The Car Is Not the Enemy. Disorder Is.
By Karl Garcia
In the Philippines, transport debates play out like moral crusades. Cars are the devil. Public transit is holiness. Bikes promise redemption. But as the Department of Transportation (DoTr) opens bids for a 2055 Transportation System Master Plan—drawing five global consortia competing for $44 million in Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank funding—it’s time to drop the sermons.
Congestion is not a moral failure. It is a systems failure. Cars did not ruin our cities. Ungoverned space did.
Why Cars Persist—and Why They Must
The Philippines is an archipelago with uneven density, fragmented job centers, and a vast informal economy. Daily life is not a neat commute from suburb to CBD. It is a chain: home to sari-sari store to school to work, crossing jurisdictions and modes.
Metro Manila’s average traffic speed hovers at about 19 km/h—worse than Jakarta—not because Filipinos love cars, but because public transport reliably covers only a fraction of these trip chains. Missing last-mile links, unreliable buses, and inconsistent schedules force people to improvise.
For many families, cars are not indulgences. They are coping mechanisms. Demonizing them may feel virtuous, but it solves nothing. Governance does.
The Automotive Path We Squandered
What’s often forgotten in anti-car rhetoric is that the Philippines once had a real automotive story. We invented the jeepney. We built Sarao and Francisco Motors. We assembled the Tamaraw FX and the Vios in Santa Rosa, exporting vehicles across ASEAN. Isuzu still manufactures trucks locally.
Then policy drift set in. No supplier ecosystem. No R&D incentives. No export discipline. No long-term industrial strategy.
While Thailand locked in Japanese manufacturers, South Korea disciplined its chaebols, India enforced local content, and China scaled at speed, the Philippines surrendered. We became an importer in an industry we once helped shape.
Chaos, Not Cars, Grinds Us Down
Congestion is the visible symptom of deeper rot:
- Mixed traffic anarchy: Tricycles, pedicabs, motorcycles, delivery bikes, and private cars compete for the same road space, collapsing average speeds.
- Jurisdictional paralysis: Metro Manila’s 17 LGUs guard turf while national roads choke.
- Enforcement vacuum: No taxi meters, arbitrary loading zones, illegal parking everywhere, freight idling without penalty.
- Land-use blindness: Expressways cut through farmland, worsen flooding, and accelerate sprawl—eroding food security as arable land shrinks year after year.
Blanket car restrictions without systemic fixes backfire. Bangkok’s car curbs boosted motorcycles. Bogotá’s bike lanes faltered when buses failed. Moralizing mobility doesn’t create equity. Organizing it does.
A Unified System That Contains Cars
Successful countries don’t ban cars. They discipline them.
As DoTr evaluates bids from global firms like Systra, TYPSA, and Arup, the real test is not how many roads they can draw, but whether they can design a system that actually works:
- Multimodal spines: Rail, BRT, ferries, and buses integrated with reliable last-mile options—e-bikes, shared shuttles, walkable nodes.
- Data-driven governance: Unified ticketing, real-time passenger information, and AI-guided freight routing that can slash idle time and emissions.
- Land-use discipline: Parking consolidation instead of sprawl, and renewed standards for efficient buses and trucks—not endless flyovers.
- Institutional competence: Training DoTr and DPWH to manage systems and enforce rules, not just pour concrete.
The Climate Math Is Clear
Traffic chaos burns more fuel than orderly movement—even with cars. Idling, detours, and unpredictability are emissions multipliers. The fastest way to cut transport emissions is not moral posturing, but efficiency: smoother flows, shorter trips, and electrified last miles.
With a 2055 horizon, the Philippines cannot afford another generation of infrastructure that looks impressive and functions poorly.
Design Over Default
Cars will remain part of Philippine life. The real question is whether they dominate by neglect or serve by design.
The new transport master plan is an opportunity to build a system where public transport carries the bulk of demand, private vehicles handle the edges efficiently, and chaos finally gives way to order.
But that will only happen if policymakers—and the public—stop treating transport as a culture war and start demanding proof of integration, governance, and results.
The car is not the enemy. Disorder is. And at this stage, refusing to govern transport holistically is no longer inertia. It is sabotage.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
on leaving cars at home most of the time.
this could work if you live where jeepneys alwaya pass your house..
I live in a subdivision where it is hard to get a tricycle so I just walk far where I could hail one.
So park and ride could work.
SM malls is the unofficial park and ride placr for some.
does you subdivision like BGC have lime escooters available? it is for very short commute from a to b.
AI Overview
Lime rental scooters are reported to be available in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Metro Manila, as of early 2025. These scooters are geolocked to the area and require drop-off at designated spots, with pickup/dropoff locations found on the Moovr app or website.
Key Details on Scooter Rentals in the Philippines:
Note: The official Lime Micromobility website does not explicitly list the Philippines among its standard operating countries, so the presence in BGC may be a specific partnership or pilot program.
Some neighbors have their own but they are slowly being restricted together with other mobility vehicles by the lto as mntioned in your comment
I have a scooter and I can take it in the train or bus with me, I just have to fold it and put it in my gymbag, and make sure it does not inconvenient others. I once have an escooter (bought off in the internet) but I cannot take it with me in the train (last bagon) dahil bawal pala, baka ang lithium battery ay magliyab sa luob ng train. apparently lithium batteries have habit to catching fire! and cannot be put out, you just have to let it burn until finish.
Thankks kb
AI Overview of ATSMP 2055:
The Philippines’ transportation plans, including initiatives looking towards 2055, are actively shifting away from a “car-centric” model to encourage people to leave their cars at home. The focus is on developing a comprehensive, multimodal public transport network—including railways, modern buses, and active transport (walking/biking) infrastructure—to make commuting a more efficient alternative to private vehicle use.
Key elements to reduce reliance on private vehicles include:
These initiatives, such as the 30-year rail plan and the focus on active transport, are designed to make public transport a preferred, sustainable, and reliable choice over private vehicle use.
Optimistic it will happen in five years and not 2055.
I’m keeping me fingers crossed, if it can deliver in 5yrs, I’ll dance naked in luneta! if not, I’ll wait patiently complaining all the while, haha.
Just looking at the National Capital Region, any “governance” of the problem of motor vehicles and congestion would have to be agreed upon by 17 mayors! I think if it involved 3 mayors only it would take more than 5 years. So I think you’re safe, Kasambahay. No naked dancing at the Luneta.
what a disappointment! I would have danced the dance of the seven veils as danced by saloma that netted her the head of john the baptist. we shall be celebrating lent in a few months, and already I am getting ready for the play of the stations of the cross. I never did get to play mary magdalene, so this time, I’ll be the devil!
anyway, it is a sobering thought, and maybe you have noticed that of the 17mayors, only 3 are signatory of the mayors for good governance (M4GG). looks like nicolas torre will have some dancing to do too, see if he can make the mayors dance in sync to the tune of decongestion. they may spit at each other and go for each other’s throat later; but in the meantime, their cooperation is needed urgently. and if nicolas torre takes notes of their subsequent meetings and post those in the internet to update the public, the public would be much appreciative.
traffic affects all commuters, anything at all to lessen the sufferings of commuters is move in the right direction. update us, let us know who are the cooperative mayors, and let us also know which mayors have to be dragged, cajoled, pushed and made to sit and listen. we will pay them back when election comes next time around.
