Category Archives: Travel

AFTER REJECTING THE ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE, AQUINO SNUBS THE MRT CHALLENGE

September 2, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Last week, The Adobo Chronicles reported that Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino rejected the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, claiming that he was “under the weather” with a cold.

Today, the Office of the President announced that Aquino has also refused to take the MRT Challenge.

MRT (Metro Manila Rail Transit System) is a rapid transit line in Metro Manila along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA). Envisioned in the 1970s as part of the Metropolitan Manila Strategic Mass Rail Transit Development Plan, the thirteen-station, 16.9-kilometer (10.5 miles) line was the second rapid transit line to be built in Metro Manila when it started operations in 1999. It is operated by a private company operating in partnership with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

Serving close to 600,000 passengers daily, MRT’s total ridership significantly exceeds the line’s built maximum capacity and experts have questioned the line’s structural integrity.

In recent days, public officials have been challenged to ride the MRT in order to experience first-hand the long queues, overcrowding, delays and technical problems that ordinary commuters face every single day.

Several public officials, including Senator Grace Poe and DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya , have taken up the challenge. Filipinos have been clamoring for Aquino to take the challenge.

In announcing that Aquino has refused to take the MRT Challenge, a presidential spokesperson said that the president is suffering from claustrophobia (fear of being in an enclosed environment) and agoraphobia (fear of being in crowded places). “It is not in his best interest nor the best interest of the country for him to take up the challenge.” the spokesperson said.

“It will also be very difficult for the president, a known chain-smoker, to ride the MRT trains where smoking is prohibited,” he added.

Business, Travel

GENEROUS PENSION BENEFITS AWAIT RETIRED PHILIPPINE AIRLINES BOEING 747-400 FLEET

September 1, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Philippine Airlines, the nation’s flag carrier, has completed the process of retiring its fleet of five Boeing 747-400 planes, after serving for nearly 21 years.

The fleet has been used primarily on long-haul services to the United States along with regional destinations like Hong Kong, Tokyo and Bangkok. It will be replaced by a modern fleet of 777-300 aircraft.

One of the retired aircraft recently made its way from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to Clark International Airport to join the airline’s retired Airbus A300 and A340 aircraft. A retirement ceremony was held at Villamor Airbase.

To mark this historic occasion, President NoyNoy Aquino signed an executive order granting the retired fleet a lifetime pension of 44,000 pesos (roughly $1,000) each a month, tax-free. A presidential spokesman told reporters that the pension funds will be drawn from the President’s Disbursement Acceleration Program or DAP, which was recently declared by the country’s Supreme Court as unconstitutional.

Who exactly will receive the pension funds is not clear, although The Adobo Chronicles learned from very reliable sources that a nongovernmental organization (NG0) has been set up to receive the retirement funds. Incorporation papers filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission show that the chair of the NGO’s Board of Directors is businesswomen Janet Lim-Napoles who is currently in jail for criminal charges relating to the pork barrel scam.

It may be the end of era for Philippine Airlines, but certainly not for Napoles.

Human Interest, Law Enforcement, LGBT, Local News, Travel

IN PHILIPPINE CITY, ORDINANCE PROMOTING SEXISM, AGEISM AND HOMOPHOBIA GOES INTO EFFECT

August 13, 2014 Pol Pinoy 2 Comments

A huge billboard shows who can ride in tandem on motorcycles in Mandaluyong City

Mandaluyong City, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – In this Philippine city just a stone’s throw away from the capital, Manila, smart politicians have succeeded in passing a new ordinance that promotes sexism, ageism and homophobia — under the guise of curbing criminal activity.

Beginning this month, only first-degree relatives of motorcycle drivers will be allowed to ride with them. According to Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Alabos, officials based the ordinance on a law in Colombia, a country that also had rampant crimes committed by criminals riding motorcycles in tandem.

Based on the ordinance, only spouses, parents and siblings will be allowed to be with motorcycle drivers. Riders must bring their proof of relationship such as marriage certificates and identification cards. Violators who are caught during the six-month trial period will be apprehended.

Specifically, as clearly demonstrated in giant billboards (see photo) announcing the new ordinance:

– a man and a child (between 7 to 10 years old) as backrider CAN ride in tandem

– a man and a woman as backrider CAN ride in tandem

– a man and another man older than the specified age as backrider CANNOT ride in tandem, except if they are father-son

But ordinary Filipinos are smarter than the politicians. Many have eluded law enforcers by dressing up as women so that an adult man can ride in tandem with another man who is not his relative. Others have put on mickey mouse and other children’s costumes to look like 10 year-old backriders.

Last week, The Adobo Chronicles reported that Philippine Senator Tito Sotto III has proposed a similar law that would apply to the entire country.