The following the day (June 19), I managed to arrive on time (about two minutes before 8:30am, as far as I remember) by riding a taxi, haha. That time, I was worried to become late again because only a few minutes left and, oh no, where is the U-turn slot. Panicked. We passed by the Eastwood area. Where is the U-turn slot?! Haha, a few blocks more. I remembered the documentary or report (I can't remember the show) about the efficiency of the current strategy of the MMDA for the U-turn slots (i.e. gas consumption, traffic flow, etc.). Grrrr. Anyway, thank God, I wasn't late that day. How about the following days?

Hmmmm... I know last Tuesday I got one again. Huhuhu.

My job interview is in Tycoon Bldg, Pearl Drive in Ortigas so, in order for me to reach EDSA's southbound lane, I have to drive an extra 20 minutes or more just so I can finally make a U-turn in front of Valle Verde Village beside Medical City. Instead of turning left from Crowne Plaza, I have to turn right and find the damn U-turn slot. Imagine how much gas I can save if MMDA would at least place a U-turn slot somewhere near the Crowne Plaza.

*sigh*

Unless Bayani Fernando or the government or Petron or Shell or anyone would give me an extra thousand or so for all the nuisances that this damn "No U-turn" policy is putting on me then, I won't shut my trap. I dearly hope this campaign against MMDA would turn out to be successful. I have no qualms about the other traffic rules in the Metro, I just hope they can put a lid on this "No U-turn" shit. It's just... over the top. OA, in layman's term.

It would save me (and a lot of people) time and money. In this day and age, with the fuel prices increasing like there's no tomorrow (and there probably won't be unless this fuel crisis comes to a complete stop), saving a liter of unleaded gasoline is like discovering a cache of oil in your basement (ok, that's an exaggeration but, you get my point).

Nagulat lang ako sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin sa Puerto Galera, naicip ko parang mas mahal pa yata ang presyo dito kaysa sa Boracay. Malamang dahil peak season kaya sobra-sobra ang pagtaas nila sa presyo. Isa ko pang napansin ay halos lahat ng mga tao sa Galera ay iisa lang ang iniinom ang Tanduay mixed with food coloring hehe hula ko lang yun ang “Mindoro’s Sling”, marami ang nagsasabi na “traydor” daw ang Mindoro’s Sling, malakas daw ang tama lalo na kapag bigla kang tumayo para mag-jingle. Pero hindi ako naniwala dito, sa aming inuman session madami-dami din kaming nainom na kulay gamot na alak pero hindi ako tinamaan hehe, hindi ko sinasabing malakas ako uminom pero sa tingin ko binago na nga mga barista ang kanilang timpla kaya hindi na ganon kalakas ang tama nito.

Isa sa hindi ko malilimutan sa aking pagbalik sa Puerto Galera ay ang isang mama na nagiihaw ng mga hotdogs at barbeques. Hindi dahil sa masarap at mabango ang kanyang luto pero dahil sa kanyang pagalok sa amin akala mo ay isang call center agent sa diction at pronunciation ng kami ay napadaan sa kanyang ihawan at sinabi niya sa amin “Hi! Sir good evening Hotdogs and Barbeques” super nagulat talaga ako sa tono at pagkakasabi ng manong na ito, nabilib ako sa kanyang super slang an pagalok sa amin ng “Hotdogs and Barbeques”.

Linggo ng tanghali ng pack up pa kami at pabalik ng Manila, medyo sablay tong simula ng araw dahil ung bangka naming Commandos 8 ay super late, naka schedule ang aming pauwe pabalik sa Batangas Port ng 1pm pero dahil Pilipino Time ay pasado alas-2 ng hapon na dumating an gaming bangka, at super bagal pa ng biyahe inabot kami ng isang oras at kalahati sa biyahe.

Habang binabaybay naming ang kahabaan ng StarTollway sa Batangas ay biglang nagkaroon ng aberya sa aming biyahe, biglang sumabog ang likurang gulong (passenger side) sa hindi ko maipaliwagan na dahilan, hindi naman ganon kabilis ang aming takbo.Inabot lang din siguro ng malas. Kinabahan ako at unang kong naicip ang aking baby na si Timothy Kobe, hindi naming siya kasama sa bakasyong ito pero naicip ko pano na lang kung may nangyaring masama sa amin dahil sa aksidente. Magiging ulila agad siya, wag naman sana.

Pagkatapos mapalitan ang gulong ay medyo binagalan ko na ang takbo kaya ginabi na rin ang dating sa aming biyahe. Malapit ng makauwe ng bahay ay inabot ulit ng malas, ngayon Traffic naman ang kalaban sa kalye ng C-5 dahil sa ginagawang pauso ni MMDA Bayani Fernando na Elevated U-Turn slot sa may Market! Market!.Super grabe ang traffic kahit linggo ay parang rush hour pa rin ang dating sa usad uod n trapik. Awa ng diyos ay halos 30 minutong trapiko lang an gaming inabot sa isang kantong pagitan.

