Bicycle Vs Bus Vs MRT/LRT (Vs Van and Motorcycle): The Daily Ordeal On Metro Manila Streets.

Cesar prepping for the race. He will be using the yellow tiklop bike.

One fine Monday in the heart of August 2015, in the midst of bumper to bumper traffic along EDSA (and presumably, everywhere else), GMA 7 conducted an interesting urban social mobility experiment. In light of heavy, daily traffic that torture the daily car driver, they sought the effectiveness of  other modes of transportation. Pitted against each other were a bicyclist, a bus rider, and a rail transit commuter who will use both the MRT and the LRT. The Start point was Trinoma at the corner of EDSA and North Avenue, QC, with the end point being La Salle Taft. These points were apparently chosen so that the rail commuter will have starting and end points that have stations. The results, while a bit predictable, the events that unfolded were certainly eye openers to the state of urban mobility that is thrust upon us.

Attaching the GoPro camera on the handlebars

The bike rider is Cesar Platon, a member of the Tiklop Society of the Philippines, a prominent local bike advocacy group. Cesar is a very experienced urban rider, with great endurance and road skills. An unfair match at first glance, but I believe that the other competitors (I didn't catch their names) are adept in what they do - both were armed with books and audio players to keep themselves busy while commuting! The route of the biker was pre-determined, he had to ride along EDSA from Trinoma to Guadalupe, then turn right at JP Rizal Avenue, Makati, towards La Salle. It would be much easier for the cyclist to take a more direct route though, and end up with a much better time. But such are the imposed terms.

Presenting, the contestants! Bike vs Bus vs MRT/LRT

At 8 am, they were off. Before 9 am, Cesar arrived at La Salle Taft, it took him all of 58 minutes. At this point, the train rider just got her ticket at the counter at Trinoma, while the bus commuter was reading a book on a bus stuck somewhere on EDSA at the Ortigas area. While this is technically a race between three modes of transport, there is a unintentional competitor - a private vehicle. The GMA7 support van planned to race to La Salle Taft after launching the 3 competitors. They got stuck in traffic, wallowing in the Kamuning QC area at about the same time Cesar arrived at La Salle.


A Synopsis of the Race Results:

The bike route.

First Place: Bike Commuter, 58 minutes. Cesar took the imposed route at EDSA to Guadalupe, turning right towards La Salle Taft. Had he taken a more direct route, he would have arrived much earlier. One would wonder though, would a motorcycle be faster? Cesar had a camera team on a motorcycle that shadowed him, or tried to. The crew got left behind at EDSA, unable to keep up because the bike was able to squeeze between cars while the motorcycle got jammed because of its wider handlebars. 


Second Place: MRT/LRT Commuter, 2 1/2 hours - The MRT and LRT trains are swift vehicles and can traverse huge urban distances in minutes, being elevated from the chaotic traffic of the Metro. The problem is getting on the train, which is part of the game. One has to fall in line outside of the station in order to get in, and on weekday mornings it is a long queue that snakes this way and that on the sidewalk, which worms up the stairs and into the station itself.Then you have to get into another line to get a ticket, and then you have to endure another line on the platform to get onto the train. This has to be repeated twice, for the MRT, and the LRT. Mind numbing!

Third Place: Bus Rider, 3 hours - Initially, riding a bus looks promising. There are lots of buses plying the EDSA route, and getting on one is relatively easy and fast. the problem is that these buses get stuck in traffic at jammed intersections at Kamias/Kamuning, Cubao, Shaw Boulevard, to name a few. The problem at these intersections are the buses themselves, as they block each other as they jockey for position in the quest for more passengers. Inside the bus though, one can be comfortable and do office work or read a book. After all the journey is several hours.

Honorable Mention, Sort of: As mentioned earlier, a GMA7 van carrying support crew got stuck at Kamuning, less than a fourth of the way, at the time the bike rider reached the destination. Also, a motorcycle with a camera crew got left behind at EDSA, unable to squeeze through heavy traffic.

