transient traveller

The MMDA Puzzle

2016-11-14T16:38:00.001-08:00

Based on reports that I've been hearing, it appears that the Highway Patrol Group or HPG has been pulled out of its traffic duties along EDSA. The MMDA traffic team will now be handling the traffic situation in the metro, and all I could say is, good luck to all of us.

The MMDA has never been an effective traffic enforcement group since the beginning, and that's mainly because they command no respect, both from motorists and pedestrians. Many bus drivers see them as corrupt; along the stretch of EDSA-Ortigas, conductors will just hand over Php50.00, even Php20.00, to one of these so-called traffic enforcers and the bus can stay for hours along this stretch of EDSA, waiting for their passengers to climb aboard.

Along the ADB and EDSA intersection, car owners will just pass by these enforcers with impunity, crossing the intersection even if they see clearly that the traffic situation before them is heavy. The result is a horrible and messed-up traffic jam, with private vehicles blocking the area, when the enforcer should be citing these car owners for a simple and basic traffic rule violation: to always keep all intersections open.

The HPG, however, is often feared, and that's because they won't hesitate issuing traffic tickets to anyone who violates the rules of the road. I've seen one of them being bribed by one bus driver and he asked bluntly, “are you trying to bribe me? That's a crime”.

Sure, the HPG has been involved in several unfortunate traffic incidents, but hardly anyone will question that their presence on the road commands respect. The traffic situation in Metro Manila remains bad, but it's surely a lot better than before the HPG came in.

If only the MMDA could hold the same level of credibility, then maybe they can be left alone in managing the traffic. Sadly, given the public image that they have, the MMDA still has a long way to go in trying to solve Metro Manila's traffic problem. Until that time comes, the HPG should be brought back on the road.

The 24-Hour Odd-Even Scheme Option

2016-09-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

I still say the odd-even scheme can be successful if it gets implemented for a full 24 hours and the people tasked to enforce this ensure that it's followed strictly and without exemptions. The 24-hour scheme is particularly crucial because it would mean those affected will have to keep their vehicles off the streets for one whole day.

Just today, at around 6:15 AM, while aboard a shuttle service, I spotted three private cars with the following plate numbers: NDE 339, WON 109, and ACA 5189 and about two others with numbers that I can't recall anymore. All of them are traversing the stretch of EDSA from Kamuning up to where I got off in the Ortigas area.

Today is a Friday and under the odd-even scheme, vehicles ending in 9 and 0, at least starting at around 7AM, are not supposed to be out on the streets. While the vehicles mentioned are still technically not covered yet by the scheme owing to the time involved, they're bound to be covered eventually as traffic in the area is already heavy. Chances are good that at 7AM or thereabouts, they'll still be in EDSA.

But hey, the good news is that if these vehicles ever get flagged down by a traffic enforcer, they can always say that they're already on EDSA before 7AM and just got caught in heavy traffic. That, of course, is a valid excuse but it's also a safe way to run rings around the law.

Now, imagine if the odd-even scheme is enforced for a full 24 hours; then these car owners will have no excuse to hold on to if a traffic enforcer asks them to pull over.

Then there are the private vehicles that are allowed to travel along major thoroughfares without their plate numbers. Today, at around the same time and along the same route, two private vehicles caught my attention because their back ends were blank. That's right; no plate numbers whatsoever. One is a white L300 and the other is a brand-new black Toyota WIGO.

As I said before in an earlier post, these vehicles should wait until they get hold of their official plate numbers before taking to the streets. Otherwise, they'll just add to the continuously worsening traffic situation in the Metro.

It's just too bad I didn't have my phone with me at the time; if I did, the needed pictures should have accompanied this post.

Hey, MMDA, HPG, LTO, are you reading this? Sadly, I think not.Actually, it' pains me to think that no one hardly follows this blog.

The Odds of Solving Traffic in the Metro

2016-09-08T00:08:00.002-07:00

The MMDA odd-even scheme should be enforced for one whole day for all affected vehicles, with no exception. With the way it's currently being implemented only during the rush hour, it's not unusual for car owners to say that they got stuck in traffic prior to being covered by the scheme if a traffic enforcer flags them down. It's a valid reason, yes, but it's also a tricky way of bending the rules.

In exchange, the odd-even scheme should be lifted from public utility vehicles, notably taxis. That way, car owners have the option of hailing a cab during days when they have to leave their precious cars at home. They can even consider making arrangements with taxi operators to have a designated cab for them on days when they can't take their cars out on the streets.

One problem with this MMDA program though is in cases when car owners have two or more cars in their garage. This isn't uncommon, which brings in another interesting aspect about the traffic situation in Mega Manila. There's this growing number of brand-new vehicles plying the major streets and many of them still have to wear official plate numbers. Why they are allowed to do so is mind-boggling. Isn't there a rule, an ordinance, or anything that driving an unlicensed vehicle (not carrying the required plate number) is against the law?

Making things worst is that the drivers of these brand-new vehicles are usually newbies. Since these are new drivers on the road, the tendency is for them to drive slowly and carefully lest they bump into another vehicle and get those ugly scratches on their precious four-wheel possessions.