Hindi pa ditto natapos ang araw ko dahil pagdating kop ng bahay ay nagpalit agad ako ng uniporme para maglaro ng Basketball sa Inter-Purok na liga. Dinatnan ko ang laro patapos na ang second quarter sa score na 46-22, siyempre kami yung tambak. Medyo magagaling kasi ang mga kakampi ko kaya ganon lamang agad ng iskor.

Marahil ito na ang pinakamasaklap na pagkatalo na narasan ko dahil natapos ang laro ay tambak kami ng SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRR DDDDDDDDDDUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR laki na 75 points sa score na 125-50. Hindi ako makapaniwala pero ganon talaga ang laro minsan panalo minsan talo, pero ibang klase talaga tong pagkatalo na to, kaya sa susunod na laro namin pipilitin kong manalo kami. Kahit by 1 point lang ang panalo Ok na.

***********************************************************************

he truly is doing something.

but i have to disagree with this - his method of eradicating sidewalk vendors. it's cruel and inhuman. i admit, these vendors can really be irksome and a big cause of heavy traffics. but view the situation in their own set of glasses. forget that you own a car and is running late to work. for these guys they are only earning a living. where do you usually put-up stalls to sell? not in jungles, i guess. but in places where people are.

when methods like running after these vendors are implemented (sometimes they really make a painful, hilarious show), i can compare it to shooing away flies from a pot of excrement. they do nothing about the dung just shoo the flies away. and it's totally useless. futile.

the vendors adapts too. they'll know when to strike and when to go low in operation.

and this becomes an endless chase.

if i abhor mmda's solution so much, then what can i suggest?

address the root of the problem.

running after the vendors is a quick-fix solution. discipline is its goal. but you can never enforce it on anyone. the individual must choose it on his own.

most of the time it makes the matter worse. these people are already on the edge (we call them illegal vendors). ain't this drastic action pushing them to venture farther down to what is against the law?

we want a beautiful, orderly, and peaceful city. but when survival is on the stake, you can hardly think about this things.

The posters are Bayani’s solution to his unpopularity that stemmed from his being a strict disciplinarian. He is perceived by many as anti-poor with his policy of removing street vendors, street urchins, and “ugly” things that is thriving in the Metro. In his term as its chairman, MMDA became an aggressive agency that is not afraid to the dirty works that will antagonize hundreds of urban poor and sometimes stirred a fight against mayors of Metro Manila cities.

Many of Fernando’s accomplishments as a chairman are commendable like clearing up the highways of the cities and disciplining motorists and pedestrians (though I hate his Pink Fences that herd people like cows and causes many vehicular accidents). MMDA is not free from criticisms and one of these is Bayani Fernando’s posters. It is fine if Fernando’s posters were funded privately. Unfortunately, public funds were used for its printing and installation. Since the people’s money was used for those posters, then the people should benefit from them. What’s the use of his posters? Would the mere sight of Bayani’s posters make motorists think twice before committing traffic violations? I don’t think so. His posters are eyesore like billboard and advertising posters that he detests.

The posters are for Bayani Fernando’s benefit alone. His posters try to associate Bayani with “kaayusan” (orderliness) and blot out the “anti-poor” sentiments against him and somehow remedy his unpopularity before the 2010 presidential election comes.

Please read Hunger [Will] Strike that talks about my stand on the looming rice crisis in the Philippines.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit sa dinami-dami ng pwedeng iaksaya sa pera natin eh sa isang napakawalang kwentang ideya pa winaldas! TARPAULIN! Ako nga matagal-tagal ko nang gustong ipa-tarpaulin ang picture ko kasi parang uso kasi siya ngayo, pag nagbertday, may tarpaulin, may bagong kasal, may tarpaulin, pag binyag, may tarpaulin din. Pag libing kaya meron din?! Kaya siguro naisip ng bright mind ni Bayani na bakit hindi gawan siya tarpaulin.... Siyeteng! Sabi ng tagapagsalita (yata yun) ng MMDA, nagpatarpaulin sila para maging babala o reminder yun sa kanila na huwag sumuway sa batas (trapiko), in other word, pag nakita mo tarpaulin ni Bayani, matatakot! Sana man lang pang-horror na lang ang dating, at least appealing di ba?! Gusto ko sanang i-suggest na imbes na "ang batas ay isang solusyon na dapat alamin ang sundin" sana ganito na lang nakasulat sa baba (ng kasuka-sukang) mukha ni Bayani, "PAG SUMUWAY KA, I'M GONNA BE YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE!" tapos yung picture ni Bayani naka-costume ng parang kay Freddie Kruegger... Haha... Baliw na naman ako!