“update us, let us know who are the cooperative mayors, and let us also know which mayors have to be dragged, cajoled, pushed and made to sit and listen. we will pay them back when election comes next time around.” – Kasambahay
Too much going on for anyone to be doing any updating. NCR has been a nightmare since Imelda Marcos was head. But like you say, maybe Batman likes it that way.
dont believe in that! dont ever believe in that! they have staff by the bucketloads and ought to be doing something and not twiddling their thumbs to while away the time. these are public servants, they have to answer to the public and not hide behind anonymity. and we do have freedom of info now and can summon public docus of interest. and with today’s digital age, all meeting can be digitalized and uploaded in the clouds in no time at all.
“don’t believe in that! don’t ever believe in that! they have staff by the bucket loads and ought to be doing something and not twiddling their thumbs to while away the time. these are public servants, they have to answer to the public and not hide behind anonymity. and we do have freedom of info now and can summon public docus of interest. and with today’s digital age, all meeting can be digitalized and uploaded in the clouds in no time at all.” – Kasambahay
When I said “Too much going on for anyone to be doing any updating” I was referring to the public, i.e. watchdogs. Even back in my day (60s & 70s), public servants were not public servants. We did not kid ourselves. You say “they have to answer…” Are you kidding? They don’t have to do anything and they get away with it.
Our essays here at TSOH are mostly about a government that does not serve the needs of the people. Or am I misreading them?
heto, knock yourself out! nag iiba na ang ihip ng hangin ngayon.
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/1/marcos-jr-wants-review-of-outdated-policies-encourages-public-to-make-suggestions-1809
“heto, knock yourself out! nag iiba na ang ihip ng hangin ngayon.” – Kasambahay
I knocked myself out in the late 60s when Marcos, Sr. declared: “This nation can be great again! Sa ikauunlad ng Bayan, disciplina ang kailangan. Re-elect Ferdinand Marcos!”
In 1971, Marcos gave people the feeling that the nation was under attack from internal forces and first suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus to put any opposition to him on their heels. Then placed the final nail on the coffin by declaring Martial Law in 1972.
From that point, Marcos systematically looted the country until by 1983 the country was bankrupt and good not pay its massive foreign debt. So much for the promise of greatness for the country, and the exhortation to “disciplina!”
With politicians, words are cheap. As Reagan said: “Trust but verify.”
Now having said that, I’ve recently been excited by the discovery that Estonia has a system that governments can adopt to effectively fight corruption. It empowers the citizenry to by-pass point of contact with corrupt government officials. It also improve transparency so that the citizenry can more easily SEE where money is going and how it is being spent practically in REAL TIME, not years later after the money is plundered like with the Flood Scandal, or the Marcos, Sr. plundering years ago.
Now of course Marcos, Jr., dear no. 1 Servant of the People in his role as president, WILL NOT ADMIT TO THAT PLUNDERING BY HIS FATHER. Such an admission would not help him or his family personally. But he has done the opposite and presented to the Filipino people a revised version of our history. He somehow managed to show that the bankrupt Philippines of 1983 had just come through a Golden Age and was not bankrupt at all! In other words, the opposite of the truth.
My hope is that enough of the X-Road Project becomes a reality so that enough of the Filipino people are empowered enough to prevent Servants of the People from being Plunders of the People like Marcos, Sr. was.
The plunderers and thieves in government AND even in the private sector CAN STILL SABOTAGE the system. They can continue the system of PERFORMANCE GOVERNMENT which pretends through optics to serve the people, but actually screws them big time.
Because the X-Road system is already a reality in places like Estonia and other countries, and because it has the potential TO BE INSTALLED RELATIVELY QUICKLY, I am cautiously optimistic that it can quickly gain momentum with the Filipino public and gain a momentum that carries it to a point where the corrupt are effectively put in check. Francis’s dream of rich Filipinos can be a reality.
Just my 2 cents.
During the Aquino years, considerable effort was made (by me) to defend the acts of government against relentless criticism. A lot of effort by Irineo et al has been spent on historical contexts. Today, Karl is parsing the strengths and weaknesses of government. I have spent some time recognizing that the Marcos government has done good works (closing pogos, alliance building, etc) against your built in anti-Marcos bias. So no, it is not that simple.
just some links for CV to read:
Thanks Irineo.
“During the Aquino years, considerable effort was made (by me) to defend the acts of government against relentless criticism.” – JoeAm
Indeed and I am glad for that. Reminds me of the “relentless” criticism of Biden here in the US as he guided the ship of State through the pandemic. I heard from people who have considerable knowledge of economics that PNoy was great for the Philippines but the “haters” I guess one can call them (meaning “Aquino Haters”) were relentless in their criticism of him, and eventually the nation put Duterte in office to replace him instead of Aquino’s choice of a replacement (I believe it was Mar Roxas?). My thought then was that Filipinos just couldn’t stand success.
“A lot of effort by Irineo et al has been spent on historical contexts.” – Joe Am
Always a good thing to know the historical contexts. Kudos to Irineo and anyone who brings in historical context.
“Today, Karl is parsing the strengths and weaknesses of government.” – Karl
Yes, and I have been reading and re-reading his essays with great interest. He being a local helps me to get some sort of a grip on what is going on in the homeland. You will notice that I try to generate discussion on the issues he brings up in his essays. I try to relate comments to what he wrote. It is easy to go off tangent. Like when I mentioned Rizal’s learning a Visayan language as a sign of his “we are all Filipinos” mindset, and then we go off and discuss multi-lingual people and what it is a sign of, etc. etc.
“I have spent some time recognizing that the Marcos government has done good works (closing pogos, alliance building, etc) against your built in anti-Marcos bias. So no, it is not that simple.” – JoeAm
I learned a new term from Karl Garcia – “performance government.” I don’t care for labels in discussions. I find them to be too easy tools to distract from a good discussion. Labels like “Marcos Fan Boy” or “hater” are to me not helpful. You will find that I generally do use them.
“Performance government” as I understand it, is light years better than the government the Philippines had under Duterte. That is my opinion. But there is a reason Marcos, Jr. put Sarah Duterte on his ticket during the election campaign. So I suspect that there is a huge voting block that does not agree with me on the term of Rodrigo Duterte.
But we can always find good things that Marcos, Jr. is doing. I would just not fault those who look at the things he is not doing. Everyone is entitled to his opinion, including those who liked the Administration of Rodrigo Duterte. I have had two close “kilalas” who defend Marcos, Sr.’s good works. They know that I don’t agree with them, but that doesn’t get in the way of our friendship.