Interestingly, walking from Trinoma to La Salle would be faster than taking the bus or MRT/LRT

So what can we conclude from all this? Our traffic situation here in Metro manila is a monumental mess. It is clear that we need an efficient means of public transport, such as bigger trains that are reliable. A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. which is basically similar to the LRT but uses buses running on a dedicated path on ground level will do the trick, in conjunction with the existing LRT and MRT. A more efficient ticketing system and higher frequency of train trips will lessen waiting time. Clearly, traffic enforcement to keep unruly buses and other public utility vehicles in line should be done as well.


In the meantime, for those who have the skill and will to do it, biking in Metro Manila remains a viable option. Believe me, it is actually easier than it looks, with the right gear and mindset. Just hook up with an experienced commuter or a good bike group, take it slow, and soon you will see the Zen of the urban bike flow. Biking in the city is not to be frightened of - it is exhilarating, efficient, and earth friendly. It is nirvana in the chaotic city streets. Whatever mode of transport you take, be patient, be safe, and be courteous to each other. We are all just trying to get where we need to go.




This 'race',  along with some interviews and commentary was shown last August 27 at GMA7 News Live (cable channel), The show is Investigative Documentaries, and the episode is "Transpoortasyon".

The Case of the Missing Nalgene Bottle

I have a thing about water containers, and when I lost one, I couldn't stop thinking about it. This 1.4 liter Nalgene bottle was lost when I helped facilitate the 2015 UP Mountaineers Skills Test at Sandugo Basecamp at Pintong Bocaue, Rizal last late November 2015. It is one of my favorite vessels as it is large and has a large mouth, which makes it easier to drop in ice cubes for a refreshing drink. For the life of me, I couldn't find it anywhere, not in my bags, not at camp, not at the car, though I swore that I brought it along with me. When I went home after the activity, I looked for it everywhere - I am a bit obsessed with this kind of stuff - but it was nowhere to be found.. So I just curled up into a fetal position and resigned myself to losing a great water bottle.

A couple of days ago, I went back to Pintong Bocaue, this time to get some Marang (a cousin of the Guyabano) seedlings. On a whim I went to the sari sari store in front of Basecamp and asked the woman inside if she saw a Nalgene bottle that was this big and so and so, describing the errant container as best as I could hoping that it would somehow materialize ..... and the lady just cut me short and said, wait, it's here. She went to her house at the back and emerged later with my bottle, which was clean and dry. She said she was waiting for someone to claim it. And it all rushed back to me now - I went to the store when we arrived Saturday morning, where I planned to buy a liter of soda and pour the contents into the bottle. Instead I decided to get three liters, and somehow left the Nalgene bottle on that little store window when I carried the three soda bottles. Man, i am getting old, and this memory lapse just proves it.

But thank God for honest people. Aling Sara, mabuhay ka! May your tribe increase, and may your store prosper. Whenever I go back to Pintong Bocaue, by bike or car, i will stop by your place and purchase everything in sight!

Water Where It Counts

At the pedestrian overpass connecting UP and Central Ave, over Commonwealth Ave 

Whenever I am on the way home, I pour the remaining contents of my water bottle on the plants that adorn the overpasses along  Commonwealth Avenue at Quezon City. These elevated walkways that dot the stretch of this wide road have been 'greenified' by the presence of potted plants, and I think it is a great idea. it is a welcome respite from all the concrete we have here. However, like so many things here in the Philippines, consistency in maintenance and follow through is spotty. With some plants adorned with wilted, emaciated leaves, it is clear that the watering schedule is not being followed to the hilt by the designated gardeners.  My thinking is that I can survive the last kilometer of biking without drinking,  and that these plants need water more than I do. So my water goes to them. If you have the opportunity to pass by these overpasses, please water these plants as well, if you can, so that they will thrive; the oxygen they exhale is their gift back to us. 