Now, imagine 10-20 newbie drivers driving ever so slowly down a major thoroughfare at the height of the rush hour. The result is slow-moving traffic and no amount of waving from the MMDA asking these people to drive faster can change their minds. Yes, old cars do move rather slowly, but so are brand-new vehicles when a newbie is behind the wheel.

These drivers should be asked to keep their their driving knowledge along private roads while waiting for the plates to arrive. They can do practice driving around their posh villages and subdivisions so they'll be ready for the road once their plates become available.

Roughly 80 percent of all the vehicles that you'll see in Metro Manila streets are being driven by private individuals. That's not counting riders aboard motorcycles who are also growing in numbers and are also causes of great traffic and serious road accidents because of their penchant for swerving and driving non-stop.

Public vehicles, meanwhile, only account for about 20 percent of road travelers in the urban city. Now, whoever said the Philippines is a poor country probably has not seen the number of people trying to get a car loan. That's one other thing that has worsened urban traffic – this endless drive to continue manufacturing new car models. A moratorium on car production should be considered; otherwise, that house you're living in right now just might have to be turned into a garage or a street extension in the near future.

Ruby: A Tale of Two Women

2014-12-16T02:23:00.000-08:00

Dolor is a Spanish word which means pain, grief, or sorrow. Its plural form is dolores, and it is said that a woman bearing such a name is bound for many heartaches. Indeed, in the past week, that is pretty much the feeling or sentiment prevailing among the residents of Dolores, Eastern Samar. The cause for such overwhelming sorrow is another female name, Ruby.

It’s unfortunate that such a lovely and seemingly innocent name could cause this much grief to an entire rural community. The people of Dolores are hardly heard of, especially when it comes to controversial issues. At most, they are quiet but hardworking, typical of people living in the countryside where major political scandals can hardly be discussed given the more serious problem of where to get the next daily meal.

Yet, Ruby has found Dolores to be the perfect albeit unwilling target of her wrath which she has since unleashed in several other largely rural areas. Why she has done so remains unexplained and unacceptable especially for the people who were directly hit by her fury.

For many ungodly hours last week, Dolores and her inhabitants were beyond the reach of human help. The enterprising members of media though have found ways of getting through to them. This allowed the public to get a first-hand glimpse of the kind of destruction that one woman’s wrath can inflict on those who dare stand in her path.

These days, Dolores continues to grope through the pile of debris that Ruby has left for her.  Damage all across the town can easily reach hundreds of thousands even as the more painful process is dealing with the loss of innocent lives.

Ruby has already left, surprisingly showing significant weakness after dumping all her raging anger on the hapless Dolores. There is simply no place for sorrow during this most joyous season of the year; unfortunately, Ruby found it fitting for Dolores to live up to her name.

The Ghost of Bonifacio

2014-11-30T21:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the nation commemorated the 151^st birth anniversary of Katipunan founder Andres Bonifacio. As has always been the tradition, controversy reared its ugly head again as we pay tribute to one of the Philippines’ original heroes.

As the actual manner in which he died remains shrouded in mystery, still another issue has come out regarding Bonifacio. This time, his actual birth place is being debated upon. Many prominent and esteemed historians tell us that the Great Plebeian was born in Tondo, in a street that is now home to Tutuban Station. This is the reason a statue of Bonifacio was erected in the area.

Unfortunately, just like many other things about Bonifacio, this information about his birth place is turning out to be nothing but a big lie. Even more unfortunate is the fact that the government itself, courtesy of the National Historical Institute, now referred to as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, has allowed itself to be part of this continued distortion of historical facts.

A recent news article that appeared in Inquirer.net entitled “Andres Bonifacio: A monument of lies”, showed that Binondo, and not Tondo, was the birthplace of the Katipunan founder. This fact is contained in “Andres Bonifacio y El Katipunan”, the first biography of Bonifacio written by Manuel Artigas which came out in 1911.

How and why this mistake was committed remains unexplained, but what is more troubling is the fact that prominent and respected figures were the ones who committed them. Even sadder is the fact that owning up to the mistake has not been made to date.

Should it come as a surprise then why a growing number of Filipinos have come to view national leaders as a bunch of 4)@$##u @$$313@@!!@!!!?

One reason why the Philippines remains a poor country is because we have yet to learn from history. The case of Marcos is a glowing example.

The adage “those who refuse to learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it” might eventually hold true in our case….unless our leaders make the needed correction.

Family Distrust

2014-07-02T22:55:00.001-07:00

The sense of family distrust is uncommon, but it does exist.

A few days ago, options for my cancer-stricken mother were discussed during a serious family meeting as the possibility of an operation was highly likely. An option that was considered is the possible sale of the ancestral home where the family is currently living in.

This was what my mother previously wanted, a desire which my sister-in-law communicated to me and my wife, saying the idea was good as there will be money to finance my mother’s possible operation. The remaining proceeds can then be equally divided between me and my brother as per the explanation of my sister-in-law; an idea that we nodded in agreement, but adding that the final decision remains with my mother. Little did I know that hiding behind this issue is family distrust.

A week before the meeting, my brother-in-law who flew in from the US along with my elder sister, suddenly asked me why I was seeking my share of the possible sale of the ancestral house, an act which I strongly denied doing. My mother asked me the same question the next day during a separate talk where I could sense an air of family distrust in her tone. Nevertheless, I denied the accusation, adding that it was my sister-in-law who opened the topic about proceeds from the possible sale.

