Monday morning, Miong woke up and prepared for the day. Sip of coffee and pandesal, taking a shower and leave his house at Bucandala in Imus, Cavite…work time starts at 8AM but he doesn’t like to ruin his perfect attendance record, he woke up early…very early, like the sun’s rays hasn’t touched the faces of those who wait for the buses bound for Lawton and EDSA. Miong joined them, many of them waiting in Aguinaldo Highway…Comes a bus, it was another standing ovation. Upon reaching Imus Bayan, the bus was already jam-packed and Miong had positioned himself in the most comfortable way, learning up the kama sutra of everyday commuting.
As they were going north-bound, the world stopped. And it did stopped, for an hour Miong stood in the bus full of people…somewhat agonizing, together with the passengers, he waited for 30 minutes or more then goes the bus speeding up like there is no tomorrow. Miong experienced “buhos,” an everyday occurrence to any Caviteño commuter…
Continue reading Buhos Traffic: A Way of Life for Caviteños
How Does It Feel Like Being a Caviteño Commuter?
Waiting Commuters at Talaba, Bacoor, Cavite -- ang tagal dyan kahit bukana na ng Maynila!
The first is, have you tried combat commuting? I think if you live in Manila, it is essential to know combat commuting. Its a war waged every single weekday in the Philippine capital. The climax of the war at Hell’s Gate? Rush hour madness. Everyday, people try to cram themselves in buses, jeepneys and metros. Well, asi es la vida en Manila! Can’t deal with it? Might as well leave for the provincias.
Now, for a Cavite resident like me, traveling from home to work is a fact of life. Manila has become crowded and the urban expansion reached the doorsteps of its neighboring provinces, one of which is Cavite. There may be 12 million residents in Metro Manila but including the Greater Manila Area (encompassing Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan), we may even be comparable with the population of that of Mexico City, Tokyo or Mumbai! Cavite has the largest share of GMA residents-3 million people, tw0-thirds of it lives in towns near Metro Manila and along Aguinaldo Highway-the sole main artery of the province. Three million, the most populous province in the country-and with real estate blooming like lumot in the pond, its like a heart chocked with cholesterol! After all, Cavite IS a bedroom of Metro Manila.
Continue reading How Does It Feel Like Being a Caviteño Commuter?