How Does It Feel Like Being a Caviteño Commuter?

Waiting Commuters at Talaba, Bacoor, Cavite -- ang tagal dyan kahit bukana na ng Maynila!

The first is, have you tried combat commuting? I think if you live in Manila, it is essential to know combat commuting. Its a war waged every single weekday in the Philippine capital. The climax of the war at Hell’s Gate? Rush hour madness. Everyday, people try to cram themselves in buses, jeepneys and metros. Well, asi es la vida en Manila! Can’t deal with it? Might as well leave for the provincias.

Now, for a Cavite resident like me, traveling from home to work is a fact of life. Manila has become crowded and the urban expansion reached the doorsteps of its neighboring provinces, one of which is Cavite. There may be 12 million residents in Metro Manila but including the Greater Manila Area (encompassing Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan), we may even be comparable with the population of that of Mexico City, Tokyo or Mumbai! Cavite has the largest share of GMA residents–3 million people, tw0-thirds of it lives in towns near Metro Manila and along Aguinaldo Highway–the sole main artery of the province. Three million, the most populous province in the country–and with real estate blooming like lumot in the pond, its like a heart chocked with cholesterol! After all, Cavite IS a bedroom of Metro Manila.

Counterflow or locally known as "Buhos" at Aguinaldo Hghway, Panapaan, Bacoor, Cavite

How does it feel to be a Caviteño commuter? Well, either your still in school or working, you SUFFER the same fate as the rest of Cavite’s commuters, most especially rush hour. How so? Try to imagine yourself, waking up while the sun isn’t yet shining. Took a bath, get dressed and rushed your way to Aguinaldo Highway. Reaching the bus stop, you’ll be with lots of people waiting for the bus to stop for them to ride. Yet, the buses by-pass the said loading and unloading area. You wait, the sun is up, the buses still pass by you, and more people are coming to wait for the bus to ride on. Lawton, Pasay, Buendia, Cubao, Baclaran, Ayala, Ortigas–San Agustin, Jasper Jean, Solid Star, Erjohn and Almark and a lot more bus companies, just–don’t mind you guys at the bus stop at all. Weird no? Why? Because these buses are already full to the brim! Malapit nang magsuka ang mga bus sa sobrang puno, di na nagpapasakay ang mga tsuper ng bus!

Traffic Congestion near SM Bacoor

Then luckily, you rode a bus…but damn! It’s butt-cramped! You can kiss the windshield or make manyak to the person beside you. The only thing that separates us from sardine cans would be the sauce! You have to be an expert in yoga to perform such positions far too uncomfortable for a morning ride! As we went by, we’ve passed by several bus stops along the way…pity, the commuters have been waiting and will be waiting for a bus to ride on. Punong-puno ang sidewalks ng mga mag-kokomyut.

Ooops…its not the end. Then, you came near Bacoor Rotonda–that’s in SM Bacoor, the traffic halted and you’ve waited…and waited…and waited…and waited…until the bus driver went down to puff some cigarettes while…waiting. 20 to 30 minutes later, you’re still waiting…until…swoosh!!! BUHOS TAYM!!! The Manila-bound cars and vehicles head for a mad dash towards Coastal Road…to escape the agony of waiting and the hell called Aguinaldo Highway! You’re lucky if you caught the first hour counter-flow…because it runs all the way to Coastal Road. By around 7AM, its good luck to you! Hephep! Kala ko bawal na ang counterflow sabi ni President Noy? Hehe!

As we reached Coastal Road, as if it was reaching nirvana! Usually, Coastal Road during early mornings is a paradise to motorists. Except for the toll plaza of course. If Aguinaldo Highway was hell, Coastal Road was salvation!

Caviteños have lived for this kind of life for more than a decade already. I can still clearly remember that rush hour traffic was only up to the Revilla residence in Bacoor. But now, it goes as far as Anabu in Imus! That’s umm, almost 10 kilometers of traffic congestion…of hell on earth! No traffic travel time from Anabu to Longos Junction in Coastal Road, less than 30 minutes. Travel time during rush hours, a lovely 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the “mood.”

Approaching Longos Junction in Bacoor Cavite, nearing Coastal Road -- the Gates of Heaven and Hell!

For now, we have to deal with it. Finding innovative ways so that we wouldn’t be scolded by our professors and bosses. But we pray for so long, sana naman may magawa naman para sa mga komyuter ng Cavite!

The morbid fact: CAVITE LACKS URBAN PLANNING OR IS THERE?! It’s a mess! And the residential areas are still growing while the infrastructure for roads and public transport is snail-paced! What the?! Haven’t they forgotten that eating too much pork is dangerous to Cavite’s health?! The incoming flux of migrants, residential and industrial developments of this province is clogging the arteries…and I have no idea if the body of the province, the local officials, are doing any drastic measure to change Cavite’s lifestyle…pero parang di masyadong maramdaman! Daang Hari and Molino Boulevard may be there but it’s not enough for the three million souls to move along! Regarding public transport, LRT South Extension project has been shelved–I heard about that crap since I was GRADE 5! For those who want the Coastal Road Extension to be stopped–kayo lang ba ang babara sa ugat namin dahil sa mga tahong at talaba? May mga ibang trabaho din naman po sa paligid, kumilos naman po tayo at huwag masyadong umasa palagi sa gobyerno! Pigilan nyo ang extension project at 2 milyong katao ang mas maapektuhan!

Coastal Road in Parañaque City -- Its mostly light to moderate traffic on early mornings except the toll plaza and Mia Road junction

It is something that the new leader, Jonvic Remulla, and the rest of the Cavite’s politicos should think and act about swiftly and wisely. There will come a time when the present “Buhos” system wouldn’t work anymore! What’s with being the most urbanized if we don’t have the proper infrastructure? As early as now, the province is already showing urban decay–this early! With the new president installed, I hope they should start acting up…before its too late. Cavite is already heading for a cardiac arrest!

Now, how does it feel being a commuter from Cavite? Ask me, that’s me on the photo.

I say, mabuhay ang mga bagong bayani ng Kabite! Mabuhay ang mga dakilang komyuter ng Kabite!