the benefits show itself as temporary then it is the prerogative of the parties to find a another compromise or amend the status quo. Remember that an unsuccessful compromise would result in conflict.

A compromise may never have a fair distribution of the disputed but it is a start of a partnership that may end up successfully or disastrously, however the parties deal with it on a long term basis.

Cubao is a major transportation hub in Metro Manila. It is geographically located at the center of Metro Manila. It serves as a crossroads for vehicles coming in and out of the provinces around Metro Manila. People moving goods from north to south would inevitably pass through cubao going to EDSA. EDSA is the fastest way to access the express ways to the north and south of Luzon. From the east of Metro Manila are the provinces of rizal and the sprawling residencies of Marikina City. People from the east would access the trading centers of Manila, like divisoria or quiapo, to make trade. In addition, you can find Araneta Center, a major business hub in Metro Manila. Thus, this makes the streets of Cubao an important roadway for trade and commerce for Metro Manila or probably the whole country itself. 

 Personally, I live in a condominium in Cubao. I always get to pass by the intersection of Aurora Boulevard and EDSA, the bus hub below MRT cubao station and the terminals of jeeps, fx and buses dotted around Araneta Center. Living in Cubao for years, there is an underlying problem in these areas of Cubao.

The Problems 

From northbound or southbound of EDSA, buses taking their stop-over at Farmers Plaza or MRT Cubao Station have a tendency to clog vehicles passing by the area. Bus stations located at the north of Araneta Center can serve as a severe bottleneck. It slows down traffic by giving way to provincial buses travelling to the provinces in the north and south of Metro Manila. 

FX's also are also another problem. This form of public transport is numerous and they seem to be increasing as the years go by. They turn the driveways of gateway mall and farmers market into an impromptu terminal. Hundreds of these vehicles pass through Cubao to meet the demand of the commuting public.

And lastly and probably the most problematic in my opinion are the jeepneys carrying people from east and west of Metro Manila. These jeepneys carry all sorts of problems for commuters. When you pass the intersection of Aurora Boulevard and EDSA, you would immediately notice that there are more jeepneys than any buses, private vehicles or any form of transport in the area. These jeepneys turn the intersection itself into a terminal on either side of edsa and aurora boulevard. Another problem that these jeepneys bring is the "patok" phenomena. Patok jeepneys are jeepneys that have been "pimped" rather distastefully. They are installed with funky disco-esque lighting and sound system that only serves as an eyesore and a source of noise pollution. These jeepneys pose a serious risk to public safety because its operators tend to drive extremely recklessly by driving unpredictably at high speeds. I sometimes think that most of these operators are unconcerned to the safety of the riding public and to pedestrians who just happen to pass by. To expand the problems with the jeepney, there is a question of how many “colorum” jeepneys are plowing these streets that have remained unanswered.

Frustration 

Commuters and pedestrians passing through the area number to thousands per day. Myself as a commuting person Cubao, I can see people’s frustrations. I can imagine a pregnant woman or a senior citizen riding a “patok” jeepney which could have adverse effect on their health and safety. I can imagine that I may have to stand for hours just to wait for my ride.

Proposed Idea 

If you have been in the intersection of Aurora Boulevard and EDSA you would notice a huge empty lot north of Araneta Center. It is apparently owned by National Bookstore. For years, the space has remained empty for reasons I do not know. It is fenced out with 10 foot metal plates and you can overlook the area once you walk at the footbridge in the area. As you look at the empty lot, there is only an empty space that is swamped with lilies. I do not have any sort of expertise on the matter, by why not open the area to alleviate the bottleneck? Why not build a drop-off terminal there where people can go and wait for their ride? Another idea, is that why not take a serious stand to control and regulate the jeepney? Why not take those “colorum” and “patok” jeepneys out of these streets to de-clog the streets for the sake of commerce and to lessen people’s frustrations?

Anybody can say that this problem in Cubao is not unique, as a lot of areas in Metro Manila have similar traffic issues. That fact is probably  true. But any problem that concerns the public, unique or not, should be dealt with accordingly or the problem will just grow. It is the responsibility of a good citizen to bring to light the issue and the prerogative of the government to find solutions to public issues.

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