During the meeting, which my sister requested, she asked me the same question. I and my wife stood by my original reply despite the air of family distrust hanging above my head. Ultimately, though, my sister-in-law admitted that she initially brought up the issue but clarified that it was innocent talk.

Despite the clarification, the meeting continued and soon became a family trial with me and my wife standing as the accused. Various actions that we were doing were brought up, with my sister pointing out that these were not benefitting our children. I will not go into the details of these supposedly non-beneficial actions; suffice to say that ever since I was a kid, there has always been this awkward family distrust towards me.

The problem with my family is that ever since I can remember, I was hardly listened to. Given my physical condition (I was a polio victim), they have this preconceived notion that my views were not worth considering or at most filled with flaws.

As I grew up, I learned to keep things to myself and would often shut out any idea slowly developing in my mind. I have come to accept, with great disappointment, that no one in his right mind would ever look into its possible merits, assuming there was any.

It has often been said that when push comes to shove, you can always turn to your family. My family has proven to be different. I grew up in an environment where you are solely responsible for everything that you do. When problems crop up, you are expected to find the solution yourself.

Under this set-up, I have learned to be independent in many things, even in doing hard and difficult school assignments. Seldom do I ask for help from my family as I will only be turned away, saying ‘you’re a bright kid, solve it yourself’.

Unfortunately, this often comes at a price, because given my limitations, I often falter when attempting to accomplish something. Those are the times when my parents would come to learn of my failure and emphasize the fact that this should be expected from me. I guess that’s where this family distrust somehow developed.

I am now trying to raise a family of my own composed of a loving wife, three beautiful daughters, and an only begotten son. At times, I would see them, especially my two older daughters, trying hard to work on their assignments on their own, and memories of my painful childhood years would flash back in my mind. That’s when I would come near and help them out, telling them that they can always come to me if they need help in anything.

On a regular basis, I give them all a hug, giving them the assurance that I love and trust them. In doing so, I am hoping that family distrust will be non-existent in my family, and my kids, when they come of age, will not have to remember a difficult childhood where trust is hardly extended.

Love Stories Are For Normal People

2011-06-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

I had a good friend way back in high school who told me that given myphysical handicap, getting a girl to fall in love with me would be next toimpossible.

My friend was, of course, being frank and simply telling the truth. Still, the stubborn part of me ignored the above statement, and went on courting several girls. Take note, these are not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill women. They are particularly attractive and can easily stand out in a crowd.

In all of these courtships, the results were naturally not to my disadvantage. Thus, I always ended up nursing a broken heart over and over.

The heartbreaks finally stopped ten years ago when one special girl entered my life. She was, like all the other girls I have courted, particularly attractive, but she had one single difference. She actually said 'yes'.

This girl eventually became my wife, to the dismay of my mother who believes that this girl is not really serious with me. She said that given mydisability, it will not come as a surprise if this girl will one day decide to look for a more normal guy and have a more normal life.

I refused to believe this, confident in the fact that my wife is faithful and completely in love with me.

There are times though when I can see her looking at other men. When confronted, she would deny this.

Still, those are rare occasions, and my wife would often assure me that she is not the playgirl type and that she will never do anything that will bring ruin to our family.

We now have four children, and are still living happily together. Last weekend, however, a chance encounter with another man awakened me to a dark reality in my life.

My wife was then playing at the arcade while carrying our one-year-old son. I was by her left side looking after our two-month-old baby. To her right was a young man in t-shirt and who was wearing a white cap. He was quietly watching her play although I believe that they do not know each other.

At that point, my wife was on a winning streak, having earned several arcade tickets. I could see that she was particularly happy as arcade victories came rarely to her.

I was half-expecting her to look at me and smile. To my surprise, however, she looked at the man to her right, smiled at him and said something about being particularly lucky that day. The man smiled back, and then hesitantlywalked away.

My wife then looked at me innocently. I asked her if she knew the guy and she said no. I then asked her why she smiled at him, and she jokingly said it's because I was not looking at her.

To others, this may pass off as something of no value at all. To me though, it was a wake-up call, a pat on the back to help me keep in mind that fordisabled people like me, love can never be a long-lasting experience. That one incident alone is a clear indication that I could easily lose my wife anytime if ever a 'normal' and good -looking man should come in to her life.

In all the years that we have been together, I have known her to be extra friendly, even to men. That is why many of them are drawn to her. We have a small sari-sari store, and I often notice that whenever the customer is a guy, my wife would make the first move to be of service even if I'm the one tending the store.

Many of our customers also happen to be men as there is a car wash outlet located in front of our store. Practically all of its male employees know my wife by name and often look for her whenever they come to us to buy something.

This has somehow put a dent on our marriage since I usually end up gettingjealous. My wife continues to assure me of her love, but her many actionsoften contradict this. Secretly, I feel that it is only a matter of time before she falls for someone else.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the day will never come, if only for my children's sake. Still, when I recall my old friend's declaration and my mother's belief, I can only bow in agreement.

Whoever said that fairy tales do come true is probably living in dream land. And whoever said that all is fair in love is probably one who has never shed a tear for a badly broken heart.