Pero seryoso! Pera ng bayan yung pinanggastos sa tarpaulin, sana ginamit na lang nila yun sa pagpapaganda talaga ng kalsada at kapaligiran, yung tarpaulin ni bayani, dagdag eyesore pa sa mga MMDA art, pink fence at idagdag pa ang mababahong urinals! Siyet! Naalala ko pala, tanda niyo bang yung mga tarpaulin ng mga iba't ibang produkto (advertisement) sa EDSA eh pinagtatapunan nila ng grasa at pinagbababaklas pa nila?! Pero yung kay Bayani hindi pwede dahil government property yun a mere possession ng gwapung-gwapong (uhu, uhu, uhu...) tarpaulin ni Bayani ay punishable by law! Siyet! Ang lupit!

Bukas magpapatarpaulin din ako tapos lalagyan ko rin ng "Do not remove. This is a government property. Mere possession of this is punishable by law." Yes! Angas! :)

BF told to solve EDSA traffic first before aiming for presidency

Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) was urged Sunday to solve the traffic along EDSA before aiming for the presidency and offering to tackle bigger problems.

"If he cannot untangle the daily traffic gridlock along EDSA, I don't think he should offer himself to run the country, which is facing bigger and more serious problems," Rep. Florencio "Bem" Noel of the party-list group An Waray said.

Noel said if Fernando is able to cut travel time along EDSA from Quezon Avenue in Quezon City to Pasay City by half, he would earn for himself bragging rights that would be a big asset in his presidential aspiration.

Noel, however, said instead of easing EDSA traffic, Fernando and his MMDA people "have become part of the problem."

He cited the concrete islands and pink metal fences MMDA erected near Greenhills in San Juan and in front of Camp Aguinaldo and near New York Street in Quezon City, which he said have effectively eaten up one lane of the busy highway.

Noel pointed out that various groups of travelers and vehicle owners, traffic policemen and local officials have blamed these concrete barriers and pink metal fences for the constriction of the road and for innumerable vehicular accidents, many of which have resulted in deaths.

"It's bad enough that they employ a trial-and-effort, hit-miss approach to the traffic problem. But what is worse is that when it is very evident that such approach does not work, they insist on pursuing it and do not make the necessary correction," Noel stressed.

He said the islands and pink fences that Fernando built on EDSA are as useless as the passenger loading and unloading bays and steel fences he built along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

"As in EDSA, these loading and unloading bays and the trademark pink fences are a constriction in Commonwealth. Now, they are even building traffic islands there to further constrict the highway," he said.

Noel added Fernando and his people are apparently creating traffic chokepoints in areas where there are none.

“Sidewalk vendors don’t just break the law,” reasoned Fernando, “they steal from legitimate market vendors who have licenses and are paying taxes.” They are also guilty of economic sabotage, according to Fernando. “Just imagine the man-hours lost, and the billions of pesos in business opportunities foregone because of traffic delayed congested streets and sidewalks.”

Excerpt from MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando, Antihero? by Alicor Panao

Kim Jong Il: Dictator of North Korea (DPRK)

Bayani BF Fernando: Chairman of Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)

Bayani Fernando, chair of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), has threatened with arrest these indigenous people. According to him, they cause traffic.

Henry Borreo, a member of the National Council of the Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Kamp), condemned the statements of the MMDA chair in a recent press conference.

"After Fernando's unmerciful attacks on vendors these past months, we indigenous peoples who are among the most abused and neglected citizens of this country are now his targets," Borreo said. "We do not say that begging should be tolerated but the issue of dire poverty, the lack of basic social services, unemployment, and the massive displacement of IPs from their ancestral lands -- these are the issues that government officials like Fernando are obliged to address, not the subjugation of the poor."

Kung makikita niyo lang ang kalsada sa may BICUTAN market lalo na pag gabi eh grabe ang dami ng tao na naglalakad sa kalsada, paano grabe din naman ang dami ng nagtitinda sa bangketa. Yung mga taong naglalakad naman sa kalsada eh sinakop na ang isang lane para sa sasakyan, hindi mo din naman sila masisi dahil nga may mga nagtitinda sa bangketa. Nunng nakalipas na December eh, dalawang beses ng nagclearing operation ang MMDA dun dahil nga sa mga reklamo ng ibang tao. Nagkadramahan, Nagkainiisan, Nagkapikunan, at Nagkabarilan pa ata. At kahit dalawang beses na silang nag clearing operation duon, ang Good News eh naandun ulit sila! :D

Maganda din ang naisip ni Bayani (Kahit Papaano) dahil nga pabor ito sa parehong gagamit ng bangketa. Tingnan na lang natin kung susunod ang mga tao dito sa bagong kalokohan batas ni Bayani.

