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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Discover Manila: Unlocking some of the Capital’s Best Kept Secret Chill Spots

“On the streets, hanging out with the fellows, there are things you learn that no book can teach you.”-Ramon Rodriguez 

There has never been any doubt that if you wanted to do something, Metro Manila would be the place to do just about anything that comes to your mind.

After all, being the capital city of a country would certainly afford you some perks—and having a multitude of things to do is one of them. Without a doubt, Metro Manila has been considered the mecca of all things entertainment-wise. So much so, that it would be quite hard to imagine if an individual has visited all the chic and cool hangout spots—even if they had lived there all their lives. After all, with so many things to do in Manila, you would expect individuals to be a bit more meticulous and discriminating when it comes to picking out their watering holes and hangout spots.

In this regard, prospective restaurateurs and business owners have directed their efforts in catering to the public’s demand for a more diverse gastronomic and nightlife scene.
As a result, there has been a steady rise of local and themed food and drink establishments—a true testament to the Filipino’s ever-evolving and refined preference and taste. Today, the average Filipino wishes to indulge his or her yearning for a culinary adventure and Metro Manila’s diverse new bars, pubs, restaurants, and even food parks are only happy to cater to them. Gone are the days wherein Filipinos would rely on tried and tested places, as of late the crowd has become more exploratory, and with so many options, one can easily come up with a list of favorites.

The eclectic drinking scene and culture

Regardless of how much a cultured drinker a Filipino might claim to be, they would always have a special taste for an ice cold alcoholic brew. And in most cases, this would be a bottle of beer. Metro Manila’s nightlife scene is a perfect amalgam of sophisticated chic clubs, as well as laidback bars and pubs that allow one to simply relax without feeling the need and pressure to dress up. The party scene is ideal for any sort of drinking occasion one might attend and might arguably be on par with some other cities of the world.

Hidden gems 

Today, Manila’s current landscape has grown and transformed. Resultingly, it has become so incredibly diverse over the past few years that there would virtually be a limitless array of hidden gems peppered all over the metropolis—each offering its own distinct food and brews to consumers. With the rise of the hipster culture that millennials tend to find themselves gravitating to, food would not simply just be a gustatory delight but a visual feast as well. After all, with the rise of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, people would be snapping photos of their food and uploading them to their feed. This is an activity highly encouraged by restaurant managers and pub owners as this is an avenue for free online advertising.

Art and culture appreciation

Of course, while the party and food scene would seem like the focus of Metro Manila’s progressive entertainment scene, the art and culture scene are not left far too behind. Today, it is rather easy to find galleries as well as museums in the city where they were scarce before. Much like how the food and nightlife scene is themed, so are these galleries. Moreover, some of them have cleverly integrated cafés and restaurants into their establishments to entice even more customers to visit. In this regard, some art gallery owners wish to instill a bit of culture into a Filipino’s downtime, revive the art scene and hopefully increase an individual’s appreciation for the local culture and art scene.

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Careers for Hotel and Restaurant Management Graduates

Among the popular college courses in many universities in the Philippines is Hotel and Restaurant Management, also more commonly referred to as HRM. Unfortunately because of its popularity, this course is taken by some college students even if they are not really sure whether a career in hospitality and food industry is what they want. If you are thinking of taking up this course for college, below are some of your top career choices after you graduate.

• Restaurant manager. This is one of the careers that you will be specifically trained for. Of course, you do not start immediately as a manager of a restaurant unless maybe if you chose to open your own restaurant. Most of the time, you will be hired as a supervisor, an assistant, or some other position that has potential for promotion up to a managerial position. With the numerous restaurants you can apply to, the question you should ask yourself is the type of restaurant that you prefer to work in. Do you see yourself in the fast food restaurant arena or fancy fine dining sector? Is there any specific cuisine that you would like to be working in such as Japanese, Italian, American, and Filipino, among others?

•   Hotel manager. Hotels are more complex than restaurants and they actually offer more career options aside from a managerial position. You may want to try front office or reception work. If you are good at sales, the sales department is also a good place to try. No matter what specific aspect of work you may aspire for, there is an endless number of hotels you can apply for. Whether you prefer a busy Makati hotel or a more quiet resort hotel, the work opportunities available to you is endless.

No matter which field you choose to pursue, there are numerous career opportunities for HRM graduates. Do not limit yourself to working in the Philippines because Filipinos are known in the hospitality and food industry all over the world. If there are many hotels and restaurants you can apply to in the Philippines, there are so much more in other countries. Build your network while in college where you will meet a lot of people in the same industry. Getting to the top managerial positions may not be quick and easy but with hard work, diligence, and time, you can definitely have a very successful career.

Job Hunting Tips To Help You Find Your Dream Job

Looking for a job and landing one does not come easy for everyone. Some people go through numerous job applications and interviews before being accepted into a job that they want. Even if you have landed a job, it does not mean that you will stay in that job for many years to come. Many of those who are working in the Philippines have had several jobs before their current one and some of them will continue to have a few more jobs in the future.

Whether you would like to get a job in Makati City or Manila, there are some things that can help increase your chance of getting the next job you apply to. Below are some of these tips.

·         Polish your cover letter and resume. The very first impression you can make on your potential employer lies on your cover letter and resume so you have to make it outstanding if you want to be remembered in a good way. Make sure there are no grammatical, typographical, and spelling errors. You might be handing out your cover letter and resume to more than a few companies so it has to be impeccable.

·         Network. Although a lot of people find jobs by looking through job advertisements, you might have a better chance by using your networks of friends, families, and colleagues. Try to build your network specifically in the field that you are aiming to work in.

·         Do not ‘bulk’ apply. Although finding a job is more probable if you apply to more companies, it does not mean that you should apply to all the companies you come across with. Do some filtering on your own based on some of your own preferences such as the position, the reputation of the company, the location, and many more. Limit your applications to around three to five at a time. Focusing on specific jobs that interest you will ensure that when you do get a job offer, it is something that you wanted from the start.

 

·       Go online. There are now numerous job websites where you can look for jobs and apply. Feel free to email your resume and cover letter, as well as sign up for sites such as LinkedIn. Remember that nowadays, networking extends to online social networks as well but make sure that your online profiles are clean and provide enough information about you.