Payment received

2011-05-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure if anyone out there is reading this blog, much more add me in their list of followed blogs.

In any case, sometime last year, I wrote a blog about getting a legitimate online income. Guess what? I just found one.

The website is donkeymail, and you can access it through this link: http://www.donkeymails.com/pages/index.php?refid=simon430

The job is a simple pay-to-click routine. You receive emails in your donkeymail inbox, click the paid ad links, view the webpage for a few seconds and you get paid.

The routine can be quite boring, and if you are the impatient type, you might find the payout requirement of just $1.00, a little too hard to reach. This is partly true as you get paid only $0.001 per click. Still, once you reach the threshold, payout is practically guaranteed. I waited for only about two weeks or more and I got my payment in my paypal account.

You do have to check your paypal account though. For some reasons, donkeymail did not send me a confirmation email to say that my payout request has already been processed. I'm not sure if this was the same with the other members who requested for payout.

Still, you should check out donkeymails since they really pay their members. Just access it here: http://www.donkeymails.com/pages/index.php?refid=simon430

Days of Old

2011-05-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

In decades past, Holy Week was a very solemn event. As little boys, we were not allowed to laugh out loud, play with our toys, or even watch TV. We were even made to believe that getting a scratch or a wound during Holy Week, particularly on Good Friday, would mean that the wound will take quite a while before getting healed because the Great Healer is dead.

Being disallowed to watch TV at the time was not really that hard to accept, for there was hardly any show on the boob tube. Most of the TV networks then would go off the air, starting on Maundy Thursday all the way to Black Saturday, with regular programming resuming only on Easter Sunday.

The few daring stations who opt to go on air during this time would offer only religious programs, usually old movies depicting the life and suffering of Jesus.

In short, Holy Week was a lonely period for kids like me for it meant being removed, albeit temporarily, from all the things that I love to do all year round.

Yet, it was also a time for reflection, particularly for grown-ups. For three straight days, people then would pre-ocupy themselves with religious activities: joining the 'pabasa'; watching the senakulo; going to confession; or simply praying at home.

These days, however, people no longer see Holy Week for what it is. The event is now regarded by many as a regular but extended holiday. A time for fun and enjoyment. So, instead of visiting places of worship, we now go to resorts and beaches. Rather than be stuck with old and replayed religious films, we can opt for a marathon of our favorite movies through rented dvd's.

TV has also gone into a make-over vis-a-vis the Holy Week. There are now movie specials and modern-day takes on the redemption of mankind, but if you prefer to enjoy your daily dose of TV watching, there is now cable TV to keep you satisfied.

As it is, young people these days no longer know how it is to observe Holy Week. A sad note really, considering that its essence is the very foundation of the faith that we now practice.

Terminal Terms

2011-03-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

For those of you who might be reading this from a foreign country or from another planet, we have just celebrated a special event in our nation's history several days ago. The event was the phenomenal People Power Revolt wherein an overstaying leader was overthrown through bloodless means.

Traditionally, the occasion was marked by a street party on historic EDSA where the life-changing revolution took place. This naturally called for the declaration of a special holiday all across the country.

This brings me to the heart of this blog. For this year, the day was declared as not a working holiday. The term was rather vague, so to the ordinary man, it can only be assumed that it was a working holiday.

Now, the term 'working holiday' is also somewhat vague, if not a contradiction of terms. When one says holiday, it obviously means there is no work; thus, if there is work, then it simply means it's not a holiday. So why come up with such a mind-boggling term such as a 'working holiday'?

There is also the 'non-working holiday' phrase. This is likewise a contradiction of terms. As I stated from above, a holiday infers there is no work, so why does one need to say 'non-working holiday'? There has to be some form of redundancy here somewhere.

This is not really a matter for experts to discuss. Even the ordinary college graduate can distinguish that non-working and holiday need not go hand-in-hand.

Why do we have this penchant for making simple things extremely complicated? Just like at EDSA 25 years ago, let's make everything clear and simple, and not go into the complexities of keeping things beyond the comprehension of the ordinary man.

Pasig Traffic

2010-08-09T00:58:00.000-07:00

My job is based in Pasig. At the corner of Ortigas Avenue and Meralco, there is this traffic light that appears to be functioning quite well. Yet, for some strange reason, on weekdays, especially during the morning rush hour, the traffic enforcers manning this intersection have found it convenient to override the traffic light and do a manual management of the traffic flow.

I don't question their decision. What I do find annoying is the fact that while these enforcers do their job, the traffic light continues to operate. Being a simple motorist, I find it a little confusing to see the traffic light turn green ;yet, I am not allowed to move as the enforcer signalled me to stay put because he is still trying to manage the traffic flow on the other side.

It's ok, if this will only take, say 10 seconds. The thing is, I stay there at a total stop for about 5-7 minutes, by which time, the traffic light has changed to red, which means I have to stop my vehicle. How can I do that when I have not moved for the last 5-7 minutes?

All in all, I have been at a total stop for about 10-14 minutes. This has happened to me, not only once, but several times. As a result, I have been tagged late for work on many occasions. Presently, I am waiting for my supervisor to hand me my temporary suspension for tardiness issues.

