FIRST SAY:
“You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choice.” – Unknown.
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Hardly a day passes without a motorcycle accident in the Philippines, but mostly in urban centers like Metro Manila and Metro Cebu where most Filipinos live, work and play.
This traffic phenomenon started when motorcycles became numerous and unwieldy, engendered by the low interest and installment plans offered by dealers of these two-wheel mini monsters. Ordinary workers and students who are burdened by lack of public mass transportation are left with little choice but to buy.
Motorcycle riders who even have their own party-list organization easily believe that they own the road. That because they occupy a small space, they can weave in and out of traffic lanes, and move in-between regular cars. And since policemen are also motorcycle riders, and thus part of their gang, these motorists expect that they can ignore all moving-traffic rules on the road and get away with it.
Well, actually they really can get away with it. Until tragedy strikes them, sending them to heaven or to hell, and that’s when they become just a number in the statistics of motorcycle-related deaths. With the way riders are behaving, no amount of legislation or enforcement can change them.
Just last May 30, a motorcycle driver and his passenger were killed after their vehicle crashed into a roadside electric post in Pililla, Rizal province. Police said the crash happened at around 1 a.m., and it sent the two hurtled into the road, and they sustained critical injuries. Both victims, who forgot to wear their helmets, died while being transported to a local hospital.
Yesterday, Sunday, at 2 a.m., a Toyota Innova was moving along Rizal Ave., Sta. Cruz, Manila, and following a green traffic light. At the avenue’s corner with Fugoso St., a speeding motorcycle appeared intending to cross Fugoso St. while the traffic light was RED, surprising the Innova driver who failed to step on the brakes.
Residents of the place said the 43-year-old motorcycle driver was pinned between the Innova and the sidewalk. His 50-year-old passenger was thrown several meters away due to the impact.
Greeley Pador, barangay chairman ng Barangay 335 in Sta. Cruz, Manila where the accident happened, said that both vehicles were moving fast. The driver of the motorcycle was drunk, he added.
Many things are common in these two incidents. First, two people died in both incidents. Second, the motorcycle drivers were intoxicated. Third, it was a couple of hours after midnight, indicating that they came from a drinking spree. Fourth, they were speeding and disregarding basic traffic rules, thus the crashes. Fifth, they learned their lesson well, albeit too late on earth. And sixth, they might be registering now for a drag racing contest somewhere in hell.
It was reported that the driver of the Toyota Innova, who survived the crash, is now detained in the Manila Police District Traffic Sector. He will face two complaints of reckless imprudence resulting in two counts of homicide and damage to property.
I feel pity and empathy on this poor Innova driver for he had the right of way in this traffic mess. The traffic light in his lane is GREEN, which means GO. The motorcycle rider’s side is RED, which means STOP. But because the motorcycle rider is now dead, the Innova driver had to be the one to go to prison.
Kapag hinahabol ka nga naman ng malas!
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Entrepreneurship and economic activity are alive and kicking in Pampanga, in the heart of Central Luzon, with even senior high school students have shown their hunger for knowledge in the area of business.
Owners and stakeholders in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from Central Luzon gathered at The Event Center of SM City Pampanga in San Fernando on Saturday for the 3M on Wheels – the Go Negosyo free entrepreneurship mentoring roadshow.
Joey Concepcion, Go Negosyo founder, welcomed the attendees via video message, encouraging them to keep powering the engines of the Philippine economy.
Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab, executive assistant to the governor of Pampanga, delivered Governor Delta Pineda’s message of support for the 3M on Wheels. As usual, the governor supports any initiative that will redound to more business, trade and economic activities in Pampanga. Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Teresa David-Carlos thanked the organizers, especially Go Negosyo, on behalf of the businessmen of CL.
William Reyes, proprietor of Baked by Will, gave the attendees pointers on how to become their own brand influencers.
At the 3M on Wheels, business-minded people received one-on-one entrepreneurship mentoring by Go Negosyo volunteers comprising veteran entrepreneurs and executives. They were given free copies of Go Negosyo’s “Eight Success Tips for Small Businesses.”
Pampanga’s senior high school students belonging to Youthpreneur, a non-profit organization, were on hand to participate in Go Negosyo’s programs.
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