Aba dapat lang dahil muntik ng may suntukin si Bayani sa Pasay kahapon! hehehe! Iba talaga tapang ng tao pag alam mong marami kang kasama eh!

Really, how ugly can Metro Manila get?

So, what about the reserve requirements for banks?  A layperson would think that a bank has to keep a percentage of its total deposits as actual cash, actually available on demand.  But these days it seems that's an old-fashioned passe attitude.  In actuality, banks are able to avoid the reserve requirements to an amazing extent.  That way they can devote much more of your deposit accounts to suprime lending! 

Curious exactly how its done? The FDIC (which is funded by the banks) published a study explaining it.  Among other techniques, banks are using "sweeping" rules to decrease the amount of cash reserves they must actually hold.  One bank "successfully" used sweeps to "reduce its required reserves from $788,000 in August 2000 to $48,000 in August 2001, a period when deposits at the institution rose by $36 million."

"An additional impetus to establishing sweep accounts is the dollar amount required to meet a bank’s reserve requirements.  All depository institutions must reserve an amount equal to between 3 percent and 10 percent of the funds they have in interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing checking accounts.  The total required to be held in reserve is determined relative to the total deposits held in the qualifying accounts at each bank.  Once the amount of the reserve is determined, banks may choose to hold their reserves in the form of cash (vault cash) or in an account at a Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) (sterile reserves), but in either case the funds are nonincome producing.  As a result, a key strategy of bank liability management has been to discover ways of building a bank’s deposit base while keeping required reserves to a minimum."

In the context of an ordinary checking or savings account ("retail demand deposit account"), the study explains the reserve requirement on these monies can actually be zero, and explains exactly how it works:

". . . when newly designed computer software enabled a bank to analyze its depositors’ use of their transaction accounts, sweeps became one of the main tools used to minimize a bank’s required reserves: any funds deemed by the bank to be excess were automatically transferred into MMDAs.  (As a result of these transfers, a bank’s required reserve ratio could go from 10 percent to zero).  And in 1994, when the Federal Reserve Board authorized banks to use this software to reclassify any transaction-account, retail sweep programs developed as banks notified their customers when they opened an account that “your deposit may be reclassified for purposes of compliance with Federal Reserve Regulation D. . . .”  Banks began initiating sweeps without the customers’ explicit approval, and the volume of transfers occurring between transaction accounts and MMDAs increased dramatically.

The MMDA used in a retail sweep program operates as a “shadow” account that is visible only to the depository institution.  The bank reduces its required reserves while leaving unchanged the transaction deposits that are available to the depositor.  A bank’s level of transaction accounts decreases sharply, whereas the depositor’s view of the account appears unaffected.  Just as this transfer occurs without the depositor’s explicit approval or knowledge, so, too, any profits that the bank earns are not generally shared; in addition, banks also can choose how the funds will be invested."

 Bottom line:  the bank may be operating a shadow account under your checking account, sweeping the money out, using it, and keeping the profits - and you'll never know.  Read the study here → fdicbankliability.pdf

Eniweiz kanina pagdaan ko sa EDSA inabot na naman ako ng kutakot-takot na tarapik sa me bandang North Edsa. Ano dahilan? ung 4 lanes na kalsada naging 2 lanes na lang kasi ung 2 lanes ay ginawang PILAHAN ng mga tao na sasakay sa MRT.  Inpernes hindi uminit ang ulo ko dahil siguro sanay na ako kaya lang ang aking matinding katanungan e bakit tinotolerate ng mga mahal kong MMDA enforcer ang ganito. Hindi mo naman masasabi na walang enforcer kasi sandamakmak sila sa unahan at tabi lang sila ng pila.  Me bakod naman sa bagketa, bakit kaya hindi nila doon papilahin ang mga mananakay ng MRT ng hindi maabala naman mga  motorista sa kalye. Sana naman maayos ng mga kinauukulan ang senaryong ito kasi baka mamaya me bigla bumulagta doon dahil nahagip ng dambuhalang bus.

At sana umayos naman ang mga  drayber ng Bus, wag sila kung sino kung makapagbalandra ng mga dala nilang sasakyan. Hindi lang naman sila ang tao sa Pilipinas at sigurado ako mas malaki ang binabayaran kong buwis sa kanila no! Hindi tuloy mawala sa isip ko ang tatak nila na lahat sila ay mga ADIK, masama ako na kung masama pero yan talaga ang iisipin mo sa mga pag uugali nila na pinapakita sa kalsada.