The trouble is, I don't get to go to these walkways everyday, and  if someone out there can help out that would be fantastic. If you are a daily commuter who passes by these walkways on a regular basis, it would be great if you have some water for these plants. It would even be better if the immediate neighborhoods adopt these elevated gardens and take care of them. Perhaps let schoolchildren do it, supervised of course and I am sure lots of lessons can be learned there. If 'grey water' - such as collected rainwater, or water used to wash dishes - will be used, that's even better.  It wouldn't be too hard to do, and the intangible returns are very well worth it.


Too often, excess water just gets dumped into the sink when we get home. The issues of our city water system are complex, and while it is an extremely renewable resource, our potable water supply is finite and not as endless at it seems. With the El Niño phenomenon and climate change bearing down on us, the levels of Metro Manila's water sources - Angat, Ipo and La Mesa dams will soon fall below the critical point. Add to this the watershed problems such as kaingin(slash and burn farming), deforestation, illegal settlement, and siltation, coupled with Metro problems such as water pilferage, eternally broken pipes, and user apathy, and the water situation of our mega-city is not pretty at all. 


Each drop of water that comes out of our faucets starts on a remarkable journey from the atmosphere, where it hurtles down to the rainforests of the Sierra Madres, to be borne by streams towards the catchment basins of the Angat Dam, shuttled through  pipes to Ipo Dam, where it is stripped of sediments and piped to La Mesa Dam where it is stockpiled, to be drawn finally through the Balara filtration plants where it is cleaned and made potable for consumer use. It is too valuable to be unceremoniously dumped down the drain, at a time when the supply is dwindling and barely able to cope with the demands of Metro Manila's population. Let us allocate our water where it counts. Every drop is precious, we have to use our water wisely.

Photo by Ethel Fortuno

Folding Bikes, A Birthday, and Sharing with the Shelterless

Most people celebrate their 50th birthday by throwing huge parties or at the very least treating friends and family to an evening of wining and dining. While this in itself is not bad at all, it takes a special kind of person to take a different path. Bel Paz is such a person, and for her birthday she decided to spread cheer to people who arguably need it most - the people who live in the streets. How do I know Bel? Well she is the partner of Baba Guerrero, who happens to be a grade school classmate of my wife Ethel. I don't know Bel all that much to be honest, but if what I know is an indication, her character stands ten feet tall in my book.

Let's have a little psychology lesson first. In 1943, the renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a hierarchy of needs of the human individual, and among the most basic necessities that we need is shelter, along with other physiological needs. Without this, we simply cannot progress to our fullest potential, and sadly, this is the plight of the shelterless among us. It is this sector that Bel thought to help or cheer on her birthday. She said "my friends are quite capable of feeding themselves, anytime they choose to. Homeless people do not have that luxury". Well she didn't exactly say it that way, but the gist of the message is there.

The call for volunteers at Tiklop Society of the Philippines' Facebook page. 

Before we rode out.

Briefing before ride out.

So the plan was to fill 150 earth bags with food, each enough to sustain a family for a day (two if you're on a diet) and distribute them to the homeless found in QC. This is where Tiklop Society of the Philippines comes in - it is more effective to distribute these packs by bicycles. There were 10 of us cyclists, on our folding bikes who answered the call. So we all met up with Bel and her friends, on the evening of October 12, her birthday, at McDonald's behind QC City Hall. The plan was for the cyclists to load up with 4 or more goodie packs each and  distribute them to the homeless as we bike along. A couple of vehicles tagged along, carrying the rest of the payload: the cyclists will replenish their load when depleted.

Ethel with two TSP newbies, Jo and Jane.

Vito heading out.

We headed out towards East Avenue and into BIR/Agham Road, where we expected dozens of homeless families. Though the area was full of depressed settlements, there were very few truly homeless people; in fact we only found three recipients. They didn't have their makeshift lean-to shelters like they usually do. Instead they were sleeping on the sidewalk, on cardboard mats. They woke up as we sidled along them and as we explained that we were doing this as a birthday celebration, they looked at us with distant eyes, as if they were still dreaming. They thanked us profusely, their lips morphing into a grin, as we pulled away.

All set? Let's go!

The way is dark, but we have lights.

Happy recipients.

