Me no yuppie
Commuting to and from Makati’s central business district for my internship has been quite a tiresome ordeal. I just came home from my second day. I actually left the office early today, at around 4PM, thinking and hoping I would have avoided the rush hour traffic. That didn’t quite work out. It took me almost two hours inside a cramped and stinky “air-conditioned” bus to get near our place and walk home.
I’ve got an anecdote from this afternoon’s commuting experience however. Stuck in traffic between EDSA Buendia and Guadalupe, I looked through the bus window beside me and lo and behold it was Rep. Francis “Chiz” Escudero right next to me on another vehicle, side windows rolled down, speaking on the phone, stuck in traffic just like the rest of us. It was sort of a pleasant sight. A politician, and senatorial candidate, on a simple almost run-down vehicle (or so it seemed) with his side windows rolled down, with no sirens nor back-up security vehicles, stuck in traffic, breathing all the pollution there is in vehicle choked EDSA. And he was not campaigning.
Anyway, commuting to Makati isn’t too different from commuting home either. This morning I was waiting for a spacious bus and that didn’t get me anywhere. Note to self, never wait for a spacious public bus during rush hour, none will come. Since I was running late, I decided to hop on one of those colorum taxis that shuttles five people to Makati and charges like an FX. It took me almost two hours nonetheless.
On my first day (which was Tuesday last week), thankfully I had Eka and some friends as co-interns so I was able to hitch a ride in a private car. Traffic was still horrible, even on the trip back to Quezon City.
Why am I having my internship in a Makati office anyway? You tell me. Perhaps it’s just now that all I am being told to do is transcribe shot lists, footages, and proofview unaired videos. I’m a film student, I wish they could send me to the field, in a production, away from an office, please. It’s one reason why I didn’t choose a course that would send me to an office cubicle or whatnot. Hay, and to think I’m working in a travel and lifestyle cable channel. I really hope something better comes up. Hehe.
Mwahahaha. I ♥ Chiz.
BTW, kanina, coming home from my internship with people I just met on the internship (oh diba?) we saw a politician, don’t know who with three patrol cars and four dudes on motorcycles. Parang haller naman talaga, ang yabang. Public funding yan!!!!
BIKOY: nako, kung makita mo lang ang convoy ni Gloria Arroyo every time she goes out. walang wala yan.
Taking the MRT to and from the North is faster. Crowded, but faster. Especially with those stored-value cards. And in the morning, try commuting before 7 AM, since you’re a morning person anyway.
I wish we had internships in Psych, though.
BIKOY: Hi Mariel. sigh, if I only knew how uncomfortable commuting to and from Makati CBD in buses was compared to forcing myself in crowded MRT trains and stations. Akala ko kasi it was less hassle to take the bus since isang sakay lang as compared to MRT, magta-tatlong sakay pa ‘ko, masikip pa sa MRT. Now I know. Hehe
ooh, internship! mine will start on the 23rd, also in makati. i agree with mars, it’s quicker and is with less hassle to ride the mrt. i suggest you take the north station instead of the one in quezon ave. you’ll have a higher chance of securing a seat.
to mars, some companies also accept psych students as interns. they usually assign them in the HR/staffing departments.
Pahinga raw muna sa pangangampanya si Chiz. Buti pa siya.
I hate it when the black cars come. Yung mga may kasamang mga motorsiklo na may wang-wang. Sa loob ng kotse namin minumura namin yung mga yun ng mga kapatid ko.
“HOY PERA NAMIN YAN!”
Haha
BIKOY: tama! nakakainis nga. akala mo kung sino sila
ei,am having my internship tom with sen. kiko pangilinan…tnx 4 da idea of how difficult commuting hir in manila can be….hope not dat bad still…gudluck 2 urs.hope ul be having activities dat wil provide opportunities and learning experiences in your field.
Makati traffic really sucks. my sister rides the MRT to work and the lines are horrible. she gets home super duper late. pray you never have to work in makati.
chiz!!! marian will die if she reads this. she hearts chiz.
that’s the situation talaga sa siyudad.. grabe sobrang crowded.. well Makati is a walkable city right..? so why not take a walk and make your to the Ayala-MRT station.. i think it’ll only take you like 15-20mins (if you’re coming from Ayala Ave) and from there ride the MRT yun nga lang crowded din dun sa station na yun.. pero mas less hassle yun if you’re fond of walking.. and besides enjoy maglakad sa Makati for it gives me that “New Yorker” feeling hehe.
BIKOY: well, yea, since maayos naman ang pedestrian infrastructure sa makati cbd, ayos ding maglakad, tama ka.