ஒரு திரையரங்கம் கட்டுவதாக இருந்தால் கூட, அதில் இத்தனை நபர்கள் ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட நேரத்தில் அந்தக் கட்டடத்துக்குள் கூடுவார்கள் என்பதற்கான அதிகபட்ச நிர்ணயம் உண்டு. ஆனால், வணிக வளாகங்களுக்கு எந்தவிதக் கட்டுப்பாடும் இல்லாத அளவுக்கு நெரிசலை சந்திக்க வேண்டிய கட்டாயம். அதுவும், தொலைக்காட்சி வந்த பிறகு, பண்டிகைக் காலங்களில் இத்தனை சிறிய தெருவில் இத்தனை மக்களா என்று திகைப்பும், பயமும் ஏற்படுகிறது.

இந்த வர்த்தக நிறுவனங்கள் அள்ளி வீசும் இலவசங்களும், சலுகைகளும் பண்டிகைக் காலங்களில் புற்றீசல்போல வாடிக்கையாளர்களை மொய்க்க வைத்துவிடுகின்றன. அந்த அளவுக்குக் கூட்டத்தை சமாளிக்கும் அளவுக்கு அந்தக் கட்டடங்களில் இடமில்லை என்பது மட்டுமல்ல, தெருக்கள் அகலமும் இல்லை. உதாரணம், சென்னை ரங்கநாதன் தெருவும் அதிலுள்ள வணிக வளாகங்களும்.

சென்னை பெருநகர வளர்ச்சிக் குழுமம் ஒரு கணக்கெடுப்பு நடத்தி வெளியிட்டிருக்கும் அறிக்கை, சென்னை தி.நகர் ரங்கநாதன் தெரு மற்றும் உஸ்மான் சாலையில் மட்டும் சுமார் 35 கட்டடங்கள் எப்.எஸ்.ஐ. (ஊ.ந.ஐ.) என்று அழைக்கப்படும் அதிகபட்சக் கட்டுமானப் பரப்பு விகிதத்தை மீறி எழுப்பப்பட்டவை என்று வெளிச்சம் போட்டுக் காட்டுகிறது.

இது ஏதோ அரசுக்கும் அரசு அதிகாரிகளுக்கும் தெரியாமல் நடக்கும் விஷயமல்ல. 10 மீட்டர் அகலமுள்ள சென்னை ரங்கநாதன் தெருவில் பல அடுக்குக் கட்டடங்கள் எதுவும் அனுமதிக்கப்படவே கூடாது. ஆனால், விதிமுறைகளை மீறி சுமார் 14 கட்டடங்கள் எப்படி கட்டப்பட்டன? எந்தவொரு மாநகராட்சி மற்றும் சென்னை பெருநகர வளர்ச்சிக் குழும அதிகாரிகளுக்கும் தெரியாமலா இந்தக் கட்டடங்கள் கட்டப்பட்டன?

உஸ்மான் சாலையில் இலக்கம் 128 மற்றும் 129 எண்களிலுள்ள சரவணா ஸ்டோர்ஸ் கட்டடம் கட்டுவதற்கு அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட எப்.எஸ்.ஐ. 1.5 தான். ஆனால், கட்டப்பட்டிருப்பதோ 8.99. சட்டப்படி இந்தக் கட்டடத்துக்கு 266 கார்களை நிறுத்துவதற்கான இடம் இருக்க வேண்டும். ஆனால் ஒரு சைக்கிள் நிறுத்தக் கூட இடமில்லை. இது எப்படி நிகழ்ந்தது?

உஸ்மான் சாலையிலுள்ள ஸ்ரீ சங்கரபாண்டியன் ஸ்டோர்ஸ் வரம்பை மீறி ஐந்து மாடிகள் கட்டியது கண்ணில் படவில்லையா?

இல்லை, புதிய சரவணா ஸ்டோர்ஸ் நான்கு மாடிகள் கட்டியது யாருக்கும் தெரியாமல் கட்டப்பட்டதா?

• கோடம்பாக்கம் சேகர் எம்போரியமும்,
• உஸ்மான் ரோடு சரவணா கோல்டு ஹவுசும்,
• ரங்கநாதன் தெருவுக்கு நேர் எதிரில் எழுந்து நிற்கும் சரவணா செல்வரத்தினத்தின் கட்டடமும்,
• ரங்கநாதன் தெருவிலுள்ள வணிக வளாகங்களும்

