ON TRAFFIC AND CHANGE

************************************************************************************************************** PEE-POH........ PEE-POH.... goes the siren. Here ambulance cars emit sounds like that. Whenever motorists hear that sound, they willingly, dutifully oblige and yield. They give way in the hope that the person inside that ambulance be saved. NOT SO in Inang Bayan. I have seen, heard so many ambulance, but none give way. Is it because of the snarled traffic jam in the Metropolis? Can nothing be done to mark some lanes as 'free lanes' which can be used only in case of emergencies? I wonder.... I remember being angry when I saw some drivers in the SLEX who had the nerve to follow the ambulance itself, 'para mas mabilis daw.' One look at his smug face made me lose my temper! Goodness! I HAVE no idea where we got this attitude. Most Pinoys really do not have that sense of really, really following rules ! Traffic rules and regulations are one of the the most violated ones. Not only does it make chaos of the roads, it also "enriches" the Traffic Enforcers who receive the TONG that people give in lieu of the traffic ticket. LIKE JUETENG which have been there since before we were born, these traffic violators are here to stay......UNLESS our leaders, especially the Traffic Bureau do something drastic ASAP. AMBULANCES, FIRE TRUCKS and other basic services vehicles must be given priority. These measures must be strictly enforced . We have enough good Laws to back this up. The only hindrance is the presence of unscrupulous enforcers around. The honest ones have diminished and are things [or men?] of the past. The bad guys have littered every street corner of the archipelago. If ever one finds a good honest one, they are being quite about it, lest they earn the ire of their superiors. TRAFFIC IN Metro-Manila are congested and it takes about two and a half hour to reach Manila from Alabang. That is, you're still lucky if you find a Taxi that can take secondary routes. If you're taking public transport, then be prepared to sleep for three hours or so. I STILL dream of a free-flowing traffic in MetroManila. Is this possible? WHEN WILL the citizens of the country experience such bliss is still beyond the horizon. We cannot see a bright one, yet, nothing is impossible. I believe the Filipino can and will come out of that stupor and work together. THE GREATEST problem lies in our leaders. They are so engrossed in their own greedy political and personal agenda that the country's problems comes a poor second. The rest of the citizenry needs to change as well. We need to follow rules and Laws as strictly as we can and show the national leaders that if change does not start on top, then we, ordinary citizens can be the model. We can make that change possible. BAKA SAKALING TABLAN. REMEMBER: GREAT COUNTRY. GREAT PEOPLE.