North Side
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
13 Hours on the Road SLEX
Subject: 13 Hours From Sucat To Bicutan
From: cbrazon@worldtelphil.com
Date: 1997/08/18
Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino
13 hours. Yes that's how long it took to cross the 4 km stretch from Sucat South Luzon Expressway to Bicutan Monday night when the monsoon rains caused a giant gridlock out of Metro Manila. The rains caught the city and the government flatfooted. DZRH went on special programming. So did DZBB and DZMM. You know when the government is unprepared-there are no politicians on air. Except for MMDA Chairman Prospero Oreta who simply had to say give in to all the requests of the annotator for towing trucks, the traffic brigade and the state of the raincoats and rubber boots-lines he has been saying for the pas days on radio. I heard Mayor Marquez say at 4 a.m. that it was OK to take the Santos Road to the South.
Following morning was devoted to discussion not on how to get us out of the gridlock but on whether there would be classes and offices or not! And which government office is responsible for announcing this when we haven't even gone home yet! Mayor Binay was cold about the whole situation and wouldn't even volunteer his towing trucks.
From the radio broadcast it seemed to me that the South was completely shut off from the metropolis. The coastal road, NAIA road and the SLEX were in a standstill. Traffic in the Expressway was caused by the incessant rains and flooding, the volume of vehicles building up and the buses/ trucks catching up with the light vehicles later in the evening. At SLEX, main blocks were the flooding at the Bicutan interchange, at the Motorola (which settled down early in the morning) Bicutan, Magallanes, Vito Cruz, Quirino and others not reported.
As I moved out of C5 at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and saw the snake of vehicles wanting to get into the South, I pictured their future the next 13 hours. It can be shorter if the rains stop, longer if the government doesn't wake up.
From: cbrazon@worldtelphil.com
Date: 1997/08/18
Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino
13 hours. Yes that's how long it took to cross the 4 km stretch from Sucat South Luzon Expressway to Bicutan Monday night when the monsoon rains caused a giant gridlock out of Metro Manila. The rains caught the city and the government flatfooted. DZRH went on special programming. So did DZBB and DZMM. You know when the government is unprepared-there are no politicians on air. Except for MMDA Chairman Prospero Oreta who simply had to say give in to all the requests of the annotator for towing trucks, the traffic brigade and the state of the raincoats and rubber boots-lines he has been saying for the pas days on radio. I heard Mayor Marquez say at 4 a.m. that it was OK to take the Santos Road to the South.
Following morning was devoted to discussion not on how to get us out of the gridlock but on whether there would be classes and offices or not! And which government office is responsible for announcing this when we haven't even gone home yet! Mayor Binay was cold about the whole situation and wouldn't even volunteer his towing trucks.
From the radio broadcast it seemed to me that the South was completely shut off from the metropolis. The coastal road, NAIA road and the SLEX were in a standstill. Traffic in the Expressway was caused by the incessant rains and flooding, the volume of vehicles building up and the buses/ trucks catching up with the light vehicles later in the evening. At SLEX, main blocks were the flooding at the Bicutan interchange, at the Motorola (which settled down early in the morning) Bicutan, Magallanes, Vito Cruz, Quirino and others not reported.
As I moved out of C5 at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and saw the snake of vehicles wanting to get into the South, I pictured their future the next 13 hours. It can be shorter if the rains stop, longer if the government doesn't wake up.
Life in Katipunan
Life in Katipunan
Written 19 June 1997
My Katipunan used to be a quiet street that connects U.P to Aurora Blvd.
Now it connects Bulacan to Laguna.
It has become like an EDSA. Worse it is now EDSA with the LRT construction constricting travel in the major thoroughfare.
Crossing the overpass that links Loyola Heights to Blue Ridge used to be a feast for the eyes. The Sierra Madre on the Marikina side steals the attention from the windshield. On a clear day, Mt. Makiling in Laguna is also visible. We have now been denied this, censored by a high wall that almost says, "You are not entitled to this appreciation." Thank you to whoever initiated this project.
Katipunan-C-5's traffic is well managed by MMDA traffic aides, religiously. Even with the volume of vehicles, traffic flows. Innovations like counter flows, closing P. Tuazon crossings; no U-turns are regular occurrences. To a certain extent they yield faster flows. At least you know you'll get to Corinthian without much stress.
But what’s irritating is:
When some big shots stop traffic, violate traffic flows using uniformed men in big motorcycles to push them upfront. Our poor MMDA aides just have to give in to their bullying, while we have to wait.
When the pacing is too slow that blind beggars queuing up for your window also builds up.
When the aides in rare occasions are not in their post unpredictably. Could it be it's their payday? Or some politicians used them for other purposes? Or they simply just gave up? I couldn't see the pattern.
Patient as we are, we just have to surrender to progress. Wait for the newly trees planted at Ateneo to grow and provide the shade in future summers to come. Or savor the end to end of Sta. Maria Della Strada to The Mormon Church in White Plains while they are still there..
19 June 1997
Chito Razon
Written 19 June 1997
My Katipunan used to be a quiet street that connects U.P to Aurora Blvd.
Now it connects Bulacan to Laguna.
It has become like an EDSA. Worse it is now EDSA with the LRT construction constricting travel in the major thoroughfare.
Crossing the overpass that links Loyola Heights to Blue Ridge used to be a feast for the eyes. The Sierra Madre on the Marikina side steals the attention from the windshield. On a clear day, Mt. Makiling in Laguna is also visible. We have now been denied this, censored by a high wall that almost says, "You are not entitled to this appreciation." Thank you to whoever initiated this project.
Katipunan-C-5's traffic is well managed by MMDA traffic aides, religiously. Even with the volume of vehicles, traffic flows. Innovations like counter flows, closing P. Tuazon crossings; no U-turns are regular occurrences. To a certain extent they yield faster flows. At least you know you'll get to Corinthian without much stress.
But what’s irritating is:
When some big shots stop traffic, violate traffic flows using uniformed men in big motorcycles to push them upfront. Our poor MMDA aides just have to give in to their bullying, while we have to wait.
When the pacing is too slow that blind beggars queuing up for your window also builds up.
When the aides in rare occasions are not in their post unpredictably. Could it be it's their payday? Or some politicians used them for other purposes? Or they simply just gave up? I couldn't see the pattern.
Patient as we are, we just have to surrender to progress. Wait for the newly trees planted at Ateneo to grow and provide the shade in future summers to come. Or savor the end to end of Sta. Maria Della Strada to The Mormon Church in White Plains while they are still there..
19 June 1997
Chito Razon
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