For 10 days now (14 by the time you read this), three people have been living inside a Ford Ranger pickup. There were initially four of them, but one quit on Day 6. These people are taking part in the Ford Live In It To Win It contest, wherein a Ford Ranger is the prize. After a thorough search by Ford Group Philippines, four people were picked out among the rest as the best challengers to live inside a Ford Ranger parked at the Rockwell mall grounds for as long as possible. The last person to get out of the Ranger wins it.
Before any hasty assumptions are made regarding the seemingly relative ease of living inside a pickup, first consider this: The participants are not allowed to use cell phones during the duration of the contest. That of course means not indulging in forwarded text jokes for quite some time, which may already be the most extreme form of torture for some people. They are likewise barred from bringing in any reading material, and the only music allowed comes from huge loudspeakers tuned to the sponsor radio station.
The contestants’ seating arrangement is rotated daily. They are not allowed to open the doors or windows by themselves, or to recline the pickup‚ or its seats. The airconditioning is switched on only when the outside temperature reaches the 35-degree or so mark. The contestants are allowed three 15-minute breaks a day, and a change of clothing once daily. They are fed three regular meals plus two snacks, but are forbidden to have any other food brought in from the outside world.
Easy, this thing clearly is not.
Four people were initially picked out for the event. First is Mark Rodil, who is said to be no stranger to extreme contests, having won a trip to the US when he took the most number of rides (160) in Enchanted Kingdom. Second is Gabriel Jover, who works for an international nongovernmental organization and is thus perceived to be no stranger to extreme conditions as well, having been assigned to the hinterlands of Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet and the Cordilleras.
Third is William Enriquez, who at 44 was the oldest in the bunch. A businessman by occupation, he was the first to call it quits at the Day 6 mark. The fourth contestant was Mabel Quesada, the lone female who during the press conference on May 1, also the first day of the event, was heard muttering something bordering on the incoherent. When clarified later, it turned out she planned to stay inside the truck for a maximum of five hours only, and in fact had activities scheduled for the following day. Whether it was a product of poor communication or a shortage of wits that brought about this mix-up is not known to this day. Needless to say, she was ejected from the contest and was replaced by Reiner Laino, a fresh graduate with loads of time on his hands.
On Day 10, Gabriel and Reiner were visibly still in high spirits, despite the highly structured nature of their lives the past days. (Mark was indulging in one of his precious 15-minute breaks.) In fact, the two claimed they are enjoying at the moment, having adjusted to the routine already.
"It’s the physical adjustment that’s the hardest," said Gabriel. "You have to learn to sleep sitting upright for one. After the third or fourth day, though, you get used to it."
Reiner agrees to this, adding that the Ranger is turning out to be more comfortable than it appears to be. "You no longer need a house, you can really live in this," he said.
Asked what keeps them busy during most waking hours, the two said they while their time away, "chatting, dancing (!) and looking back at people who gawk at us — we have become attractions here," Reiner said, sounding amused. "We’re like animals in a zoo."
In all seriousness, however, the two firmly believe that the time they have thus far spent inside the truck is not a waste. The free time has actually allowed them to mull about certain aspects of their lives, to ponder things clearly, and understand themselves better. "Sometimes, we think it’s actually even better to live here," Gabriel said. "Tingnan mo, walang traffic."
Apparently, the prize itself may no longer mean everything to them, too. Reiner and Gabriel said that, together with Mark, they plan to stay inside the Ranger ’til it’s the organizers who give up. "If that happens, we’re not sure if we’re going to get a Ranger each or just share this one," Reiner added. More important, the entire experience has also allowed them to learn to appreciate once again things that all of us have taken for granted as seemingly very ordinary. "Look outside, it’s the first time it has rained in the days that we’ve been here," Gabriel said. "And it’s really so beautiful to see it."
However cheesy, the author Robert Pirsig may have been right. Sometimes it is indeed better to travel than to arrive.