ஊரறிய உலகறிய கட்டப்பட்டபோது, அதிகாரிகள் தூங்கிக் கொண்டா இருந்தார்கள்? சட்ட திட்டங்களுக்கு உட்பட்டு செயல்படும் நல்லி நிறுவனத்தின் கட்டடத்திலேயே விதிமுறை மீறல் இருப்பதாகச் சொல்கிறார்களே, அது எதனால்?
முறையான அனுமதி பெற்று கட்டடம் கட்டத் தொடங்குவார்கள் - இரண்டு அடுக்கு முடிந்ததும், மூன்றாவது அடுக்கு கட்டத் தொடங்கும்போது, சென்னை பெருநகர வளர்ச்சிக் குழுமம் அவர்களுக்கு நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பும். மாநகராட்சியைக் கேட்டால், எங்களிடம் அனுமதி வாங்கியது இரண்டு அடுக்குக்குத்தான். அதற்குமேல் கட்டப்படும் கட்டடங்களுக்கு பெருநகர் வளர்ச்சிக் குழுமம்தான் பொறுப்பு என்று தட்டிக் கழித்து விடுவார்கள். சம்பந்தப்பட்டவர் நீதிமன்றத்தை அணுகித் தடை பெற்று விடுவார். அதைக் காரணம் காட்டி பெருநகர் வளர்ச்சிக் குழுமம் கண்களை மூடிக் கொள்ளும்.

இதையெல்லாம் மீறி, பொது நல வழக்குத் தொடர்ந்து விடாப்பிடியாக உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் வரை போய் இந்தக் கட்டடங்களில் காணப்படும் விதிமுறை மீறல்களை இடித்துத் தள்ள உத்தரவு வாங்கி வந்தால், சட்டம் இயற்றி இவர்களைக் காப்பாற்ற அரசு முன்வருகிறது. அதாவது, இந்த விதிமுறை மீறல்களுக்கு உடந்தையாக சென்னை மாநகராட்சியும், சென்னை பெருநகர வளர்ச்சிக் குழுமமும், அரசும் செயல்படுகின்றன என்றால், ஆட்சியும் அதிகாரமும் யாருக்காகப் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது என்பது தெளிவாகிறது.

முதலில் தண்டிக்கப்பட வேண்டியவர்கள் இந்தக் கட்டடங்களைக் கட்ட உதவும் என்ஜினீயர்களும், காண்ட்ராக்டர்களும். விதிமுறை மீறல்களுக்குத் துணைபோகும் இவர்களது பட்டம் பறிக்கப்படும், உரிமம் ரத்து செய்யப்படும் என்று அறிவித்தால், இந்த விதிமுறை மீறல்கள் பெரிய அளவில் தடுக்கப்படும். படித்த பொறியியல் பட்டதாரிகள் இந்த விதிமுறை மீறல்களுக்குத் துணைபோகத் தயாராவதுதான் அடிப்படைக் குற்றம். அவர்கள் தண்டிக்கப்பட வேண்டும்!

தவறான சிகிச்சைக்கு மருத்துவர்கள் தண்டிக்கப்பட்டு அவர்களது உரிமம் பறிக்கப்படுவதுபோல, விதிமுறை மீறல்களுக்குத் துணை போகும் என்ஜினீயர்களின் உரிமம் ரத்து செய்யப்படுமானால், இதுபோன்ற விதிமுறை மீறல்கள் நிச்சயம் குறையும்.

Here's one of the newest post of Inday:

MMDA

Minsan ay nagpasama ang amo ni Inday sa kanya para mag-grocery. Dahil sa tindi ng trapik nung araw na yun, napilitan silang maghanap ng ibang daan.

Pag-pasok sa kalye, ay bigla na lang may sumulpot na MMDA at pinahinto sila.

Amo: Shit. Badtrip naman.

Inday: Great! (being sarcastic)

Lumapit si manong MMDA sa bintana ng amo ni Inday.

Manong MMDA: Sir, di niyo ba alam na one way po itong pinasukan niyo?

Amo: Kung alam ko ede sana di na ako dumaan dito.

Manong MMDA: Lisensya na lang po sir.

Dudukutin na sana ng amo ni Inday ang pitaka nya nang nalaman nyang naiwan nya pala ito sa bahay. patay!

Amo: Ahh chief, ehh kasi ahh naiwan ko pala pitaka ko sa bahay. pasensya na po.

Manong MMDA: Naku sir, matinding violation po yan. Yung registration na lang po.

Inabot ng amo ang registration papers ng sasakyan kay manong MMDA.

Binasa ni manong at sumilip sa plaka ng sasakyan. mukhang coding pa ata sila Inday.

Manong MMDA: Sir, mukhang nakalimutan niyo atang coding kayo ngayon.

Amo: Nyeta naman, kung minamalas nga naman talaga oo. Sir, baka ahmm, pwede natin gawan ng paraan.

Naiinip na si Inday sa kahihintay kaya’t naisipan nyang kausapin na rin si manong.

Inday: Excuse us Mr. Officer but we really don’t have time to dily-daly out here. We still have places to go and people to see so can you…

Amo: Pwede ba Inday, tumahimik ka na lang dyan. Hayaan mo na akong makipag-usap dito…

Sumilip si Inday sa loob ng sasakyan at nanlaki ang mga mata.

