Carlos' Blag

(This image was taken here: http://www.yellowcabofsavannah.com/images/img_taxi.jpg)

With all the hype and shit that the government is currently getting for dining at extravagant places and spending a shit load of money one taxi cab driver proves that there is hope for the Philippines yet.

Nakakatawa isipin na minsan ang solution ay nanggagaling sa oddest places.
Let me explain.

During a cab ride the other to a meeting, my colleague and I were discussing the finer merits of spending $20,000 on a dinner at Le Cirque as well as the $18,000 steak lunch at a well known steak resto in New York, when suddenly the taxi driver burst out in a short monologue.

If only politicians could present concrete platforms like this guy then I promise you the Philippines will be in a far better shape than it is today.

TC = Taxi Cab Driver

TC: Alam niyo ser, ano ang problema talaga ng pilipinas? Yung baha eh. Alam niyo bakit baha? Dahil yung mga ‘skwater tumitira sa malalapit sa estero at nagtatapon ng basura. Mali yung ginagawa ni Noli eh.

Me: Ganun ba?

TC: Oo ser. Yung mga ‘skwater na yun, sila ang nagtatapon ng basura kaya di makadaloy ang tubig ng maayos. Meron akong solusyon ser eh. Alam niyo yun? Maganda ang solusyon ko.

Me: Ano ba solution?

TC: Dapat kasi magpatayo ng mga building. Yung tipong condo na pang maramihan. Tapos i-servey yung mga nakatira sa estero. Para yun lang ang ililipat. Yung mga walang trabaho, sila ang mag maintenance sa building at maglilinis sa dating estero na dinumihan nila. Para may pambayad na sila sa renta dun sa building. Magkano lang naman yun? Tapos para may peace and order sa lugar na yun, maglalagay ng presinto sa baba. Katabi ng grocery at palenke. Para di na lalayo ang mga tao.

Me: …..

TC: Ganun yun ser. Ang ganda ng ideya ko. Ang problema kasi, binibigyan nga ng pabahay wala naman trabaho ang mga tao o napakalayo naman, ganun din. Babalik din sila sa dating ‘skwater na buhay. At yung mga luluwag na lupain ng gobyerno matapos ilipat ang mga tao, taniman ng gulay para sa grocery at palenke ng mga building. Lahat damay. Lahat may trabaho. Magkano lang naman ang building.

… and then he goes on about the statistics of the government which I myself couldn’t already grasp.

He mentioned about the pork-barrel and how much the government is spending. Napupunta lang daw sa bulsa ng mga opisyal.

At this point, we had arrived at my meeting.

I left the cab thinking, this guy has an actual plan. Maybe lacking a bit of feasibility but still a plan. He was actually trying to solve something. Anyway, I left the listening to my officemate who was also on her way to a meeting albeit in a different place.

I lol’d at the thought of a condo with all the stuff he mentioned. If only it were that simple.