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onin gonzales
3d

One of the worst memories I have of Metro Manila was when I commuted from Makati to Manila for the first time.

The two cities aren't pretty far from each other, mura rag Opol to CDO ang distance niya. But it's NCR we're talking about, rush hour pa jud to; and what was supposed to be a 20-minute drive turned to a 4 hour commute.

It was raining, there were a few minor floods here and there, and I was carrying my heavy ****ing guitar+case, an amp, and a backpack full of gig things. I was tired, I was drained, and I literally just wanted to pass out wherever I was standing.

I left Makati at around 6PM, I arrived in my Manila apartment at around 9PM kapin. I took off my clothes, wet from the rain and sweat (and the sweat of other people) and crashed on my bed.

I almost cried.

However, I realize how easy I have it. I have a car, I can drive, I can sit through traffic blasting braindead music from Spotify or talking about mundane bullshit with friends or family. I can fall asleep in traffic without worrying about having my **** stolen by random passers-by. I don't have to worry about being ***ually harassed by some idiot who decided that it's okay to jack off in public transportation. I can just drive back to the office if I forgot something there no problem. I don't have to sweat my ass off being crammed in a train or in a bus, I don't have to no-hand stand in a train or in a bus just to get home; and when I do get home, I have a nice house, I have a nice bed, nice food waiting for me.

That commute was literal HELL for me.. it was one of the worst memories I have from Manila, but it was an everyday reality for the people who I shared the trains and the jeepneys with.

Some of them wake up at around 5AM just to commute to their 9AM shifts, and come home drained and tired without enough time to share with their families — only to live paycheck to paycheck, not having enough money to literally save, not having enough money to spend on luxury, unable to enjoy the things that they worked for. Apike na gani ang sweldo, apike pud ang oras kay syempre apike ang trapik, apike ang commute, apike ang palibot.

If you ever wonder why daghan ga rally sa Manila, nganong daghan "reklamador," nganong daghan kriminal, kawatan, tulisan ug unsa pa ba, suwayi gani ug commute didto. Tan-awon natog di ka makareklamo.

The privilege that we have, that we don't even need to experience a life like that? Makayawa nalang jud.



If you still don’t get why people are angry, then you are one of a VERY LUCKY few.

(photos from Aljazeera, The Guardian, ABS-CBN News.)

getting out of makati is 2hours na. Isa ka talagang mandirigma pag jan ka work. Majority of your time nasa sasakyan. Ano klase buhay yan.