Welcome to the daily life of the urban commuter. They say that the total time spent commuting in one year is similar to spending more than a month in a cramped space 2 x 2 ft. I guess that is why a lot of options have become available for us commuters: like the mrt, car-pooling, fx shuttles, bus selecting, and choosing the right time to ride.
BIKOY: Haay, I will have to try out those options in the next few days to see which one is best. thanks
It would’ve been a different scene if it were a different politician.
Traffic in EDSA is a constant part of the commuting life. You either get used to it, or master it so that you’d know what ride to take, where and when to take it. Say, avoid the rush hour perhaps.
BIKOY: avoiding rush hour can either mean, me having to leave early from work (and cut on my internship hours), or let the rush subside before going home (eh I’m sure sobrang late na nun). Either way, loss pa rin para sa kin. Sigh. hehe
Every time I go home from work, I always see this convoy with wang-wang, driving as if they are in Suzuka. Hopefully, when he wins, Chiz would be different.
You live in Sta. Maria? That’s quite far indeed.
BIKOY: nope, sta. maria is my mother’s home town. we don’t reside there but we stay there often.
I see. Sayang kasi di dumadaan ng Ayala Ave. ang favorite kong bus. Malamig, comfortable, mabilis, may TV, kulay green he he.
teka, anong production outfit ba yan bikoy?
re commuting: welcome to the world of the slaves and moneymakers! when i first came to manila to work, i had an endless litany of complaint but it didn’t get me anywhere. i got used to it and i often alloted at least an hour for commute. better ride the MRT than the bus, believe me. sobrang hassle ang bus. pagbaba mo naman sa MRT-ayala may jeep jan sa parking area sa ibaba na ayala loop na nagbabay-bay ng mga major streets ng makati CBD.
consider yourself lucky that at least what you’re doing in your internship is still related to your course. in my experience, bihira magpalabas sa field ng OJT/interns ang mga opisina. yung mga nagiintern nga sa ibang dyaryo eh pinagtatranscribe lang ng mga interviews kasi hindi naman sila pwede dala lagi ng mga reporters kung saan man sila magpunta kasi mahihirapan lang yung reporter at yung intern. minsan may 10 interns na kasama yung reporter ng inquirer, di nya tuloy alam ang gagawin sa kanila eh kasag-sagan ng pagsusulat nun at deadline na. awkward tuloy kasi naiwang nakatanga lang yung interns dun sa press office kasi di ko rin naman masisi yung reporter kasi deadline na nga namin at naghahabol kami ng mga istorya.
BIKOY: Thanks for the commuting tip! hehe
“an endless litany of complaint but it didn’t get me anywhere. i got used to it and i often alloted at least an hour for commute.”
should have been “complaints” and “commuting”. my bad.
Sa makati rin ako Vic for my internship. Naglunch pa nga kami nila Annelle last week, they’re in Makati too.
Commuting to and from Makati is sh*t. It takes me 1 1/2 - 2 hours one way with the MRT. and 30-40 mins are spent on walking to the station in Ayala from Paseo to falling in line going inside the MRT. huhu. bus rides are faster ba? o di rin? masikip ba?
BIKOY: wag ka na mag-bus. traffic na, masikip pa. sa paseo kayong lahat?
Iboboto ko si chiz….
I go out the house as early as 4:30AM then ride a tricycle, then a Genesis Bus… depends on the hospital sometimes I ride another bus… or a jeep or just another tricycle….
ahhh, talaga. hopeful kasi ako na makakatulog na ako sa buong trip. at least, that’s an hour of sleep.:)
Yup, paseo kami lahat. (ako not exactly in Paseo, pero malapit).
Mga komunista talaga walang magawa kundi mag reklamo. tsk tsk. Diba Celeni?
i’m on older filipina expat who’s absolutely amazed at how bright and articulate our young filipinos are. i am so proud and love reading these wonderful blogs.
just wondering though. maybe just my perception, but how come not more of you college kids are going into transportation and urban planning? perhaps this horrendous traffic problems might be alleviated?
Why don’t you just do yourself a favor and bring your car to work? Para hindi haggard ang daily commute.
to Pinoy Stupid
SOBRANG mas haggard magdrive ng traffic kaya.
Arbet, are you referring to the CHER TRANSPORT, na favorite mong green bus… hehehe…
actually, yun din favorite kong bus at talagang inaantay ko siyang dumaan dahil kahit crowded, at least malamig pa rin, hahaha…
Daily bus rides are still one of the best things one should experience, enjoy your internship Bikoy!
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Hi! I was looking for a site that will help me get to #107 C.Palanca Street, Legazpi Village in Makati and I came across your site. Paano ba pumunta doon? I’ll be coming from the Ayala Station. Pagbaba ko ba, andun na yung Ayala Loop na jeeps? Dadaan ba yun sa Palanca Street mismo? Thanks!