Ironic

Swatch installed a gigantic watch in Rizal Park commemorating the accession of Benigno Aquino III to the presidency of the Philippines in June of this year. Since his nickname is Noynoy, his presidential nickname has become P-Noy, which is a play on Pinoy, the colloquial term which we use for ourselves as Filipinos. The text written on top of the watch is "Oras P-Noy, Oras ng Pagbabago"—Time for P-Noy, Time for Change.

Pinkwashing

When Bayani Fernando was the chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), he had the facades of the squatter areas fronting major highways painted these hideous shades of pink and blue, a color combination which he also used for many of the metro's footbridges. Pink happens to be the favorite color of his wife, former Marikina City Mayor Marides Fernando. Bayani himself used to be the mayor of Marikina too, and the color was first used extensively in that city. I wonder if the new MMDA chairman, Francis Tolentino, will bother repainting the shanties and footbridges, and what color he'll choose. And in case you're wondering what the wire fence is, they're used to block pedestrians from crossing highways.

Poverty gap

A cousin who has lived in Chicago since he was four years old recently came to the Philippines to visit and he told me that one of the things he noticed about Metro Manila was the great disparity between the rich and the poor here. Which reminded me of this photo I took last year and meant to use for the October 2009 CDP theme day, Contrast. I ended up not using it because I thought it was too depressing to use for theme day and also because we had just been devastated by typhoon Ketsana, known locally as Ondoy, and I wanted to post something about it. But my cousin is right. All big cities everywhere have to struggle with the problems of homelessness, but nowhere is the poverty gap more evident than in the megalopolises of third world countries, where luxurious modern skyscrapers stand side by side with sprawling slums and shanty towns. I did not see which Filipino fashion designer owns this atelier, but it is in front of Penguin Café Gallery in the City of Manila.

What would you have done?

Aside from the motorized tricycle, another way of going short distances in Metro Manila is the pedicab, a bicycle with a customized side car for passengers. I was going to a place where I've never been to before and the barangay tanod (village law enforcer) I asked directions from told me that it was quite far and suggested that I take a pedicab. Aside from the fact that the place turned out to be only about 300 meters away, I felt sorry for the poor man who was huffing and puffing by the time we got there (the road was on an incline and I am heavier than a sack of rice). Needless to say, I walked on my way back, but the thought that I deprived someone of the fare I would have paid does not sit well with me either.