I don't shy away from engaging in meaningful conversations with my taxi, or Grab driver. Specially with those that are willing to listen. I say that because most taxi drivers have that I-am-never-wrong tone. This guy in the video is not one of those.
He was the first to notice that we were passing by what seems to be the very first materials to line up the soon-to-be MRT 7, which will connect the metro to Bulacan.
Speaking of trains, the site sparked a train of thought in my head.
First thing I noticed was the speed by which the project moved from plan to action. Sadly, I'm pretty sure that the next move is the cutting of trees, which worries me a bit. Will they make up for the lost trees? I hope so.
Are we overlooking the lack of greens in NCR? I hope not.
As heard in the video, I told my taxi driver about how I used to wake up to little brown Mayas hanging about in our living room window. I was in grade 1 back then. I'm pretty sure that they are not extinct, but I never see them in Manila in anymore.
Must be because of combination of reasons. Lack of trees? Too much noise or air pollution? Or all of the above?
Come to think of it, birds breathe oxygen too. If they're smart enough to leave Manila because of its air, should we leave Manila too?
Yes, and no.
Yes, some people have to leave. I'll talk about them later.
And No, some people should stay for the very same reason why President Duterte needs to reside along the stinky Pasig River - to fix problems.
I've heard PRD say in one of his speeches that 'Manila is a dead city'.
Ouch. But it might be true.
Fortunately, Manila is not a biological entity that gets eaten by bugs as it decomposes. (or is it?) Optimistically, I think there are unlimited opportunities to resuscitate a 'dead city.'
One obvious solution is to decongest it. And to decongest is exactly what these new infrastructure projects are hoping to achieve. Let's talk about first principles - if Bulacan gets linked to Manila via a train line, Bulakenyos who work in Manila wouldn't need to rent rooms anymore, OR, on the flip side, Manilenyos can now look at Bulacan for job opportunities.
If it seems like I made it sound overly-simple, it is because I believe it is that, well, simple.
Make the pastures in the provinces greener, and people wouldn't need to jam themselves down in Manila hoping for a better career. The man has said it. This city is dead, but don't fret. He's on a mission to pull a Lazarus on Manila, though it will require massive doses of political will.