Now you all know what a fan I am of the PH-Road adaptation of the Estonian X-Road model to address a major (but not only) problem of the Philippines. For something like that to succeed in any significant way for the country, you need buy-in from Malacañang. Marcos, Jr. has signaled his buy-in. Delegations have been exchanged with Estonia. Laws have been passed by Congress to help move the project forward. Money has been allocated, financing with World Bank and Asian Development Bank has been arranged, etc. etc. Actual implementation has begun. So happily for CV, we are not at ground zero….you might even say we are as far as first base!
I have found that for a whole lot of Filipinos this is an “inner most secret” meaning they are ignorant of this step that has the potential for possibly “giving agency” (Joey Nguyen’s term) to the Filipino, especially the DE Filipinos. For me, that is a flag, because it is the people that needs to monitor the project and make sure it doesn’t lose momentum as we head to 2nd, 3rd base and home plate. But I am taking it one base at a time.
Fingers crossed.
some historical reflections: (the one about People Power is by Karl, the last one is somehow related to something Francis recently commented here)
Thanks for the references, Irineo. I’ll go through them at my leisure. I am blessed to have much leisure time. See you around at TSOH.
“Having agency” is a state of proactivity wherein the one who has agency possesses the power, belief, and ability to initiate one’s own choices, act on that choice, and directly control one’s actions in order to directly influence one’s circumstances and surroundings.
The easiest way to increase agency is to increase wealth and financial independence. One who must depend on ayuda and is limited in every which way to get out of one’s condition has very little agency. The imperative should be to figure out how to increase the average Filipino’s financial condition, from which agency will sprout. When 93% of the population are poor or dirt poor, should the focus be on making the Philippines an ersatz mimeographic copy (I used the words here carefully) of elite envy of highly-industrialized countries, or should the focus instead be on raising the condition of the huge majority?
• In the 1960s “Golden Years of the Philippines” the masa constituted 60% of the population.
• In post-EDSA 1990 the masa still constituted 60% of the population.
• In the 2000s which coincided with the aftermath of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, EDSA II and III, the DE-aggregate (ABCDE classification originally was developed for marketing to consumer purposes in the 2000s) approached 70% of the population.
• In 2016 (the year Duterte took power) the DE-aggregate were nearly 80% of the population.
• In 2025 as I have mentioned many a time the DE-aggregate were just under 93%.
We can see that between 1960 and 1990 the masa/DE stayed relatively constant as a portion of the population. I have talked to many in the masa if they had experienced anything different during the years of Marcos Sr.’s most corrupt activity. The answer was always “no difference.” Marcos Sr.’s corruption mostly offended the sensibilities and affected the self-perception of the higher socio-economic classes that the Philippines was a great and modern country for the time, NOT the masa.
The Philippines is GOING BACKWARDS for not just most Filipinos, but the vast majority of Filipinos, while those with the most agency, the elites and the educated who are in positions of societal or official power continue to envy something outside to the Philippines and have inordinate obsession with creating their own simulacrum of that envy. It should not be the case that the only way for most to escape poverty is to attempt a “bank shot” by going abroad as an OFW and work in a demeaning job far from home and family. That is what is called failure of government to provide absolutely basic services expected of the universal social contract of democratic societies.
The late President PNoy and with his highly educated advisors recognized this backsliding and tried to stabilize it. They accomplished a lot to stem the bleeding, yet due to humility on their part did not boast that much and therefore were not rewarded politically.
Those who have never been very poor will never understand fully the struggles of the poor, though they can get a closer understanding by actually interacting with the poor.
“The imperative should be to figure out HOW to increase the average Filipino’s financial condition, from which agency will sprout.” – Joey
I agree.
The best “HOW” I have come across is the strategy Estonia took. Sorry for bringing it up again. While they were a satellite of the USSR, their people had no agency. It was even worse than what the Filipinos have today. After the fall of the Soviet Union, they put in a system that would give a majority of their citizens agency, and their system worked.
The Philippines (PBBM himself) has invited Estonia to work with them to adapt their system to the Philippine problem of little agency for the majority of the population. Everything is apparently in place. I understand that Sec. of Dept. of Information and Communications Technology Henry Ayuda is the overall head of the project. He is assisted by Undersecretary David Almirol, Jr., Leandro Aguirre, Christina Fave de Sagon, Sarah Sison.
Do any of you know these people? Are they quality people? (“magaling, magiting, at mapagmahal sa bayan?”)
It is expected that the “old guard” i.e. those who profit from the current corrupt and agency draining system, will do their best to sabotage the effort of eGovPH. But that is the beauty of having the Estonians on their coaching staff. The Estonians KNOW how to use technology to blunt (if not defeat) the efforts of the “old guard” or we can call them “gatekeepers.” But WE still have to consult them. If we do not, then we cannot take advantage of what they have between the ears. They will not go in uninvited.
Is this all just Performance Government, or will it be the real thing?
Fingers crossed. The goal is more agency to more Filipinos, especially that 60% that Joey has referred to. It is my hope that Batman has arrived in the Philippines.
Opposing views welcome….we have talked a lot about critical thinking (different from just being critical of everything without substance). I would love to see some of it on this subject here at the Society. Bring it in guys.
Okay, so your suggestion is to do what Filipino elite decider class has always done: Search for exotic solutions and grand fixes while failing to understand what they “bought” when logically they should “go back to the basics” fixing the immediately solvable issues — as the problems continue to compound and grow.
This illogic contributes to how the Philippines got here in the first place!
**Okay, so your suggestion is to do what Filipino elite decider class has always done: Search for exotic solutions and grand fixes while failing to understand what they “bought” when logically they should “go back to the basics” fixing the immediately solvable issues — as the problems continue to compound and grow.
This illogic contributes to how the Philippines got here in the first place!** – Joey N.
Yes, the Estonia model was my suggestion here at TSOH. You call it an “exotic solution.” I don’t find it not exotic at all. I would label it “state of the art.” And I’m not a computer techie, so when something is technologically state of the art, I defer to the experts.
But unbeknownst to me, as I was introducing Estonia to TSOH, the Philippine government (“Filipino elite decider class” according to you; “Servants of the People” according to Kasambahay) had already introduced itself to Estonia and vice versa.
The seed was apparently planted in 2020 by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) as part of a discussion paper. This was still the Duterte Administration. The idea was elevated when President Marcos Jr. himself referenced Estonia’s digital governance capabilities in a 2022 bilateral meeting with Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
In 2023, DICT officials under the leadership of Secretary Ivan Uy held talks with Estonian counterparts during international summits and diplomatic engagements in Tallinn, Estonia.
So long story short, my ideas on this are already old news. 😦
I cannot brag.