The thing is, if these enforcers will ever do manual traffic, they should first turn off the traffic light hovering their heads. That way, they avoid confusion on the part of motorists.

In driving school, we were taught that if the traffic signal is red, you're supposed to stop; if it's green, then it's go. Yet, on the road, this is not the case. Many traffic enforcers opt to go manual when managing vehicle traffic. Still, they allow the traffic lights to continue operating.

Turning off those lights will also help save electricity. God knows how high electricity rates have become in this country. Doing some form of conservation will surely go a long way. This should not be that hard to do. The main office of Meralco is just a stone's throw away.

Otherwise, these enforcers should just sit in a corner and let the traffic lights do its job. They are functioning, right? So, why tinker with them? They are just making traffic in this part of the city even worse.

I heard that these Pasig-based traffic enforcers are often called 'blue boys' because of the color of their uniforms. In the medical world, a blue boy or a blue baby has negative connotations. Go and find out what it means.

Race Monsters

2010-07-28T03:17:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, while aboard an FX bound for Ortigas, we had this unfortunate incident with a motorcycle-riding man. We were then travelling along the southbound lane of the Cubao underpass when suddenly, from our right side, a motorycle tried to step into our lane in the middle.

Our driver was quick on the draw. He did not give the space to the motorcyclist and honked at him.We then sped on, but apparently, the guy did not take to the act kindly. He chased us and the moment he passed us by, he turned and stared at us as if daring us to go after him.

Unfortunately, he failed to notice that right in front of him was this blue-colored Toyota. By the time he was able to put on the breaks, his motorcycle has already bumped the rear of the car.

Our FX then passed him by, and as we left the scene, we could see that the guy was scratching his head in disbelief.

The trouble with most motorcycle-riding men is this: they think that just because they have a motorbike, they already have a claim on the road. Hence, they can easily swerve and move however they like as if they are king.

In a way, they are right. With the size of their vehicles, swerving from left to right is quite easy, even in heavy traffic.

However, what these men fail to realize is that the road is not their kingdom. They share space with many other vehicles, a lot of which are immensely bigger than them. If ever they decide to stay toe to toe with these much bigger vehicles, they will end up on the shorter end of the race war, particularly when faced with drivers who do not look favorably on their kind.

Equality as A Good Concept

2010-07-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

In my daily travel from my home in Bulacan to my Pasig-based job, my normal route is to get off the bus at the MRT station in North Avenue. From there, I take the Fx bound for Megamall.

The operator of the FX taxi's traversing the route from SM-MRT to Megamall goes by the name Good Concept. If I am not mistaken, this is a cooperative and one of its key guidelines is to give priority to disabled passengers.

Now, this is not an easy guideline to observe given the stress attendant to the morning rush hour when workers from all walks of life try hard to gain an advantage while falling in line.

Yet, Good Concept has managed to abide by its guidelines. They have consistently made sure that people with disabilities like myself are given priority seats which are actually due us under Philippine laws.
It is sad to notice, though, that not everyone is aware of this. Hence, some people tend to question Good Concept about its policy vis-a-vis disabled people.I suggest they get a copy of the Accessibility Law and get the needed enlightenment.Ignorance of the law excuses no one.

To Good Concept, please find pleasure in the fact that your efforts in providing access to public transportation to disabled people do not go unnoticed.

In Search of Online Jobs

2010-03-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to earn extra cash lately, and one of the easiest ways to do so (they say) is to sign up to several online survey sites.

True enough, there are many of these on the internet, and some can be very attractive with their offers. Imagine earning $20 just to complete a survey. How about earning cash without realy doing anything? This can happen in cases where you sign up to an online survey website. After creating your account, you are given a link which you can give to friends, relatives, co-workers, schoolmates, even to a casual acquaintance that you just met at a neighbor's house party.

Once these people sign up to the same website and start completing surveys, you also get to earn money as their referrer.

Now, if these very same people refer their own set of friends and loved ones to the same site, they also get to earn extra cash on their own. You can just imagine how astronomical the potential is.

Sounds crazy? Well, it does at first glance, simply because there is no way corporate business, even those based online, will give away that much money to people just for answering a simple survey.

But they will, because they know how crazy you are surfing the net. Might as well make use of that to know what you think about their products and/or services.

There is a small catch, though. There is a strong chance you will get paid. However, you need to meet a certain threshold first. This is the amount you have to meet before an online survey site will give you your hard-earned cash.

The threshold amount varies in every online survey. Some require only $20, which you can easily meet, assuming every survey you complete is worth $5 each.

Others require higher threshold amounts, say $75, in which case, time is needed before you actually get paid. This can happen in cases where a single survey will involve only a payment of $1.

If you think this is a cool way to earn a few dollars, try visiting this link: http://www.cashcrate.com/1910027

On the other hand, if you do not really have the feel for doing surveys, there are a few other ways of getting quick cash the online way. Have you heard of data entry jobs? Well, there are lots of these as well on the worldwide web.

These jobs often involve very simple tasks. Some will ask you to copy and paste a few paragraphs onto a given sheet. After that, voila, your account (which you need to create first) gets credited with a certain amount.

Others, meanwhile, will ask you to read a given webpage and look for any error that you can spot. You will then take note of this on a given form that the website will provide. Upon submission of the form, you get paid.