So on we went to Quezon Ave, towards Manila, in the hopes of 
finding more homeless. To our surprise, there wasn't a whole lot as compared to say a month ago. We were disappointed, but then we said hey, this is a good thing right? Less homeless. So we were sort of happy about the idea until someone mentioned that they may have been relocated to Rizal province. And I thought, well, just in time for the APEC Talks .. and then we got depressed again. Nevertheless, there were still a few recipients - an old lady here, an old bearded guy there, several families sleeping under the eaves of bank buildings (this we noticed as a favorite settling spot for them).

Birthday Girl Bel giving a food pack.

Rock and roll to the world!

There were a lot less recipients than we expected, thus we still had a lot of packs to give this late at night (it was nearing 10pm). We were nearing the Welcome Rotonda area, and Ethel suggested that we should try to go to the Philippine Orthopedic Center at Banawe Street. This is a 700 bed hospital that caters to those with skeletal-related conditions (i.e., broken bones), and as a government hospital, many of the patients come from the poorer sector, and as we found out later, they have traveled far and wide just to be treated. As we entered the hospital grounds, the guard (who was very friendly and helpful) told us to head towards what looks like a waiting shed on the right. The wall-less structure was full of people lying down on makeshift mats, with their belongings neatly strewn around. These are the relatives, the support system of the patients, and the rather squalid conditions reflect highly on our health care system. We talked to the people and found out that many came from the provinces - Batangas, Zambales, Pangasinan, Bicol, Masbate - and coincidentally the one from Masbate was a classmate of my first cousin. They were all happy when we handed them the food bags. After that we entered a small 2 story building beside the shed, and it was packed with people as well. We went towards the entrance of the hospital, and there on the darkened walkway there were more people sleeping. More people! They were clearly weary and tired, but when they saw us they cheered up, especially when they received the packs. There were 4 men who were quite wary and refused to accept the donations until a guard said "libre yan"(it's free)  and that's when they broke out into smiles and accepted the goodie packs. These were people who were at the end of their resources, being so far away from home, being at the hospital for days, some more than a week. These are people who sorely need help and upliftment from the tragic misfortune in their lives.

Ethel, Baba, and Bel at the second floor of the waiting area of the Philippine Orthopedic Center, with recipients.

At the darkened walk of the hospital, where smiles reside.

The team at the Philippine Orthopedic Center.

Most of the 150 packs have been given away, but we still had around 30 left. It was approaching the 11th hour of the evening, so we decided to head back to Diliman. We managed to give out a few more when Bel told us to stop at Lugawan Republic at Timog Avenue, where she treated us to a simple yet satisfying dinner. Lugaw never felt this good!

Banawe intersection.

At Lugawan Republic.

After recharging, we headed down to East Avenue, where we saw several children sleeping at the foyer of a row of closed and locked storefronts. We tried to wake them up so that they could receive the packs, but most would not even stir. It became apparent that they were either very tired, or drugged somehow. We heard a shout from the other side of the road and we saw around a dozen other kids running towards us, slaloming though moving traffic and jumping over the island barrier. I sensed that this could escalate into a hairy situation for us, so I barked "Let's go! Move out!" and in seconds we were moving again, and in our wake we saw that the children were fighting over the packs that we gave. What a sad wake up call to the plight of many children in our society.

The government should really do something to uplift the lives of our countrymen.

Add caption

We reached East Avenue Hospital, another government institution, and we distributed all of the remaining packs at the people waiting at the emergency room. We ended the ride a few minutes later, back at McDonald's where we started. We were tired, yet happy, and each one emerged richer from the experience. Happy Birthday Bel!

At East Avenue Hospital. There were lots of people sleeping outside the Emergency Room.

Riding home, I pondered on what we just did - did we really make an impact? We distributed food packs that could tide the recipients over for a meal or so, and after that it is back to the everyday grind they have to face. So, was this beneficial at all, in the long run? I believe it is. More so that the satiation that they derive from consuming the food, it is the fact that someone gave them something at all - that is what really counts. The audacity that a total stranger would take the time to prepare and distribute these packs, that is the true essence of this gift. It lends the hope that there is someone out there that cares, and this is a powerful thing. It tells everyone that we are all human after all. 

