The end of the year is fast approaching. Actually, only few days to go before the New Year’s Eve and we will then all bid our
goodbyes to 2014. We will finally leave all the sad memories, the heartaches
and other bad things that happened in this year and we will only need to take
happy memories with us in the next year. Though easier said than done, it is
still best if we give it a try, right?
Before we officially bid goodbye to 2014, it is common for
us, especially Filipinos, to welcome the New Year with a bang! And the best and
effective way to do this is to use firecrackers of various types to light up
hours before and during (and even after) the New Year’s Eve. We usually believe
that the louder the noise, the better; the louder the “bang” the more lucky we
will be the following year. This is because of an ancient belief that was
imparted to us by the Chinese which is, “to
let the bad spirits or the bad luck stay away from us, we must disturb them
with loud noises so that they will go away, thus luck will be on our side”.
Even though we do not have scientific basis or explanation for this belief, we
still observe this practice every year – regardless if this is true or not.
Due to the massive and effective campaign of the Department
of Health and other involved private agencies, together with the fast evolution
of technology, various ways have been implemented, especially by the
government, to encourage people to stop using these dangerous firecrackers
during New Year’s Eve to avoid untoward accidents. Parade of Lights, the use of
Sky Lanterns, remote-controlled lighted, flying objects, LASER and other Hi-Tech
innovations are displayed and done to entertain the people and celebrate the
Media Noche with the same enthusiasm and positivity. Locals have even been accustomed
to using kitchenware to make loud noises in lieu of pyrotechnics for their own
safety.
However we celebrate this worldwide event, we must always
keep in mind of the “Safety First” policy and that be responsible for whatever
actions we plan to take so that no one will get hurt in the process. After all,
we are all planning to welcome the New Year with a smile in our faces.
This press release made by the Government angered the Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares aiming to file a petition to stop the increase in ticket price. Two of the justifications he provided was the government did not follow any due process and there was no public hearing held for their own benefits.
Most of the commuters who daily take advantage of the said transportation were students and workers with a minimum salary wage. This will further increase the burden of those people who rely solely on riding the LRT and MRT lines.
Senator Alan Cayetano expressed his intention to cushion the impact of the fare hike by calling his allies inside the administration to create plans. He suggested that there will be a lot of ways to decrease the implemented fare matrices by lessening infomercials and ads instead of giving a full blow to its passengers. He disregarded the reason made by the DOTC to improve the train services for the Congress already issued a budget that was done early this year.
Under the proposed fare increase, the LRT 1 base will start at 12 pesos and will increase by a peso every station it will land. In an end to end point, you will spend 29 pesos to be able to reach the last station.
In Lrt 2, the ticket price will jumpstart at 15 pesos that marked an increase of 3 pesos from its previous price. From Santolan to Recto or the other way around, there will be an amount of P25 to spend to reach the last stations.
For Metro Rail Transit, a single to 4-station ride drop-off will cost P15 and will eventually increase to 25 pesos as the train reaches the end station.
As Bayan Muna party-list quoted, the Aquino Administration immediately proposed and insisted the fare hike for the privatization program attracting local and international investors through Public-Private-Projects Initiatives. This will enable both profits for the Government and to the investors who will be awarded with the rail transit transportation as the bid goes on.
Most patrons wanted to see the changes first before the government asked for any increase with the ticket's price. From there, they will rethink if riding a train will be worth of their hard-earned money or not.
Every person has his own priorities, his own wants and
needs. Some people may choose material things, while others may prefer tangible
ones such as love, peace, prosperity and good health among others. No matter
what these people wish for these holiday season, what matters most is that the
desires of their hearts are granted as long as nobody is hurt, right?
This Christmas season, it is important for us to bear in our
minds the reason why we are celebrating this yuletide season in the first
place. In this month of December, it is a must for us to remember that our Lord
came in this world in order to save us from our sins; He came to redeem us from
the wickedness of this world.
We also have to recollect the fact that our Lord God is
humble being born only in a manger. This is the message that is sent to us - we
must learn how to humble ourselves, no matter how rich or financially wealthy
we are because Christ himself symbolizes humility. Even though He is a son of
God, He did not demanded for a special “birthing place” or become “man” in a
wealthy family; instead, He was born in a poor family.
Anyway, the essence of celebrating Christmas season is not
to have a house full of Christmas lights, having a tall and beautiful Christmas
tree full of gifts underneath it and giving expensive gifts. Christmas
basically means sharing what you have, not just the material things but also
those that can only be felt like a warm, tight hug, a simple thank you, showing
our appreciation to our loved ones and forgiveness among others.
Whichever of these are important to you this holiday season,
just remember that it’s the thought that counts and that love is the most
important thing in the world. When love governs our hearts and minds, everything
will follow and we don’t need to wait for Christmas time to share our love to
other people.