Data entry jobs, though, have developed a somewhat negative image in the online world, especially in recent years. This is because many of them have turned out to be true-blue scams.

I was a victim of this job type. I signed up with www.realdataentry.net about a year ago since they had a very attractive offer. Just review a webpage that they will provide you everyday, looking for errors in spelling, punctuation marks, grammar, etc. For every review, they will pay you $10. Payout will be given when you have earned $1000.

This was quite an offer. Since I'm a proofreader by profession, the job fits in quite nicely to what I'm involved in.

The nice thing about it was that the review can be done weekly. So, in a week's time, I've already made $70. Multiply that by four weeks, and at the end of the month, I already have $280 in my account. In just a little over four months, I was ready to request for a payout.

This was when the review requests stopped coming in to my email account. I was then at the $900 or so threshold. I waited for a week, but no review requests was received.

I then started making a few online searches. It turned out that www.realdataentry.net has had several members before who never got paid. Some claim they were paid but these were bogus individuals or were connected in some way to the administrators of the site.

Try typing www.realdataentry.net on the address bar of your browser. Most likely, you will be referred to a search page, and when you click on one of the searched pages, you will be told that this cannot be displayed.

Such a sad episode of my online existence. And to think that I had to shell out about $10 as membership fee which the site quickly collected from my credit card.

Lesson learned: if you are asked for payment of any kind for an online job (no matter how small the amount is), it's most probably a scam.

In Clear Violation

2010-03-05T03:50:00.000-08:00

Somewhere along the the stretch of EDSA, there's a violation going on. It's not a traffic infraction which has become standard in this particular stretch of road. It's about a violation of a rule that is clearly printed in very bold letters.

I regularly travel about one half of the entire stretch of EDSA since my job is in the Ortigas area and I just happen to reside in faraway Valenzuela. For the uninformed, Valenzuela is that relatively small town (now city) which serves as the boundary between urban Manila and the province of Bulacan.

As I travel on this major highway, which covers about five major cities (Calooan, Quezon City, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Pasay), I noticed this very conspicuous banner poster advertisement placed at the corner of EDSA and Timog Avenue. The ad states that, as per a certain Quezon City ordinance, no political advertisement will be displayed on any major road or street that falls under city jurisdictions. Since EDSA is a major road, I assume the ordinance is applicable.

If you are an alien residing in the Philippines, please be aware that the country is in the midst of an election fever. Hence, candidates seeking public office resort to all kinds of tactics in their efforts to be recognized.

It is in this regard that I found the act of the Quezon city government worth applauding.

The praise, I found out later to my dismay, was not worth it. Because just before you reach the corner of EDSA and P. Tuazon Boulevard (still in Quezon City),there is this technical school on top of which is displayed a huge billboard of two men running for the two highest public positions in the land.

Now, this is definitely a violation of that city ordinance prominently displayed at the corner of Timog Avenue and EDSA.

Philippine elections have always been seen as the perfect tool to effect the needed changes in the country. Unfortunately, it has also been the instrument where either the best or the worst in man will come out.

If those concerned are reading this and if they are committed to making the changes that this country sorely needs, please start by arresting election violators and show them we mean business.

Desperately Seeking Composers

2010-02-16T22:21:00.000-08:00

It's been a few days after Valentine's Day. yet, not surprisingly, we still hear a lot more of those love songs being played over the radio, all in celebration of the so-called love month.

No, this is not a story about love. Sorry to disappoint you. This is about the songs from the past that we have come to love. The very same songs that are making a comeback on the local airwaves because some up and coming singer has decided to make a revival of them. On other occasions, it is the more established performers who do the reviving of a song or two.

I admit that I have never been a big fan of revival songs. For me, the songs are good enough as they originally were. Why go through the process of changing some of the melodies and passing them off as songs rendered in a different way?

I used to admire local singers like Jaya,the Queen of Soul, and Regine Velasquez, known as Asia's songbird. They are undoubtedly one of the finer voices that our country has produced. However, when they started riding the revival bandwagon and began producing albums that contained revival songs, my admiration for them has greatly diminished.

Where have all the great Filipino composers gone? Where are the likes of Cecille Azarcon and Odette Quesada, two of the more prolific songwriters of our land who made timeless love songs and even gained several awards for their works two or three decades ago? Has no one equally talented been able to step into their shoes?

To date, there is only Ogie Alcasid who consistently makes original Filipino music. And this also gets me to ask, 'why not produce an album for her love, Regine, that will not carry an array of revived songs?'

To make matters worse, many of our singers these days have not limited themselves to merely reviving local songs. They have now gone international, reviving well-loved love songs like Bluer Than Blue, Love Will Lead You Back, and I Love You Goodbye, just to name a few.

Have our singers been reduced to a group of performers capable of only reviving old songs? There are lots of new singers in our midst these days. I find Nina and Kyla paricularly good, but their decision to do revivals has become a great disappointment. Why can they not just stick to composing real-to-goodness original songs?

There's also the issue about royalties. Is this still being observed whenever song revivals are made?

Emmanuel Revisited

2010-01-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

This is rather late. But I have to share this in the light of the recent celebrations and the joy that continues to overflow in my heart.

