MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – A better Metro Rail Transit (MRT) system in the coming months is guaranteed by the Philippines’ Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to commuters with the arrival of new coaches, CNN reports.
But if you ask the MRT Holdings, Inc. (MRTH), mother company of the MRT Corporation, private owner of the MRT, it wouldn’t recommend taking the new train for safety reasons.
“We feel this is a danger to the riding public. Not to mention a danger to the system itself. It might destroy the MRT system itself, that we own,” MRTH Chairman Robert Sobrepeña said.
Sobrepeña claims that Chinese firm Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co., Ltd., which is supplying the new coaches, has no track record of building a similar train type. “That means this is a guinea pig that we are testing. I wouldn’t ride it. I wouldn’t risk my life on an LRV (light rail vehicle) manufactured by a company that’s never made such an LRV.”
In 2013, President Noynoy Aquino said that if the problems that have consistently plagued the MRT were not solved by the end of 2015, he and Transportatiom Secretary Joseph Abaya will let themselves be run over by a train. The Filipinos are still waiting for that promise to be fulfilled.
In the meantime, Metro Manila’s mass transportation continues to be a mess.
MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – According to a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), about 61% of 1,200 respondents are satisfied with the overall performance of the Aquino administration.
This is its highest rating since June 2014. 23% of respondents said they were not satisfied, while the remaining 16% were undecided. Months away from the May elections, the figures reflected a +39 net satisfaction rating in the last quarter of 2015 from +37 in the 3rd quarter. The government got “good” net satisfaction ratings on 4 issues – helping the poor, foreign relations, promoting welfare of migrant workers, and defending territory.
The Adobo Chronicles analyzed the survey results to fact check against what the Philippines is actually experiencing.
The survey results don’t seem to match up with what’s happening in the country: the poor are getting poorer, foreign relations is dismal, the welfare of migrant workers is far from satisfactory and the Philippines’ defense of its territory (especially against China) is weak.
Perhaps the Commission on Audit should review, and issue an opinion on, the survey.
The Adobo Chronicles 
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