The good news for me is that if it fails, I cannot be blamed. I just agreed with my fellow Filipinos who went ahead of me.
*Search for exotic solutions and grand fixes while failing to understand what they “bought” when logically they should “go back to the basics” fixing the immediately solvable issues — as the problems continue to compound and grow.* – Joey
This reminds me of something H. Ross Perot said when he got kicked off the Board of General Motors. He had been placed on the Board based on his success as a businessman with his company Electronic Data Systems. He was very critical of the management style of General Motors which he felt among many things was too slow in responding to market conditions. that is why he got booted from the Board.
He famously said after that: “At EDS, when we see a snake we kill it! At General Motors, when they see a snake, the first thing they do is form a committee on snakes.”
And I disagree with Marcos Sr. on his prioritization of what is needed while giving him grace on needing to balance the assault on the Philippines from the Duterte clan. I have criticized the lack of action on scooping up as much as manufacturing fleeing from China as possible, as the Philippines has *always* been the natural location for a manufacturing and export hub, not mainland SEA.
What would you suppose would have more impact? Creating a flawed facsimile of post-industrial highly developed Western countries that the ABC classes which constitute 7% of the population view as great, or effecting much simpler action that would lift millions of DE Filipinos who are 93% of the population out of poverty?
Doing the former would be a bank shot that has a high likelihood of failure due to inexperience and lack of commitment to heavy lifting while spending exorbitant funds and time. Doing the latter benefits the most Filipinos, while securing their votes for a generation or more which would allow the former to be pursued with more resources and political capital.
P.S. Amusingly the irony of the Ross Perot quote as applied to the Philippines context was not recognized.
What about this we already heard that the poor almost do not care about gdp
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2175967/monsod-inefficiency-not-corruption-scandal-caused-slowdown/amp
GDP is an abstract concept for even most Americans and Europeans.
But I will say as someone who once experienced poverty, when one lives at the constant edge of survival the only concern is maintaining one’s material needs. When the water is up to one’s neck, as a Vietnamese proverb goes, the only imperative is how not to drown, how to survive. When I tour the poorer areas of the Philippines it strikes me that Filipinos there are trying to find happiness in small things, making the best of what they know and have, and are trying to survive. Having time to think about things outside of immediate material needs is a luxury of those who have their material needs met, and then some.
Connected is the anger of Filipinos towards the corruption scandal mostly concerns the connection between the Filipino looking at his/her own lack of material fulfillment and the “villains” unfairly capturing an inordinate amount of resources for themselves at the expense of everyone else.
hey, the Philippines already HAS BGC!
With a 3D billboard and a Venice mall with Filipino gondolieres!
still shocked by the stats you shared here that poverty GREW from 2000 onwards, with it being around 60% from the 1960s to 1990s and growing to the 93% there is now – INSPITE of the “new middle class” formed out of BPO and OFW money. But it makes a lot of things make more sense.
BTW I see parallels between what was the new middle class in Marcos Sr. times (1970s) and the new middle class today – their naive hedonism and consumerism is quite similar, or maybe their hedonism is not that naive but what in Germany is called dancing on a volcano. The obliviousness to how the poor live and HOW MANY they are – or maybe the choice to look away, who knows – seems similar, even as I can only guess from afar.
BTW, well-informed as you always are, have you read about the “issue” of “geng-geng” aka “youngstunnas” being thrown out of BGC for “disorderly conduct”?
I think the misplaced aspirational tendencies of the ABC is quite obvious with all the self-promoting, e.g. “The Manhattan of Asia.” It becomes apparent quite quickly who and where they are trying to copy.
Yeah, that’s what I keep saying regarding the DE being a lot larger than most understand as apparently I’m probably the only one among us that interacts with them on a casual basis without the whole “yes po, no po” thing. For all the outward openness of Filipinos, the culture is quite guarded. It’s hard to understand DE life without being around them long enough living as they do. I have written before about an invisible firewall I’ve observed between classes, with a quite thick one between where C ends and D starts. Lower classes understand higher classes better as they aspire to climb there of course, while higher classes don’t seem to know much about those lower.
One of the earliest shocks I experienced when I wandered outside of my SHS friend’s Batangas compound were the informal settlements and how odd it seemed that more affluent Filipinos acted as if such settlements didn’t exist even though it was literally there and Filipinos of all classes interact with each other in society everyday. More kind bosses that employed DEs had an idea of how poor people lived, but not really.
I do think that having such a large poor class is a huge problem. It’s a powder keg in many way: socially, economically, morally. But on the other hand the potential to “go up” is also much higher due to having such a large reservoir of people who can be lifted in order to drive the economy.
If you recall a year or more ago LCPL and I had a discussion about MBA types. I don’t think he really understood my point as he tried to keep forcing his narrative. It really does seem to me that the late 1990s through late 2000s were driven by technocratic MBA types. They made a lot of money for the AB and upper C which increased GDP by a lot, but life got worse for DEs. D’s voted for Duterte in droves. Some may reason that the new middle class lower-Cs and ABs who wanted to protect their wealth were the reason why Duterte got elected, but that is mathematically implausible when DE is 93%. Change the DE’s lives for the better, and the opposition wins.
Re young stunna geng-gengs, if you recall the Tausug friend who is the nephew of Gov. Tan of Sulu, he styles himself as a geng-geng so I’m familiar with that subculture. I mentioned before they meet up with C- and D-tier American rappers and basketball players (usually African American), who in the US would be failed rap artists selling CDs on the street corner or are benchwarmers on a college basketball team. Yes they are be a bit rowdy, but mostly I think they are just posers imitating something they perceive as “cool.” Harmless essentially. The Taguig cops kicking the kids out of BGC seems excessive. BGC is built on public land, which is probably why the cops had to use the reason of disorderly conduct. I view the episode as another instance of gatekeeping and elitism that is so prevalent in Filipino society… which coincidentally connects to what I said about firewalls between classes. That doesn’t happen that much in the US. I once regularly saw a man for years at a diner restaurant who ordered the same cheap meal and drove a beat up old car, talking with him sometimes when we at the the counter seating, only to find out later he was a multimillionaire many times over and had a garaged Lamborghini at home. I find it ironic that the geng-geng kids just wanted to make TikTok’s looking fake rich and fake famous, which is the same thing the BGC cafe goers and patio diners who complained were disturbed from doing. Well irony is sometimes lost in a culture that often either takes things too seriously or too literally, or not at all.
thanks for filling me in on the geng-gengs, it confirms my feeling that the entire discussion about them is OA – as usual.
the firewalls between classes ARE very real over there, and I guess it is easier for a foreigner to cross them as “they” usually don’t trust “us” and vice versa – for reasons rooted in experience.
Bank shots have more chances of getting in the baskets than nothing but net ringless shots experience or no experience.
Maybe that is why they are “bank” shots
I don’t watch much pro basketball, but I did play basketball from elementary up to high school graduation and still play casually at the park. I’m also decent with the cue stick on bank shots and kick shots if billiards metaphors are used instead.
