We're not hopeless, are we?

During that fateful day of inundation of most parts of the Metro and adjoining provinces last week, like many others I was forced to spend the whole day indoors, luckily at home, unlike some people I know, friends some of them, who had to spend the night and most of the next day in evacuation centers or in dry homes of good Samaritans.

For lack of better things to do (all my poker cronies were likewise stranded in their homes with no way out of their villages to anywhere in the metro), I decided to go take a look at the files of my past columns dating way back to when it appeared first in the Times Journal and then the Manila Chronicle before landing here in the Star.

As I browsed through the clippings I realized that the transport and traffic management issues then, which have always been my focus since two decades ago when I started with the print counterpart of our TV show Motoring Today, were not any different from what we have now.

Issues like the lack of driver’s discipline, reckless driving, driving while under the influence of alcohol, wanton loading and unloading of passengers anywhere along the street that impede flow of traffic, colorum vehicles that illegally ply the routes with the authorities looking the other way, corrupt traffic cops and later on, traffic enforcers, and the list of motoring problems goes on and on, most if not all of them still in damming existence.

And of course, in the more than two decades of writing the column and producing and hosting the TV magazine counterpart, I have made contact with most if not all of those in the long list of past MMDA top officials and city and municipal mayors of the metro. Curiously, most of them have introduced almost similar solutions to these motoring issues and problems with all the accompanying fanfare media hype, but yet the same problems seem to pervade up to now, many of us seeing them already imbued more as a way of life.

Somehow during the past administration and management of Metro Manila, some form of political will was demonstrated by the then incumbent, something wanting in past administrations. But then, many observed that the benefit of political will only goes as far as not being stubborn and having the willingness to correct what has been proven to be not working—“admit if it’s broke and if it’s broke fix it”—the misplaced pride of not accepting an error in judgment or what we have initiated is not working should not be mistaken for political will.

Yes, it appears that the motoring problems and issues of yesteryears are still very much alive today. But it also appears that “the present powers that be,” to their credit, are hell-bent to find solutions to these perennial troubles. And I suggest we should still give them all the time and the chances to positively turn around what they have inherited.

But then let’s all do our share to help them out. Let’s all be role models of law-abiding motorists—let’s not park where we’re not supposed to, let’s not beat the red light, let’s not go beyond legal speeds, let’s be considerate to pedestrians, let’s follow the basic rule of road courtesy of always giving way to other motorists and the list goes on.      

If we can do this—no, I don’t think we are hopeless.

Aborted road safety workshop

The road safety seminar/workshop scheduled last Tuesday, August 7 at the San Beda High School in Alabang had to be called off, basically due to the suspension of classes because of weather conditions and extensive flooding.

It would have been the first for the present school year out of at least 10 schools that Socio Com Foundation and Sunshine Television are targeting to include in the 2012 - 2013 Young Street Smarts (YSS) Road Safety School Tour.                         

The YSS Road Safety School Tour is a series of free seminars/workshops that are conducted for high school students with the objective of making these students become present and future safe and responsible road users.

The basic topics on road safety that are taken up include the meaning of street traffic signs and road markings, many of which most of our present drivers are clueless about. There are also lectures and workshops on the rules of right-of-way, safe practices for drivers, pedestrians and even bikers, road courtesy and most importantly the dangers of drunk driving.

Knowing the limited attention span of young students, the seminar/workshops also have in its agenda contests that not only provide some excitement and prizes but also serve to gauge what has been understood and retained by the attending students.                       

The YSS Road Safety School Tour is now on its third year, thanks to supportive corporate entities that make their involvement part of their CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility, considering that promoting road safety is a universal concern.

On top of the list is MNTC (Manila North Tollways Corporation) with the cooperation of major players in the local automotive industry like Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Honda Cars Kalookan Driving School. Involved last year and still awaiting their commitment for this school year are PCSO, Air21, Chevron and Petron.

Logistics involved in this road safety advocacy can be challenging and we have these responsible corporate citizens to thank for its continuance. If you found it worthy to be involved in, you can contact [email protected].        

It’s back on the air

For the greater good, Motoring Today, the longest-running motoring program on Philippine TV had given way to the coverage of the recently-concluded London Olympics, the “world’s ultimate sports competition” by our carrying TV channel, Solar Sports.

Being off the air for all of three weeks, there’s a lot to make up for as far as the exciting highlights of the 2012 World Formula One Series are concerned. But worry not F1 fans, for we shall willingly oblige in the coming weeks, starting with the German Formula One Grand Prix this Sunday on Race Weekend.

Also on Motoring Today’s comeback episode we’ll spotlight the 2012 all-new Honda CRV, the automobile of the week on Showcase, while on the Young Streets Smarts segment, DJ Suzy, our ‘youth ambassador for road safety’ shall remind our viewers about the proper and safe way to come out of a driveway as LTO Chief Virgie Torres gives another friendly reminder for our public utility drivers on the proper demeanor while behind the wheel on our segment Payong Tsuper. On Auto Care Clinic, the weekly vehicle upkeep segment, the discussion shall center on maintaining the air conditioning system.

Motoring Today, the country’s most comprehensive motoring news and features TV magazine, which is now on its 26th year of continuing service to the country’s general motoring public, airs every Sunday at 12pm on Solar Sports, Channel 70 on the Sky Cable Network.

Happy Motoring!!!

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