Entry Essay

Philippine Traffic

 

Have you ever been late or perhaps missed an appointment due to heavy traffic? This is not uncommon in the Philippines. Traffic in the Philippines has been the source of problem to many Filipinos, rich and poor alike. This has been one of the many jokes of the country, and it is something the Philippine government must pay attention to.

As of 2015, traffic in the Philippines has hit records. According to statistics (Numbeo), the Philippines was ranked 5^th worst traffic in the world. At one point, we were even worse than Egypt who was having a civil war. Everyday we lose 5.7 Billion php due to traffic. If we do not find a solution to our traffic problem soon, by 2030 we will lose 20 Billion php everyday. Traffic has paid a great contribution to pollution thanks to all the car exhausts and the burned fuels. Our health will be affected not only from pollution, but also from the stress we experience because of traffic. According to statistics, a big percentage of Filipinos wrote down traffic as the source of their stress, and “traffic” was ranked 2^nd to “work”. This has become a huge problem that even our daily lives are affected.

There are many factors of as to why the traffic situation in the Philippines is so dire. One of the biggest factors is the migration of people to the Metro Manila area. People from the rural areas of the Philippines have come to Metro Manila to seek more opportunities, and to plan to stay for good. Another factor is that there are just too many cars. In my opinion, I believe that this is because of our Filipino trait of extravagance. One family could have a car for each day of the week! Thanks to this, pollution is very rampant in Metro Manila. The biggest factor, for me, for the terrible traffic situation is the lack of discipline of most Filipinos. Many vehicular drivers do not follow the traffic rules and regulations, which will sometimes result in a traffic accident.

Traffic is one of the worst problems that the Philippines has today, and it may seem hopeless for us Filipinos. However, it is not too late. We as citizens of this country, can help even in the tiniest things like simply following the traffic rules properly. It is not only the government that should take action; it is also our job to help them make our country a better place.