But right on your observation. However given an option between a layup/jump shot and a bank shot, would a player who knows his team is depending on him making the points go for the more difficult play? Going for flair points and extravagant performance garners huge headlines in the moment when the maneuver *works,* but even if the team wins the current game, what’s more important is getting to the playoffs and winning the championship. No one cares about a player’s amazing play years later. What record books care about is what team won the championship.
Youtube made me watch the late samboy lim (Known here as skywalker) and Michael Jordan.Whe they show old highlights they do not show the final score.
“And I disagree with Marcos Sr. on his prioritization of what is needed while giving him grace on needing to balance the assault on the Philippines from the Duterte clan.” – Joey N.
You must mean Marcos, Jr., right? During Marcos, Sr.’s days, Duterte was focused on Davao City only, AFAIK.
“I have criticized the lack of action on scooping up as much as manufacturing fleeing from China as possible, as the Philippines has *always* been the natural location for a manufacturing and export hub, not mainland SEA.” – Joey
As have I. In fact, hasn’t practically everybody criticized that lack of action?
“Creating a flawed facsimile of post-industrial highly developed Western countries that the ABC classes which constitute 7% of the population view as great,…” – Joey N.
Firstly, the original (the one in Estonia) is not perfect…the Estonians will tell you that. But whatever is broke, they fix it.
Secondly…if the facsimile is flawed, then we can fix it and make it “a more perfect facsimile” (play on the Americans’ “form a more perfect union.”).
“..or effecting much simpler action that would lift millions of DE Filipinos who are 93% of the population out of poverty?” – Joey
I believe that committee on snakes is still working on what that “much simpler action” is. They started in 1946, I believe. Still haven’t come up with it.
“Doing the latter benefits the most Filipinos, while securing their votes for a generation or more which would allow the former to be pursued with more resources and political capital.” – Joey
Maybe…but after 80 years, we’re still waiting for what that “latter” is. Lots of theories and visions…and trillions spent in implementation. But so far, “sick man of Asia” still.
As to the former, it will take Filipino leadership because we are not under the Americans or the Spaniards anymore. Can’t fall back on “Mother Country” anymore. And from what I hear, not all are asleep in this night of our current generation. My hope is that the Agudo/Almirol tandem and the rest of their team are awake. A lot of dynasties will try to block it. Let’s see if armed with this digital “weapon of mass construction” the intuitive Filipino can finally win.
And of course my hope is that you are wrong and that the bank shot is a 3 pointer that wins the game. If you are right about this project endorsed by Marcos, Jr. himself, the Philippines loses.
Re Sr. vs Jr.:
iPad autocorrected.
Re “Estonians will tell you that”:
I have actually talked to Estonians, have traveled in that region numerous times, and so on. I doubt you have. What is with this tendency to just assume things then build narrative around what is already believed?
Estonia is a tiny country with a population of 1.3m. They solved their problems, problems of which were unique to their own situation, by their diaspora coming back to help and listening to advice from established EU and Nordic countries. Let the Philippines start there with its own diaspora and listening to American (and now Japanese, Korean, etc.) advice.
I really hate to sound condescending but you are wholly unqualified to push for a tool such as X-Road, which ultimately is just a tool. A tool cannot build a house by itself. The Philippines has had at its disposal many tools in the past, and have been given many more tools by the US. A tool is useless if one does not know how to use it. Not bothering to learn how to use the tools at hand and constantly looking for the latest, most gee-whiz tool is how that “80 years” was wasted. It’s like having a basic oak handle hammer, not learning how to drive a nail with it, and constantly replacing the hammer with one with a hickory handle, a steel handle, a fiberglass handle, a carbon fiber handle. The hammer’s head is the same cast iron or forged steel all along. So how about we start there, learn to use the tools that are available.
Since the 1970s, Philippine government computerization has evolved from isolated mainframe systems in agencies like Customs, BIR, and SSS into today’s patchwork of online platforms, apps, and interoperability proposals, yet the core problem has remained inefficiency born of fragmentation rather than lack of technology. Each wave of modernization—PCs in the 1980s, e-government in the 2000s, and digital integration in the 2010s–2020s—produced partial gains but failed to connect agencies such as LTO, LGUs, PNP, AFP, and Customs into a coherent system, leading every new administration to launch “new” proposals that largely repeat old ambitions. As economist Winnie Monsod recently argued, economic slowdowns are often driven less by corruption scandals themselves than by bureaucratic paralysis and weak execution, a pattern mirrored in the country’s stop-start digital reforms. The lesson from models like Estonia’s X-Road is that efficiency, transparency, and growth come not from endlessly replacing systems, but from sustained interoperability, institutional trust, and the capacity to execute—areas where the Philippines has long struggled.
Yes!
“The lesson from models like Estonia’s X-Road is that efficiency, transparency, and growth come not from endlessly replacing systems, but from sustained interoperability, institutional trust, and the capacity to execute—areas where the Philippines has long struggled.” – Karl G.
Exactly. Does that mean we should stop trying?
Your current essay (Car is not the Enemy) concludes with this:
**The new transport master plan is an opportunity to build a system where public transport carries the bulk of demand, private vehicles handle the edges efficiently, and chaos finally gives way to order.
But that will only happen if policymakers—and the public—stop treating transport as a culture war and start demanding proof of integration, governance, and results.**
So what is the next step? Point out that any next step is a waste of time because we lack capabilities?
You can apply the same question to just about every essay you have written, especially the one on the Maritime situation of the country.
I tried explaining this to Joey, but he did not understand my English.
We try and try.
Joey’s point is try sonethig that works or tried and tested but simple enough to be doable.
I think you are saying the same thing as far as that goes.
The disconnect is…
Haha, that last line reads like k, dripping with razor sharp humor. I laughed. I’ve ordered two cases of wine, one for each of you.
“I’ve ordered two cases of wine, one for each of you.” – JoeAm
JoeAm, you should have some sort of an award for a member of the Society that can cause another member to lose his sense of humor! hahaha Maybe a bottle of wine or 4 pack of Red Horse w/ chicharon bulaklak pulutan. It may even shorten the life of the annoying person! Problem eliminated. 🙂
Cheers!
“I have actually talked to Estonians, have traveled in that region numerous times, and so on. I doubt you have. “ – Joey
That is correct. One of the delegations that Marcos, Jr. sent, however, was 70 people large! Reminds me of our delegations to the Olympics. There were times I think when there were more delegates than athletes! Hahaha
“What is with this tendency to just assume things then build narrative around what is already believed?” – Joey
No idea what you are referring to here. What is “already believed?”
“Let the Philippines start there with its own diaspora and listening to American (and now Japanese, Korean, etc.) advice.” – Joey
Sure. But I dare say all your objections as to why Filipinos will fail with their choice to explore the X-Road solution Estonia used apply to this suggestion of yours. You should listen to yourself putting down my countrymen. It is pretty bad.