Manong MMDA: Is that you Inday? The most famous chambermaid in the world? Bollocks! I can’t believe my luck! I’ve heard so much about you and I’m quite such a fan. I even have you on my blogroll! Tell you what, if you could just give me your autograph, I’d be happy to escort you guys to wherever your destination is.

Pumayag si Inday at pinirmahan ang likod ng ticketbook ni manong.

Amo: [dumugo ang ilong]

(grabe na talaga powers ni Inday)

Two Metro Manila mayors, Sonny Belmonte of Quezon City and Bayani Fernando of Marikina, now the head of the Metro Manila Development Authority, are currently shortlisted.

The Lakas-NUCD is searching for one who has the following criteria:

Popularity, charisma, track record, integrity, leadership, competence and vision.

Looks to me that the seven requirements fit Liberal Senator Mar Roxas.

(5:28 a.m.)

And it was also almost 3PM. Merienda time.

So being the good citizen, I readily acquiesced to the penalty. I turned in my license and presented the car's registration. I didn't put up a fight and admitted that I committed a mistake. I apologized but I didn't plea. In fact, I was very courteous and told him, "Sige po, ticketan niyo na po ako para hindi kayo maabala." (Please, you may just give me a ticket so that you aren't inconvenienced.) Funny when you think that I was the one concerned for his convenience.

Then he began running through the penalties: a P500 fine plus four days of seminar on the importance of the yellow lane. (Four days for that?) He repeated it thrice, with each repetition said more slowly and even more deliberate. After that I just nodded my head and said that the terms were acceptable. That is the law, I said. And then I heard the clincher -- "Sigurado po kayo? Maaabala po kayo." (Are you sure? You will be inconvenienced.) Aww. He's concerned for me? But this time, it isn't funny.

That question is a sure fire signal that the MMDA officer you're dealing with is looking for a bribe. I wouldn't even call it grease money since that just speeds along an otherwise slow and legal process, whereas a bribe circumvents and subverts the legal process entirely. Giving him money wouldn't have lessened the time I spent learning about the importance of the yellow lane; it would have eradicated this little event from the timeline.

Except now of course, I blogged about it.

Hence the two of us began our little dance, with him insisting how inconvenient the penalty would be for me, and me insisting that it's alright since it's in the law. He continued to delay further, shouting at his comrades for that ticket pad. The others replied, "Ginagamit pa." Another was busy with it, although I could see at the distance that it wasn't a real pad but a prop.

Eventually, it took forever for the prop to come and as we waited, more cars were caught in their yellow lane net. Clearly, he knew that he wasn't getting anything from me. Then he promptly returned my license and car registration and said, "Sige na." As he turned away from me and worked the next car, I sat dumbfounded. At first there was the relief that I'm not attending that four-day seminar, and then there was the disbelief that there still are these kinds of people.

I was tempted to call him out and ask to be fined -- but then I felt weird about facing a potential crime of verbally assaulting an officer because I wanted to be fined. I also didn't want to make a scene and realized that such a fight would be futile in a den full of sharks.

So why do we get away with it?

This is an example of corruption on the street. It is very real and not as black and white. Looking at the profiles of these MMDA officers, you can say that giving in to bribery can mean charity. However, by giving in to that we do the state an even greater disservice. We are a republic, a state governed by the rule of law, and yet by giving in to these corruptive behaviors -- however small they may be compared to headliners -- we let our country slip further into lawlessness.

It is a basic principle of human behavior that any act is done as long as it is perceived to be either pleasurable or beneficial. In the case of these MMDA officers, fishing for bribes is a lucrative business. Though these officers may not be completely aware that it is an act of corruption, we can condition them to stop asking for bribes by not giving into them. But then we turn the spotlight on our society and culture -- those who give these bribes are as corrupt as those who receive it.

And in a way, some moral absolutists can even argue that I was being corrupt by not asserting that I get fined. You know the cliche -- "Evil persists when good men do nothing." However, then I wouldn't call it being corrupt; I'd simply say that I surrendered to evil and this argument can go on and on.

The point being made that corruption is ubiquitous, where do we start solving this?

Answering that question will take another blog post and an even stronger inspiration. Nonetheless, I end with a quote from Confucius, my political philosopher of choice:

He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.

If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame.

If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good.

Let me make it simple: To solve corruption, we start at the top.

For shaking off sleepiness, it's almost as good as chugging down a mug of coffee in the morning.

What do I get angry about exactly? Well a lot of things. Most of which have to do with the fact that so many people in public life (I refuse to call them "public servants," since they never act that way at all) commit the most atrocious, unconscionable, blatantly unfair, and oftentimes illegal acts without (and this is what really gets me) the barest hint of shame. Its not simply that they do "wrong," but that they act so righteous while doing so.