You see, in the morning of December 5, exactly five days before the birthday of Jesus Christ, God has seen it fit to send me my very own Emmanuel. On that cold Saturday morning, a cute little baby boy came into our lives. We have since named him Mark Emmanuel in honor of the Word made flesh.

I know a lot of you already know this. Still, for those who do not, Emmanuel literally means "God is with us". It was a most appropriate name for someone completely divine who came into the world more than 2,000 years ago and actually dwelt among us. Thus, giving true significance to the meaning of His name.

I know the Blessed Mother is very proud of Him, especially on that day when He came out of her womb. Ditto for St. Joseph, his surrogate but ever-loving father.

In the same way, I'm very proud of my own Emmanuel, though proud is just one of the many emotions that I'm feeling. Honored is another. And thankful that someone like me has been given this awesome gift.

And there lies this other emotion. One that involves mixed feelings, where fear and anticipation collide. The true Emmanuel lived up to the Father's expectations, despite the truth that while He is God, He also happened to be man.

My own Emmanuel, on the other hand, is pure flesh, and I know it will take several lifetimes before he can even assume even just a trace of the divinity that his namesake inherently carried.

Still, I refuse to dwell on the uncertain. For now, my Emmanuel is safe, healthy, and simply a great bundle of pure and innocent joy. I often find his eyes looking upwards whenever he is awake, after which he would suddenly flash an innocent smile on his tender lips. From there, I know someone up there is watching over him, making sure that in due time, he too will live up to the meaning of his name.

Bonifacio and His Unfinished Revolution

2009-12-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is slightly delayed, but about two weeks ago, November 30 to be exact, the Philippines commemorated the birth of the Great Plebeian, Andres Bonifacio. What struck me about this annual holiday is that it was hardly mentioned in the news. Yes, it was a holiday, which meant no work and no classes. Other than that though, hardly anyone remembered what the celebration was all about.

I know not too many people know about this, but the life and death of Bonifacio has always been shrouded in mystery. And for reasons only history knows, his heroism has consistently been chopped down to pieces as time passes by.

The youth of today is probably unaware that unlike Rizal, Aguinaldo, and other Filipino heroes, Bonifacio's remains are still unaccounted for, more than a hundred years after he was executed in the mountains of Cavite. His attempts at freeing our ancestors from Spanish cruelty were constantly belittled, and often allowed to be overshadowed by the many victories of General Aguinaldo during the heat of the revolution.

In countless commemorative acts, Bonifacio was often left in the dark. And even the few memorabilia that were supposedly made in remembrance of the Supremo were taken away from the man. Who could forget the original five-peso bill in the 70's which carried his picture, only to be rivaled by a similar note which had the image of Aguinaldo?

Then, by some stroke of mystery, Bonifacio's bill was stopped from circulation, leaving that of Aguinaldo's to have the field all by itself.

Then, the powers-that-be appeared to have realized the mistake and decided to produce five-peso coins bearing Bonifacio's image. But this did not last long, for Aguinaldo soon came into the picture again, coming up with his own five-peso coin.

Then in another stroke of feign genius, the Bonifacio-bearing five-peso coin vanished from monetary circulation, and Aguinaldo again crowned himself king of the coin kingdom.

In between, there was also a short-lived two-peso coin that supposedly carried the face of the Katipunan founder, but this too disappeared from circulation for unknown reasons.

Today, Bonifacio's face has to content itself to the much smaller ten-peso coin. Few people, however, could hardly recognize him. Not only is his image too small, Bonifacio has to share space with another local hero, the Sublime Paralytic, Apolinario Mabini.

It was said that Rizal's image was placed in the one-peso coin because our early officials wanted a national hero that everyone can afford to hold. It was also said to be the case with all the other Philippine coins, but with the obvious exception of Bonifacio whose memory and heroism seems to be undergoing continuous and systematic execution.

Some historians believe that Bonifacio continues to be slain up to this day. With all the things that I have seen, I could hardly disagree. Yes, there are monuments and statues that have been erected in various places honoring the Great Plebeian; yet, they can never hide the way he has been treated both then and now.

The next time you get to hold a ten-peso coin in your hand, stop awhile and try to look at the picture of this man whose personal revolution remains unfinished.

A Long Stretch of Road

2009-11-28T23:04:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, during a job interview, I was asked a question that proved quite profound. The question was: if you were to describe your life in just one sentence, how will you describe it?

I never realy cared to remember the answer I gave to the interviewer. But, in the last few weeks, after going through a difficult and personal life experience, the question came back to my mind: if you are to describe your life in just one sentence, how will you describe it?

In a single sentence, I would say my life is a long stretch of road. And as I travel across this road, I get to meet people, many of whom I get to hurt; while others get to hurt me in return.

Getting to hurt people was never intentional on my part. In the same way, I know now that people who get to hurt me never do so deliberately.

Still, there was pain inflicted, and many times, this same pain can linger inside, causing haunting heartaches and even untold hatred, emotions that can lead you to feign a smile while tears flow unceasingly from the most fragile portion of your heart.

It is only in letting go of the pain and embracing forgiveness that you will find inner peace. Sadly, as I look back at the road behind me, I find that I have allowed the tears to continue swelling while seeing the road before me as only stacked with more uncertainties, and more of the same unpleasant experiences. That thought, I realized, has kept me from seeing the end of this road and I know that it will still take several more twists and turns before I see a change in the road patterns or even a crossroad.

