Filipinos Deserve Better Public Transportation System

If you are one of the thousands of Filipinos in Metro Manila who commute everyday to go to work, school, or whatever business you may have, I’m pretty sure you’re already familiar with how horrible our public transportation system is. Everyday, we have no choice but to endure the horrendous traffic, unbearable long lines in the MRT/LRT, faulty trains, or those grueling, overcrowded bus rides. We wake up really early and allot at least 2 to 3 hours for our commute just so we can make it on time. At the end of each day and by the time we do get home, we’re all already exhausted that we don’t get to spend some quality time with our loved ones anymore. It’s sad to think that we spend so much time on the road than the time that we spend with our family. But the sad truth is that this has consistently been the story of the everyday lives of the thousands of commuters out there like myself. 

If we take a look at some of the first world countries with well-developed public transportation systems, we will see that most of them have invested so much in their rail transport systems. In the Philippines, however, our rail transport systems such as the MRT and LRT are way far behind in almost all aspects. From time to time, we would hear news about these trains breaking down all of a sudden and people would be asked to get off the train and just walk to the nearest station. Aside from that, we also have those really long lines and overcrowded trains especially during rush hours. Yet, after everything that one needs to suffer just to take the MRT/LRT, a lot of people still prefer it than taking a bus or a jeepney. This is obviously because of the fact that these trains are a lot faster compared to busses and jeepneys since it is able to avoid the heavy traffic.

However, several years have passed already since the MRT/LRT have started to operate yet we still have to witness any major improvements done on it. Our rail transport system definitely needs proper maintenance. It needs more trains to accommodate the increasing number of passengers. It needs better technology for faster ticketing system. And it definitely needs more funds for all of these to be done. Well, there are news of allotting more funds for the improvement of the MRT system but up until now we have yet to enjoy such improvements. This is because our MRT system has been a victim of over a decade of neglect and corruption. 

Most of us have already lost hope with the MRT/LRT or our public transportation system in general. Several administrations have already come and gone, yet somehow it feels like things are just getting worse. As taxpayers, we deserve better service than what we are currently receiving from our government. We need a leader who will focus on solving major problems that our country faces such as this one. But until then we, Filipinos, will have to do what we do best: endure.