Here's to more random acts of kindness in this world. Let us all be agents of goodwill, and make this earth a better place to live in.

 

Photos by Pio Fortuno Jr. and Ethel fortuno

The Last Ride of Al Gamos, A Steadfast Friend.

The last photo of Al (in color), here with the whole TSP team. Taken just before we rode out.

September 25, 2015

Life has just thrown us a curve ball. The day started out right, with around 40+ TSP riders converging at the T3 Cainta meetup place early morning, after which we rode to Busobuso Valley where the popular Mang Vic's Bulalohan is located. The morning was getting warm, but not unbearably so, and the team slowly but surely inched up the slopes of Marcos highway. The team was strong albeit with a few stragglers struggling with the inclines but it was nothing out of the ordinary; about the only serious incident so far was when a member fell on his side because he wasn’t used to clipless pedals yet. I halted the team several times for the tail to catch up so that we can travel as a compact group. At one of the stops a few kilometres out, I was able to talk and joke with Al Gamos about his using a Brompton for a ride like this (these bikes are not very well suited for climbing), and we laughed about it. Al is a very experienced rider and has ridden this route many times, and I had no inkling that this would be his last.

Further into the route, I halted the team once more on the crest of yet another long incline at the Padilla area at Marcos Highway. While the front of the group was resting and with the tail looming into view, my radio crackled with the garbled voice of Atan (who was one of the sweepers) saying “Chief, chief emergency!” I thought it was another spill, or maybe heat exhaustion or the like, and requested for more information. I could see the tail a bit, they were partially obscured by a parked vehicle but in a second Atan was right in front of us saying that I had to go down. Brv Crdns, who is an RN (with experience in ICU and emergency first response) went down with him, while I hurriedly purchased a bottle of Gatorade thinking that it was still heat related. I was handed an open bottle which I stuffed into my pants pocket, and off I went sprinting down on my bike.

The place where Al collapsed. This was before the tricycle sped off  carrying him, Atan and Brv to the hospital. I am the one with the helmet behind the tricycle. Photo credit: Boni Bartolo

What I saw next was a waking nightmare. Al was flat on the ground, with lifeless eyes staring into space, with Brv applying CPR compressions on his chest. He said there was bradycardia (very weak pulse) earlier, with none now. I stood like a statue for what seemed like an eternity when he said get help. A Baranggay official materialized and said that he radioed for emergency transport. I ran to the middle of the road, uphill, hoping to commandeer a car, jeep, truck, anything, and then there was this long convoy of tricycles led by an owner jeep laden with passengers – it was an INC motorcade of sorts, they were promoting something that didn’t register in my mind and I stood in front of them waving like a maniac so they would stop and they did and I asked them for help and they did go to where Al was.. they had an emergency team on a motorcycle and they helped with the CPR, with Brv still pumping Al’s chest, and the lady EMT blowing air into his lungs. I sat beside Al, waiting for my turn to do chest compressions when Brv gets tired – I held his hand tightly and willed him to wake up, he has to! Brv checked his pulse and said there is none, so we really have to get him to the hospital pronto so we flagged down a tricycle and lifted Al into it. He was extremely heavy and unwieldy to grasp, and we finally got him in with his body askew, Brv at the back of the driver holding Al’s head and Atan riding shotgun at the other side to prevent Al from spilling out. There was no room for me so I remained behind to organize the team to go to the hospital and help ferry the bikes of Al, Atan and Brv as well.

The tricycle was intercepted by the hospital ambulance, and Al was loaded onto it. At the hospital, they checked for his vital signs. The works – blood pressure, oxygen saturation, temperature, heart rate, pupil dilation, even an EKG. All were zero. Zilch. Nada. Flatline. We lost Al. The official time of death was 9:25 am, on 9/25/2015. But Al was gone a bit earlier as he laid on the road, with Brv pumping away at his chest and me clutching his hand fiercely. While we still don’t have the results of the autopsy (which is entirely up to the decision of Al’s family), massive internal bleeding from a stroke or Myocardial infarction is highly suspect. From the rapidity of what unfolded, Al’s chances were very slim.

