Living in the Philippines: The Worst Things about Commuting in the Philippines

“The daily activity that contributes most to happiness is having dinner with friends. The daily activity that detracts most from happiness is commuting. Eat more. Commute less” –David Brooks

If you have lived in the Philippines for a significant amount of time, you probably heard about the horror stories as regards the Manila traffic where commuting is said to be the worst.

Unfortunately, the traffic is something most locals need to content with every single day. Most employees would already be stressed out even before they make it to the office owing to the horrible commuting conditions. It does not matter where you work as there are various chokepoints all over Metro Manila that make it such a hassle for your average commuter to get through. It does not matter whether you are driving or taking a public utility vehicle either, the amount of stress will be just about the same and negotiating with traffic will always be a cumbersome aspect of every Manileño's life.

The stress of this everyday occurrence could have been mitigated had it been for better commuting conditions. Unfortunately, as every commuting passenger in the metropolis knows, the horrible commuting conditions are Metro Manila further aggravates that already terrible traffic gridlocks. Whether you are traveling from Makatito BGC or even just learning how to commute to BGC, you will quickly realize just how bad the commuting conditions are.

Given that one of the public transportation benefits is mitigating your local travel expenses, it seems like the conditions you will inevitably subject yourself under on your commute vastly outweighs the advantages. Sure, there might be things you can doto entertain yourself in traffic but that in no way alleviates the seemingly taxing routine we do daily to get to work. In any case, here are some of the things that make commuting in Metro Manila so terrible insomuch that at times it is better to stay at home than waste your time and energy in the process:

Bumper-to-bumper traffic

This scenario is already a given and a common occurrence in the Philippines' capital. At its very worse, it can take you anywhere between three to four hours to reach your destination. Just imagine what you can do with that time. Traffic has gotten so bad insomuch that even waking up early to make it to your work on time is no longer a feasible option for most. Instead, all you can do is hope that your client or your boss is stuck in traffic as well.

Long queues

Even if you are not the type to drive, you are still not excluded from the daily commute stress either. Sure, you might want to give your cars a rest today and board the local train. Unfortunately, you are not the only one with this idea. Do not be surprised to see a long queue when you reach the MRT or LRT station as there are a lot of motorists waiting their turn to board as well. On rush hours, you can expect queues to be even longer.

Lack of public restrooms

Apart from the shortage of functional public restrooms have, it seems like most public restrooms in commuting stations are under unsanitary conditions. It makes it even more difficult for the average commuter as they cannot be picky about where to go lest they want to delay relieving themselves for another couple of hours or so (which can seem impossible). 

Picky taxi drivers

Boarding taxis does not exempt you from Metro Manila's heavy traffic and dire commuting conditions especially since taxi drivers are so picky about their passengers nowadays. Despite having a direct competition with ride-hailing applications and services, some taxi drivers will still adamantly select only those passengers at their comfort and convenience. Even worse, they would ask you for an extra fee on top of what they are already charging you.

Pollution

A direct consequence of Metro Manila's perpetual Carmageddon is the worsening conditions of the city. Metro Manila's pollution has gotten progressively worse over the days that it's  highly recommended for commuters to wear masks as they make their way around the city. The pollution has gotten so bad that you would often feel the urge to take a bath every hour after leaving the house to go on your daily commute.

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Holiday Rush: Four Ways to Beat the Perpetual Manila Traffic this Holiday Season

“Adding lanes to solve traffic congestion is like loosening your belt to solve obesity.” –Glen Hemistra

“They say the universe is expanding. That should help with the traffic.”-Steven Wright

How often is it that we hear people gripe and moan about the traffic conditions in Metro Manila?

Well, if not every single day then quite possibly every moment of the day then. After all, if you have been living in the highly urbanized area of Manila, you would know just how bad the traffic onslaughts can be. In fact, it seems like the city is under a perpetual siege of hours which would take you anywhere between a couple of hours to more just to reach your destinations regardless of its proximity to you. However, while you think regular traffic is bad, it gets so much worse during the Christmas season when quite a lot of people would be out and about during the holiday rush. It gets particularly bad in areas like Makati CBD and other shopping districts where hundreds or even thousands upon thousands of people would converge to do their last-minute Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, for commuters, this can be really stressful as their normally long commute would be even longer leaving them to driving in traffic for hours. As this gives you quite a lot of time in your car to kill, here are some of the ways you can beat the Manila traffic which includes everything from parking solutions, route alternatives and entertainment:

Call a friend that you have not talked to recently

 While we do not advocate the usage of phones when making your way through the traffic and distracted driving, this is a good idea to do if you can use your phone hands free. If you happen to have a hands-free device, we suggest you call a friend who you have not talked to in a while (However, be careful not to ring up old flames and exes who might have moved on with their lives) during standstill traffic. If you are feeling extra mischievous, prank them. However, before you get carried away, let them know who you are and ask them what is going on with their lives. You can even arrange a meet up during one of the many holidays on December where you can bond over coffee or brunch. Turn it into a gabfest and you would be surprised how time can easily fly during this period. It might be that you have already arrived and the both of you are still talking.

Secure parking spaces conveniently

During the holiday rush, it can get incredibly difficult to secure a parking spot in commercial areas and shopping districts. In fact, the congestion of cars would spill over to the streets where you would even see some cars parked along the alley. Private car owners would find themselves circling for hours just trying to find a single spot available. Some people would opt to leave their cars at home and commute on their way to the area to address this dilemma. However, if you must bring your car with you, be sure to download the ParkEazy app which would help you solve this dilemma. All you would need to do after downloading the said app would be to pay online, scan the QR code and then park at your assigned slot.

Have a navigation app

Speaking of apps, anyone commuting through Metro Manila without the aid of a navigation application such as Waze is definitely behind the times and might end up being delayed in traffic for hours at a time because of this flub. Today, with overly congested streets and perpetual traffic gridlocks all over the metropolis, navigation apps such as Waze have become a necessity as it helps drivers take the fastest and shortest route to their destination—traffic considered of course. During the busiest season of the year, you really should not even consider driving around the city if you do not even have or use this app. You would likely end up getting frustrated because of the traffic delays and lock-ups.

Carpool

Do your part in easing traffic congestion in Metro Manila by opting to carpool in lieu of taking your own car. Carpooling is pretty much like the Tupperware counterpart in traffic where groups of people going to destination would all be in one car instead of driving separate ones. Gather around your friends during a night-out and instead of taking separate cars, opt to carpool and have a designated driver. Apart from doing your part in assuaging traffic congestion, carpooling with friends can be very helpful to your finances as your friends might pay you in kind in exchange for getting to ride with you. One of them might offer to pay for your gas while the other might even offer to buy you lunch. Not a bad deal, right?

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