Flopie133
12/23/2015 19:23 EST
For the past week, We, in our corner of the world, have had a major problem with transportation. A little portion of a landbridge, approx 50 meters, was being shored up on the major road we take to Tagaytay. The construction had been going on for about 5 months that had us taking turns on one lane of traffic. There had been signs up everywhere to ban truck traffic through that road from the beginning but we would see, and hear the traffic go through from banned trucks at night. Complaints to enforce the ban made by multiple people went nowhere to Barangay officials, PNPA, the Mayors office--"it is not my job" was the usual reply. Well, the last typhoon washed away the construction and the road overnight. So, now, the usual 20 minute trek to the grocery store is taking us 1.5 hours as we have to detour through small country roads,and climb up the Tagaytay mountain ridge. And they say it may take a year to repair the road!!!! Uuuughhh!!!!
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LarryKar
12/23/2015 20:09 EST
Share your pain with how things go here and how the people just "take it" but be grateful you don't live in North Samar. After the last typhoon I heard some places won't have electricity for three months. Can you just imagine?
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gypsyquokka
12/23/2015 23:19 EST
Have to wait 3 months. Can you imagine? I guess you were not living in Tacloban area after Yolanda. Smile
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BOBV
12/24/2015 00:00 EST
I'm sounding negative again.. We have international highway broken for almost 3 years with earthquake and landslides in more then 10 spots one in particular has a 85 degree drop over 2000 ft with a one inch yellow ribbon as a guide rail of course they have a sign in place "safety first" in front of this area but of course the back of the sign is a Tanduay advertisement which I think they follow to the last drop..
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Flopie133
12/24/2015 00:15 EST
I guess everything is relative and there are things to be thankful for. Having no electricity or water would be much much much worse.
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Nephi
12/24/2015 01:01 EST
Hi Flopie133,
You are absolutely right about being thankful for water and electric service. As foreign expats here these are things we take for granted in our home countries.
Even after living here for many years now it still drives be nuts when they have an all day (12 hour) power outage for some kind of repairs. I/we end up having to use one of those hourly motels that is made for cheating husbands so that we have power and aircon. Even then, it's not too bad cause the kids have fun making it an outing and eat meals at Jollibee etc all day long.
We have a bridge at the edge of our town that just about washed out 14 months ago. They won't spend the money to fix the thing and just fill in the missing part with dirt. Yet, less than 500 feet from there they spend a fortune to build a brand new, two story Barangay Hall complete with aircon and porcelain tiles on the floors and not even one jail cell in the building. Go figure!?!?!!
Living here you really need to have AND KEEP a sense of humor or the decision making or judgment--or lack of it would drive you into the funny farm...
Merry Christmas everyone. Stay safe and enjoy the holidays.
Best Regards,
Nephi
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catabisis
12/24/2015 01:07 EST
Merry Christmas, Nephi. I don't know how true it is. This came from a foreigner friend with a wife in government. He said the reason roads are fixed the year of election is not only so the incumbents can remind the people that they care. It is also to skim money from the project to use in their campaign.
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Nephi
12/24/2015 01:16 EST
Hi Catabisis And Merry Christmas also.
Your friend is absolutely correct on the timing of road repairs. Although illegal, you will often see signs at the site when construction is ongoing with the name and large photos of some politician that is supposedly doing or making sure the works is done. And this is always 8 to 10 months before elections. The rest of the time the roads continue to deteriorate with pot holes that look like craters on the moon.
Frustrating to the max but does no good to get mad as it will never change. Just part of living here in *paradise.*
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Flopie133
12/24/2015 01:23 EST
What makes it frustrating is that it was not really an act of God catastrophe--the work done apparently had no timber or cement or metal for support--just rocks and dirt piled up!!! It is a National project so our little poor Laurel, Batangas town would not bear the burden of repair, but somewhere is the a Engineer who approved the project and the Contractor who probably pocketed the money for the short changed job. Off with their heads!!!
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LarryKar
12/24/2015 01:50 EST
ANC news at noon said P-noy has toured the area and ordered that power be restored "at once." Bet there is dancing in the streets now. Smiling as I type.
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LarryKar
12/24/2015 02:01 EST
Before retirement I did sub contractor work for Midamerican Energy. My work was not technical but I did have a Security Badge to enter the War Room where the grid was controlled. From one of the consoles they could take one pole in one block off line for repairs. First time I saw a notice that power would be off all day in all of our service area I almost lost it. Plus paying twice the rate per kw in Phil compared to back home. Geeeesh
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TitoMike
12/25/2015 04:45 EST
@Flopie133
I don't know why you live in the Philippines, but I hang around because it's cheap, mostly fun and generally pleasant. And because my wife (a U.S. citizen) has Philippine commitments I've chosen to honor.
Two or three times and year, when cheap fails to overwhelm nonsense we take the money we save by living in the Philippines, pack-up and spend time in the U.S. and/or elsewhere. We find that mostly fun and generally pleasant.
When nonsense fails to overwhelm cheap, or commitments call, we pack-up and and reverse direction.
For us, circumstances, preferences and responsibilities keep us on the move.
Food for thought. Describing your stress is stressful. I'll bet you can think of 5 ways to count your road-blocked blessings.
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Flopie133
12/25/2015 05:50 EST
Yes TitoMike, there are things we should be grateful for. It is just the mundane little things that drive us crazy such as the Petron gas station was only a 7 minute drive from the driveway before--now, it is 35 minutes to the nearest station that is also averaging P7 more per gallon, 1hour to the nearest H2O refill store, BDO, and palengke. 1hr+ to the nearest hospital, 50min to the nearest Robinson ... But things could be worse,..things could be worse...things could be worse...
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