Take the case of one of my favorite pet peeves, Bayani Fernando and his thug squad known as the MMDA. I know the man has received a lot of praise for his supposedly no-nonsense enforcement of the law, but in my view he has violated more laws than he has actually upheld. To begin with, his entire campaign against informal settlers, small-time vendors, and other "obstructions" to streets, sidewalks, and waterways is anchored on a resolution enacted by the MMDA; a resolution which the Supreme Court, in several decisions, has already declared the MMDA has NO POWER to enact.

Furthermore, his continued confiscation of vendors' property and forced evictions of the poor violate not only rights very clearly enshrined in our Constitution, but numerous provisions of various laws such as the Urban Development and Housing Act.

Now, I want, no, I desperately crave, public officials to be uncompromising in the way they enforce the laws. But they must be equally stringent in obeying it themselves, and that means pursuing enforcement with due observance of legally established rights. Otherwise they are not acting as public officials but as vigilantes.

Besides, there is something which I find unacceptable in his very attitude towards enforcement. I mean, fine, we have laws mandating that sidewalks should be kept clear, but have you ever seen the MMDA enforce this rule against well-to-do homeowners whose driveways encroach on this public space? Have you seen them tow-away SUVs illegally parked on sidewalks and trash them the same way they do to the stalls and produce of itinerant vendors? If we're really serious about enforcing the law, let's start by cracking down on the most privileged, not the most powerless members of our society.

Otherwise what we're propping up is not a strong State, but merely a loudmouthed, oppressive bully.

WALANG TAWIRAN
NAKAMAMATAY

In English, that oh so eloquently translates to "NO PEDESTRIAN CROSSING. POTENTIALLY LETHAL." Funny, I've never seen a No Jaywalking sign of the sort in any other country I've been to in my entire life. I'll bet not even in my past life (wherein I was a filthy rich problogger advocating the interdict of the anti-Christ). I only see that completely harmless yet tremendously easily comprehensible No Jaywalking sign. Some had text, others had symbols. Pardon the text signs, for a significant chunk of the Filipino population cannot understand simple English words, let alone jaywalking.

So the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) had to resort to putting up signs in Tagalog to ensure full comprehension of the signs' message. Not only that, they also had to put in a little bit of that scary don't-do-it-unless-you-wanna-die-you-b*tch-LOL factor in them. This is what they came up with:

See, some Filipinos are very stubborn and hard-headed and are just plain asking for it. By it, I mean getting run over by a motorcycle first, a car second, and finally a 24-wheeler truck and getting pretty chopped up and skinned alive a bit in the process. And by a bit, I mean a lot. (I wonder why I have to use other words to kind of conceal part of my message and then explain the entire thing in the following sentence. This writing style is killing me. And I guess you, too.)

They have this very weird, totally confounding I-wanna-do-it-and-I-couldn't-care-less-if-I-die-doing-it-you-sl*t kind of mentality and that baffles me to neverland.

How stubborn are they, really? Here are four of the things that they do.

1.) They stand right in front of that ridiculous, attention-seeking cross-here-and-you're-dead-and-we'll-bring-you-back-to-life-to-die-again sign, read it, and cross the street anyway.

2.) They look up, see the pedestrian overpass right above them, close their eyes to thank God for blessing them with a bit of shade while crossing the street of death, and still jaywalk anyway.

3.) They reach the island (crossing halfway through), see the fence that the MMDA have put up to prevent jaywalkers from doing their thing, scratch their heads making their dandruff fall, see their shoulders covered in flakes, remember that creepy old Head & Shoulders TV commercial they saw the other day, take down that stupid pink fence that stands in their way, and continue jaywalking. Because. They. Rock. Like. That.

4.) They decide to use the pedestrian lane for once in their lives but cross the street while the light for vehicular traffic says GO. GREEN. RUN OVER ANYONE THAT STANDS IN YOUR WAY. KILL THEM AND FEEL NO REGRET OR GUILT.

I wish I were just kidding, writing this, making stuff up. But NO. They do ALL THESE THINGS. Why? I'm baffled to neverland. And now you are baffled to neverland as well.

Oh, BTW, thanks to everyone who has traded links with me. Cheers to Jeremy, Rob, Keysi, Tricia, Shari, Ade, Ms. Demmie, Benj, Brian, Ryan, and Drib. Level of gratitude to these ladies and chaps not shown in respective order. Major thanks, too, to Flatride for plugging the blog on his website.

[start greeting]
Happy 17th Birthday to my dear, emo-most-of-the-time and sometimes-it's-depressing-already sister!
[/end greeting]