“I really hate to sound condescending but you are wholly unqualified to push for a tool such as X-Road, which ultimately is just a tool. A tool cannot build a house by itself.” – Joey
I beg your pardon? You are saying I am unqualified to have an opinion on the direction the Philippine government has chosen with regard to this Estonia experiment? Well excuse me.
“Not bothering to learn how to use the tools at hand and constantly looking for the latest, most gee-whiz tool is how that “80 years” was wasted. “ – Joey
Right. Now apply that “wisdom” you are imparting to your suggestion about bringing manufacturing from China to the Philippines. Let us see how that helps your DE people that you speak so highly of (in contrast with the ABC classes). Pray tell show us how that will work, considering we do not know how to use the tools we possess.
“So how about we start there, learn to use the tools that are available.” – Joey
Oh, go back to 1898 when the Americans said they would tutor us in democracy?
Meanwhile, how are we going to get Chinese manufacturing to come to the Philippines? Let us explore that solution of yours, or any solution on any problem presented in this Society – the Maritime situation, the Tri-Capital suggestion, traffic congestion, lack of integration in government, lack of infrastructure across the archipelago, etc. etc. Are you up to it, Joey?
To be quite frank, you think your replies are quite clever but the smarmy pilosopo and senyorito attitude is dripping. Throwing out “big ideas” you do not know even the basic concepts of, acting out fake outrage and offense to honor as a defense to valid (and light) pushback, then the kicker is expecting others to do all the work while you are the self-designated mighty big brain thinker.
I had suggested you apply your work career and life to your ideas yet you still have not. In fact you share very little of *your own* experiences aside from outdated 1960s anecdotes. I had at a time wondered if you were a bot, like I thought 7sharp was. I rarely get angry yet simply reading your ignorant nonsense then seeing another ignorant nonsense reply when I spent good faith effort to answer your questions makes me angry. I will no longer be wasting my time with your comments unless you start being realistic and reasonable.
“I will no longer be wasting my time with your comments unless you start being realistic and reasonable.” – Joey
No problem, Joey.
I asked if you were up to it, i.e. testing your “do not know how to use the tools” conclusion to specific solutions that even you have recommended and it is clear that you are not up to it.
We can leave it at that. Seems a shame, however. I think we could have learned a thing or two from such an exercise, even if it is learning about ourselves.
My apologies for making you angry. When that happens to me, I’ve found a glass of wine helps.
Ignorance is something we all are good at in some respects. There is an innocence to it, circumstances defining what we learn. The process of informing citizens is something the corrupt entitled are good at and the opposition is not. I think the opposition is ignorant even if I’m on their side. The corrupt entitled use personal networks reaching into the barangays, and a platform of lies. The opposition use their goodness, which is meaningless, and their truths, which generally lack relevance to voters.
“The opposition uses their goodness, which is meaningless, and their truths, which generally lack relevance to poor voters.” – JoeAm
I am counting on that goodness to carry the Philippines through. We don’t want the slaves of today to be the tyrants of tomorrow. The opposition that you speak of were from the elite, not the DE. I deduce from your words that there are those in the elite that actually do possess goodness. My prayer is that for once, good will triumph over evil in the Philippines.
I think it was Joey who recently said that the Filipino is intuitive. Let’s see if that intuition finally guides the nation to self-sufficiency, to that wealth for “poor bum” that Francis dreams of.
There is goodness among the elite. President Marcos has a streak of the stuff, and the majority in the Senate are well-endowed. Goodness needs organization to thrive and win over self-dealing. Without organization goodness is meaningless. That’s a clarification of my remark.
“Goodness needs organization to thrive and win over self-dealing. Without organization goodness is meaningless. That’s a clarification of my remark.” – JoeAm
Wow…you just stated the reason why I am excited about the eGov project that the Philippines is embarking on in partnership with their Estonian consultants. – ORGANIZATION!
Before the advent of Quicken and Quickbooks, it used to take me weeks to prepare my income tax return. Now it takes me only hours. The technology helped me be more organized.
Corruption thrives in disorganization. Like Quicken and Quickbooks, the Estonian X-Road system is just a tool. I don’t know why Joey thinks Filipinos cannot handle it. I have a totally different take in that I see that if there is one thing Filipinos can handle well it is computer technology.
Thanks Kb
no worries.
Karl’s essay declares: “The Car is not the Enemy”
Kasambahay submits an AI input which declares:
Conflicting views. Of course we can change terminologies. We can say “Car is not a contributor to the congestion problem.” Nobody likes his car to be called “the enemy.”
But enemy or simply “contributor,” AI suggests a shift in focus away from reliance on private vehicles which is predominantly the car. Why would AI suggest that? What is its logic? We should critically examine it. AI may be right.
Back in my day, busses and jeepneys had a specified route. I’m not that familiar with the street situation in the Philippines, but take a route like say Cubao to Makati (back in my day we took EDSA, and cost was 25 centavos until Magallanes Village, that would be in 1968ish). Now if a jeepney driver, because of congestions, could make 3 round trips before the day is done, he would make X amount of money from fares, right?
Now suppose the congestion was much much less and he could make 6 round trips. What impact would that have on his earnings per day?
Common sense, eh?
Critical thoughts welcome.
check out the fares:
AI Overview as of late 2025:
the minimum jeepney fare in the Philippines is generally P13 for traditional jeepneys and ranges between P15 to P17 for modern, air-conditioned jeepneys for the first four kilometers. While transport groups have petitioned for higher rates, current regulated fares remain at these levels, with slight variations based on specific routes and vehicle types.
Note: Fare hikes are frequently petitioned due to rising fuel costs, so rates are subject to change by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Kasambahay,
I remember around ’71, I was still in college, I got to visit Cebu City. They still had the “Piso Ra” taxi, though Piso was a minimum. Your trip could cost as much as Tatlong Piso. Back then, everything in the city was reachable within 10 minutes by car. Those were the days,eh?
You probably weren’t born yet.
my folks used to say we were not that crowded then and people were friendlier and kinder, the world simpler. now, kids have to stay longer at school in order for them to get on top of this world made so convoluted by breakthroughs and discoveries, and fast advancing technology.
“now, kids have to stay longer at school in order for them to get on top of this world made so convoluted by breakthroughs and discoveries, and fast advancing technology.” – Kasambahay
I would not be surprised that if you examine what kids do in school, including the “stay longer” period, you will find that it does not contribute towards getting “on top of this world.” Usually we ASSUME something like that does, but if you examine the process more closely you will see that it does not.
I think a lot of activities in schools, at all levels, is actually “busy-work” i.e. does not contribute positively towards getting “on top of this world.” In fact, it may be do the opposite, i.e. not give the student time to play, and thus expand their creative juices and basically have some fun and not get burned out or even traumatized by the school experience. I recall in high school and college getting stress headaches during mid-terms and finals in the week prior when I would be studying extra hard and worrying about not passing exams.