One faint hope gives me a smile, though. The hope that at the end of this long stretch, I will find my Maker waiting for me with a smile on His divine lips, telling me I have done well, and that He is pleased to know that I am finally coming home.

Something for the Homeless People

2009-11-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Last night, as I was riding in a bus on my way home, I saw two homeless persons sitting on the sidewalk and staring blankly at God knows what. They look hungry and cold, as most homeless people do.

At about the same time, the bus TV (yes, it has one) was playing the video concert of British singer Phil Collins. He was performing the song 'Another Day in Paradise'.

Phil Collins composed and dedicated the song to all the homeless people all around the world.

Was it mere coincidence the song was playing when I saw those two homeless persons on the street that night?

We often think of them as unsightly, smelly, and at times dangerous people, which can be understandable. Yet, they are not really different from the rest of us. They are still breathing, living human beings, who, by some strange and perhaps wicked twist of fate, underwent one or two harrowing experience.

Who knows if what they went through and continue to go through will be the very same things that some or all of us may someday go through as well?

It's a bit far-fetched of course. But you have to admit that fate can be very cruel every now and then. With that in mind, how certain are we that we will not suffer the same fate as these homeless ones?

I'm supposed you're thinking now that I'm part of some non-government organization. No, I'm not, and just like those homeless people, I too have my own monsters that I have yet to deal with. Even if I wanted to, I could not really be of much help to them.

So what's the point of writing about them? I don't really know. Maybe it's just my own lilttle way of helping each one of us realize that homeless people do exist and they continue to grow. While life opportunities abound, very few are being presented to them, not even a small shelter to spend the night in. Maybe we can start from there as our initial assistance.

An excerpt from Phil Collin's song said it aptly: "...Sir, can you help me? It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep. Is there somewhere you can tell me?"

Business Day for the Dead

2009-11-03T00:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, me, my wife and two daughters, along with my mother and my younger brother, visited my late father's grave. I'm not sure if this is done worldwide, but here where I live, it's called All Saints' Day/All Souls' Day, the time of the year when the locals troop to the cemetery to pay their annual respects to their loved ones who have gone on to the next life.

About four decades ago, this special day used to be observed solemnly. Silence was supposed to be a key element, with only the utterings of short prayers slicing through the stillness of the day.

Today, however, silence has become an absurdity when the locals celebrate All Saints' Day/All Souls' Day. In practically every cemetery, whether public or private, the sounds of laughter, of lively chats, of food being eaten, even of unplanned quarrels, could be heard. And the strange thing about all of these is that they all have become part and parcel of the celebration.

In every corner, there are stalls that sell almost every kind of food that you can think of, from biscuits to hotdogs. Even popular food chains have found cemeteries profitable business places during this time of the year.

All Saints' Day/All Souls' Day has ceased to become so. These days, I refer to it as Business Day for the Dead.

THE OGRE THAT NEVER DIES

2009-10-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

The following is a paraphrasing of an old tale written by an anonymous writer and should particularly interest those who have plans of running for public office.

THE TALE OF THE OGRE THAT NEVER DIES

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a village that was tormented by a huge and ugly ogre. Everyday, the ugly ogre would go down to the village from his home in the mountain and take away the villagers' food and other belongings. Those who resist were either killed or swallowed alive.

Not a few people tried to come up with a plan to kill the ogre. Men of great strength and skills would go up the mountain to attempt to kill the beast. All of them would no longer return to tell of their story.

Still, the villagers refused to lose all hope. Two brothers, in fact, trained long and hard so that at the appropriate time, they would both go up the mountain and kill the ogre together.

Alas, when the time did come, the elder of the two brothers refused to take the younger one with him.

"You need to stay", he advised. "If ever I fail to return, you can train further and then go on and avenge my fall".

The young man did as he was told. Silently, he watched his older brother as he went up the mountain, uttering a short prayer that he will return the morning after.

But return the older brother did not. The entire village mourned his death, for he was considered strong and capable of defeating the ogre.

Yet, his death served to fuel the younger brother's resolve to kill the ogre. He continued his training, and in time, he became as strong and as skilled as his late brother.

When the time came, the younger brother went up the mountain. There, he came face to face with the mighty and ugly beast that was the ogre.

The two fought long and hard, with neither gaining a distinct upperhand.

Eventually, fatigue caught up with the ogre. With one strong blow, the young man was able to bring down his monstrous opponent.

He drew his sword one last time. As he was about to lunge his bladed weapon to the body of the beast, he saw the ogre's face changing to that of his older brother. Instinctively, he dropped his sword and came to his brother's aid.

"Well done, my brother," the ogre said in between gasps of air. "I can see that you have trained well."

"How did this happen?" the younger brother asked in disbelief. "Why...what.."

"You see, my brother," explained the ogre. "The true enemy is not the ogre who lives in the mountain, but the ogre who lives inside you."

"I don't understand..."

"Be strong... for now you are about to face your true enemy - yourself. The real test is not merely defeating the physical ogre, but defeating the temptations that will cause you to become the ogre that you have always hated."