The next hours were spent trying to get hold of Al’s next of kin. Thanks to Ayla, Christian, Ethel and others who pored through Al’s phone, sim card and wallet, and through TSP members at Facebook, Al’s relatives were contacted and they trickled in later in the afternoon. At this point, the whole TSP team was still intact, no one went home. All were one in seeing this through. I saw everyone teetering at the edge of an emotional cliff. I tried to show a brave face largely, be strong but there were lapses when the tears just flow and my voice cracked while speaking. It just really hurts. I feel that perhaps I, we could have done better. Maybe.

Goodbye Al. You are much loved. It has been an honor sharing rides and experiences with you. Thank you for being a steadfast friend, a believer in the vision of our organization, a leader with wise decisions and sagacity, for lending strength to us with your few words but massive presence. Thank you for being you.

With Al during one of TSP's TiGAs (Tiklop General Assembly) meetings this year. Photo Credit:Joselito Katindig 

This is Al's last Photo Cover on his Facebook page. Farewell Al. Photo Credit: Al Gamos

Notes:

- Al joined the Tiklop Society of the Philippines in 2012. I first met him in June of that year during the annual Tomb to Womb Ride, which is a tribute to our national hero Jose Rizal wherein we ride from Luneta to Calamba.

- He is one of the most amiable persons that one can ever meet. He has a beaming infectious smile and always has a a word of encouragement for bikers who seem to have a hard time keeping up in a ride. His role as a sweeper in most rides suits him very well.

- He is a staunch believer in the vision and mission of TSP. Silent, a man of few words, yet a steadfast supporter who propped me up during times when I had difficulty with issues.

- Al is a very private person. Nobody knew a whole lot about him, even his closest friends at TSP. We didn't know where he lived, who his family were, what he did for a living. Which explains why we had a hard time tracking down his next of kin. And we were mightily surprised when we learned that he was a retired policeman. 

- His wife related that he was very happy with TSP and biking, and though Al is a man of few words, he likes to talk about TSP when asked. That it is one thing that he could never go without. His wife whom we never met, knew many TSP members through Facebook.

- She also shared that around three years ago, Al lost consciousness during a mountain bike ride in Laguna. He was brought to a hospital by his friends and regained consciousness there. He had hypertension and was taking maintenance medicine for it.
- Al is a very experienced rider and has been on very long rides before, such as the All night Balloon ride from  Manila to Pampanga, or the arduous Laguna loop that circumnavigates Laguna de Bay. He has been through an extreme range of temperatures and weather, from very hot blistering days to drenching thunderstorms. 
- At TSP, we always seek to educate members, and one of the most emphasized points is how to prevent heat injuries. This ride is typical as we stopped several times to keep the team compressed. During these stops, members were told to drink up and keep hydrated.
- Just before the last slope of his life, Al and the rest of the tail end of the team took a break at a store where they rested and hydrated a bit. Though the temperature was warming up, the air was still a bit cool and it was not humid at all. When they headed up the incline, Al was the last man when he collapsed. Within minutes the first responder, Brv Crdns, was upon him and performed CPR. Brv is a very experienced ICU nurse and at one point in his life was assigned in Zamboanga as an Army nurse. I arrived at the scene a minute later, because I purchased a bottle of Gatorade thinking that the problem was heat stroke or exhaustion. I have had training in first aid and CPR as well. 
- From what we saw, neither of us thought that the injury was heat related, especially the rapid onset of Al's condition. I wished it were heat exhaustion or stroke, because it would have been much easier to handle. Later when we inspected his bike and equipment, we found that his tidy Brooks leather saddle has a gash at the right wing. The end of the right hand grip also has a similar tear, and Al's helmet had a huge crack at the back. This all indicates that he collapsed suddenly, almost nearly without warning, and he did not do anything to arrest his fall.  Alas, Al's time has come. Farewell, my friend.