Just my 2 cents.
cv, even if there is less congestion, I doubt if jeepney drivers can constantly make more trips and earn more though earnings differ from day to day, sometimes it is more, other times, less. kasi they have to compete with buses, taxis, uber and other share rides. though pedicabs and tricycles routes are being limited now and they are not to ply on certain areas.
AI Overview:
As of 2024, there are roughly 180,000 to 250,000 registered Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJs) operating nationwide in the Philippines, a number that has remained relatively high despite government initiatives to modernize the fleet.
Compared to the 1990s, the overall number of registered units has not dramatically decreased; however, the composition of the fleet is currently undergoing a drastic shift from traditional diesel engines to modernized units under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
Key Differences: 1990s vs. Now
Current Statistics
The push for modernization, which began in 2017, aims to replace the aging, highly polluting fleet with safer, more eco-friendly vehicles, aiming to improve urban air quality and commuter safety.
“I doubt if jeepney drivers can constantly make more trips and earn more though earnings differ from day to day, sometimes it is more, other times, less. kasi they have to compete with buses, taxis, uber and other share rides. though pedicabs and tricycles routes are being limited now and they are not to ply on certain areas.” – Kasambahay
Of course they can. If a taxi picks up a fare from the NAIA, and it is ten minutes to Makati and ten minutes back, he can make a lot of trips back and forth in a single work day. Everyone gains from less congestion. If say 10 trips earn him enough money, he probably can work less hours and spend more time with family, friends, or leisure.
Seems like common sense. But I don’t know, maybe I am missing something.
“I doubt if jeepney drivers can constantly make more trips and earn more though earnings differ from day to day, sometimes it is more, other times, less. kasi they have to compete with buses, taxis, uber and other share rides. though pedicabs and tricycles routes are being limited now and they are not to ply on certain areas.” – Kasambahay
Of course they can. If a taxi picks up a fare from the NAIA, and it is ten minutes to Makati and ten minutes back, he can make a lot of trips back and forth in a single work day. Everyone gains from less congestion. If say 10 trips earn him enough money, he probably can work less hours and spend more time with family, friends, or leisure.
Seems like common sense. But I don’t know, maybe I am missing something.
It might be a stretch to say that the Philippines shaped the automotive industry in SEA. The automotive industry in the Philippines only progressed to building imported CKD’s which is all well and good as that’s how nearby peers (and South Korea) also started. CKD’s only require simple tooling as it is akin to putting together pre-made plastic LEGO blocks as opposed to building all the various blocks (ok that is a bit simplified but illustrates the point). Most of the CKD-derived cars were for domestic use with relatively few exported.
As for why the fledgling Philippine automotive industry collapsed, there are the usual reasons for this:
1.) Low economies of scale and high production costs
2.) Insufficient and unreliable electricity supply
3.) Uncertainty from uneven government policy and support, misaligned IRRs, complacency when peers moved ahead with new technology and investment
4.) Perennial problem of Philippine red tape
The most common car in the Philippines are in the compact class: Vios, Mirage, Wigo, Innova, Xpander. Clearly the aspiring middle class wants cars so there is now a domestic market of BPO professionals buying all these subcompact and compact vehicles, most of which are now imported.
One of the services that government is expected to increase the economy. One of most important ways to do this is to bring in private investment and/or public loan guarantees. As the saying goes in business: “You have to spend money to make money.”
It would also be a stretch that PH have zero part of shaping. There was no internet but there were travelers and news reporters and our early ningas cugon successes weee well documented.
Karl, I consulted for years for the two largest Japanese auto companies where I spent probably half that time focused on manufacturing process and logistics chaining. I’d have to disagree here. The Philippines auto industry only proceeded to building knockdown kits, never was a major exporter, and depended on a closed democratic market operating on a high-tariff regime, with mostly private-private partnership and little government policy support.
Of course getting to the level of being able to build imported knockdown kits is an important and great step, but I think it’s a big error to place all the past success on something relatively normal and mundane. The tendency to overplay past, lost (sometimes exaggerated or untrue, but in the case of auto industry true) successes is a bit blocker to why the Philippines has a hard time moving forward. In addition overplaying even past success makes it seem like an insurmountable goal just to recreate the past success. Better to just focus on how to get back to developing partnerships and building CKDs now, proceed to more localized manufacturing, export push, then domestic designs. For example AFAIK the Vios is no longer going to be locally assembled from CKD because the facilities don’t have up to date tooling necessary to build the new fourth-gen model. Production shifted to Thailand, Malaysia, and soon Vietnam. Another example of withering Philippines capacity that will constrain development of know-how. Let’s think future forward, not look back tot the past!
Yes you told me that already. Our ningas cugon was very short fused it went pfft. I am exaggerating the past nor am I downplaying it and many pinoys do and pleaae take note of that. I disagree with claims of greatness, only ALI was the greatest and As to being GOAT all we can say is MEH.
Your points are valid Karl. I’m just saying that the emphasis should be how to get the Philippines into the future, on which we both agree of course.
Yes and thanks.
We have illussions as I keep on writing but delusions of grandeur or delulu that I want avoided at all costs.
For example, one can say the old Philippine auto industry got things right by being one of the earliest Asian (not just SEA) countries to establish CKD-based assembly. That CKD assembly industry gave local pride in cars being assembled with Filipino hands, sold to Filipino customers. And that industry thrived early on despite lack of government support, so there’s a hint of the industriousness of local Filipino businessmen, namely Delta’s Ricardo Silverio Sr., later George Ty when he took over Delta’s business.
My point is these are the successes and building blocks that were learned at one time and should be celebrated. I had learned about Ricardo Silverio Sr. and George Ty during my time with TMC (Japan), and I’m sure you know of them also, but too few Filipinos probably know about these accomplishments.
So the nation can take these prior successes, recognizing where the efforts failed (due to lack of government support when the tariff regime no longer worked to hold back imports). Then from there craft new policy that this time would properly encourage and support building local industry rather than hoping for once-in-generations audacious talents like Silverio Sr. to figure things out themselves.
Thanks again Joey.
CV
Before I wanted PH to have SGesque deregistration on the tenth birthday of the vehicle they bought and I insisted that is tge way to go. Now my thinkinh is that is an anti poor and anti middle class move.
“Before I wanted PH to have SGesque deregistration on the tenth birthday of the vehicle they bought and I insisted that is the way to go. Now my thinking is that is an anti poor and anti middle class move.” – Karl G.
I agree….in 1980, here in US, I bought a brand new car. Since then, I’ve bought used. Modern cars are quite reliable (except maybe for American). So I really haven’t had a problem with used cars. Right now my van is a 2005 Model. That makes it 20 years old! I think I bought it in 2015 when it was 10 years old, maybe 90,000 miles on it if I remember correctly. Before going SGesque, the commuting public HAS TO HAVE A RELIABLE & SAFE (and hopefully comfortable) public transportation alternative. The Philippines had not been able to provide that.
Korek
Karl, do you know anyone in government who specializes in traffic management? Traffic management is a crucial part of congestion reduction. Traffic management can be manual, such as having enforcers actually enforce traffic laws, or traffic management can be automated using connected traffic lights controlling flow and cameras to help with enforcement. I don’t have specific experience in this area, but a lot of manufacturing concepts that keep production lines moving efficiency are applicable to traffic management so I’m extrapolating ideas here.
Another idea would be to implement better access to and prioritize public transport PAIRED with automated surge tolls to discourage car usage during peak-hours. The former is more important than the latter, but are complimentary.
I got a friend in the mmda. Once in a GC he got submerged by coments from other gc members so he left the group.
Ever sincd I was a kid, I kept on hearing “kaya pala teaffic may pulis” it evolved to ” kaya pala traffic may mmda”. Driver’s blame game instinct that they know better.
I guess this is an instance of why socializing expected civic behavior is important at a young age, and why leaders must model expected behavior. Here in the US when I was growing up there was a common social norm, colored slightly by regional differences. But that was a result of the post-War US homogenization of the (White) majority. Nowadays expected civic behavior has broken down a bit as the US strains to assimilate larger than average immigration flows exacerbated by a political party that has gone crazy, but the US has been through these periods before. In any case eventually the immigrant’s children or grandchildren will assimilate expected behavior and things will move back to equilibrium.
systems make things automatic at best smooth sailing ar medium and swinmibg aginst the current or tide or in the streets counterflowing as the norm(?)
Automation can make things more efficient, get around issues with uneven enforcement, transparency, or all the above. As an American I’m allergic to more CCTVs and automated readers, but both have their uses if under civilian oversight. Even in societies with high civic responsibility and adherence to social norms, there will always be some outlier people who break the rules. There are two ways to enforce rules for “pasaway” people: social pressure of shaming from fellow citizens or the threat of civil penalty (fines).
Hehe CV would agree, Estonia remember? Joke only.
this may not be so helpful but it is the current status.
AI Overview:
There is no single “traffic specialist” in the Philippines, as traffic management is handled by a combination of national agencies, local government units (LGUs), and various industry experts.
Key organizations and individuals involved in traffic management and planning in the Philippines include:
Contextual Information:
Thanks KB! Perhaps the congestion issue is a matter of policy, and enforcing that policy.
methink, the heads of the orgs as regards flow of traffic have overlapping jurisdictions and are such, were meant to sit down together and discuss how best to tackle traffic. make traffic manageable and smooth going, and not holed up in their own silos, moping about bottlenecks and not wanting to step on bigger toes of others, and be seen as impossible at best, tyranical at worst; prejudiced, judging and seizing up one another. but I think, if the heads are professionals, objective and job oriented enough, they can sit down together and get tru all manners of traffic problems.
Thanks kb
I am still disappointed that the subway in Makati did not push through becauae no “contractor” wants to be in the crossfire of the Makati Taguig war. A disappointment.
Remeber I just wtotea proposal no planner would touch, the train by ferry. No donor or lender would suggest this because it is in the undoable category.
the makati taguig war has been resolved by supreme court, the 10embos officially belong to taguig city. the problem now is transition, with both admins having difficulty in transferring public services.
many have been saying that the mayors of both taguig and makati should sit down together and cooperate with each other as regards connectivity of intercity infrastructure like the makati subway (maybe rename it as makati/taguig subway). the cooperation of both mayors is needed for the success of the project that will greatly enhanced the lives of their traveling constituents.
when completed the makati taguig subway should have both mayors be given equal footing and equal honor, to be fair to them both.
Even so di pa din natuloy Makati Subway partly or mostly because of that SC decision
If we say something non mediocre like make PH great agaim, they say we are delulu but if we say we areboly second best we are
oh well..
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcos%27_First_Inaugural_Address
nothing wrong with Vision so long as it is 20-20.
Has foresight and aware of nearsight and has learnt from hindsight
out of topic po ito:
Irineo I heard that there is concern in europe about chinese electric vehicles but mainly the electric trucks made in china. the etrucks are common sights in europe now, but it has been found out that the trucks come with secret kill switch that can be remotely controlled by the manufacturer, yutong, in china. there is concern that the trucks can be made to detonate? blow up? stop and combust? maybe near military installations or other sensitive places. does germany have such trucks? are they being used to transport military personnel and their families?
As of February 2, 2026, the Philippine transport system stands at a decisive inflection point, with congestion, fragmented governance, and exceptionally high logistics costs continuing to erode economic competitiveness—Metro Manila traffic alone still costs about ₱3.5 billion daily, while logistics absorbs 27.5% of GDP, the highest in ASEAN. The root problem remains institutional fragmentation among national agencies and local governments, resulting in disconnected infrastructure and inefficient services despite sustained public spending. Against this backdrop, the government has moved forward with ₱74.5 billion in flagship transport projects for 2026, including rail expansion, EDSA Busway upgrades, intelligent transport systems, inter-island bridges, electric ferries, and multimodal logistics hubs, reflecting a clear policy shift from car-centric to commuter-centered planning. These investments are now being guided by the National Transport Policy, alongside public transport modernization, digital fare integration, and expanded intermodal terminals, informed by international best practices in multimodal integration and last-mile connectivity. The central challenge in early 2026 is no longer vision but execution: translating aligned policy and capital into a genuinely integrated, equitable, and efficient mobility system that delivers measurable improvements in daily travel, economic productivity, and quality of life.
CV,
I know you were not the one who called people here Marcos fanboys but you wanted us just to accept it, and I sayeth nay.
some of MY anti-Marcos Jr. and pro-Robredo articles: (including the one just after the election)
“I know you were not the one who called people here Marcos fanboys but you wanted us just to accept it, and I sayeth nay.” – Karl G.
I’m not sure what constitutes “accept it.”
I have found “name calling” unproductive in discussions. It is a tool used to distract from the issue. The worst thing a person can do, if he is concerned about the topic being discussed, is take the bite and move from the issue to the name called.
MAGA uses it all the time. The favorite term is “TDS – Trump Derangement Syndrome.” When they cannot defend their position, they pull the ol’ TDS card! Hehehe
I gather from my short time here at TSOH that the name calling response to “Marcos fanboy” is “you are just a hater.” Does that perception sound right to you?
Both are labels. Notice that they do not address the issue. Issues cannot be fans nor can they hate. So clearly use of such labels goes into the area of “Argumentum ad hominem.” I like to stick to issues and avoid ad hominems.
Thanks for the clarification
CV,
I know you were not the one who called people here Marcos fanboys but you wanted us just to accept it, and I sayeth nay.