4th blog post

TRAFFIC PROBLEM

    What is the word “traffic” means? According to the World Book Dictionary, “traffic refers to the people, automobiles, wagons, ships, or the like, coming and going along a way of travel”. Traffic problem is one of the social problems that our community is facing today. During the 90’s, it is just a minor problem that doesn’t affect the society and the environment. But now, roads are congested with so many vehicles especially during rush hours. 

      Traffic problems in Biñan are mainly caused by the overpopulation of vehicles which tend to occupy the road. Some motorists/motor vehicles slip in between cars that cause a traffic snarl-up. In poor urban planning, roads that are highly used by cars are not organized. Roads are not widened. Some citizens whose houses are beside the narrow road, do not park their car properly. There is no appropriate drop-off and pick-up system. When a jeepney  will drop-off or pick-up a passenger, it stops at the middle of the road. The other cars next after the jeepney  stop too. Most drivers who lack of discipline causes an accident that slows down the smooth flow of traffic. One example of this is what I’ve stated earlier: “the motor vehicles that slip in between cars”. These factors defeat the desired movement of traffic. Based on my observation, buses also contribute to the heavy traffic. Buses travel on the road that is suitable for small type of automobiles only.

     If there are causes, what could be its effects? The possible effects are pollution and slow progress in the economy. Vehicles create air pollution because the longer hours they are congested in an area, the more carbon dioxide they release into the air. Delays in businesses also occur because of the time spent by trucks and cars waiting on the road. They don’t meet the time required for a certain product/activity. Meetings are postponed, being late in going to work or school and failing to do the assigned task at a given time. The overall results are low productivity and slow progress in the economy.

3rd blog post- Biñan City, Laguna

     My immediate community is in Biñan, Laguna. But before, we live in Makati where I spent most of my childhood years. My parents have decided to migrate here in Biñan last 2001 because they want us to live in a green environment and breathe some fresh air. In the past few years, I used to see a lot of birds, dragonflies, bees and grasshoppers which I rarely see in the urbanized place where I came from. For me, it seems like a big garden and a paradise filled with different kinds of flowers.

 

     Now, everything was changed. The flowers, trees, animals and insects I’ve seen before is now decreasing but one of the most common problems I have encountered in Biñan was the heavy traffic. Every time we go places even if it is near, it takes half an hour before we could get to our destination. Maybe one of the reasons is the lack of regulation in the number of vehicles and poor urban planning. This problem slows down the progress of our community because it consumes a lot of time. It causes delays, too much pollution and being rush in waking up early in the morning. The precious time that should be used in more important things are wasted. Business transactions are delayed causing the production to decrease. The stranded cars create air pollution. People need to wake up early in the morning just to avoid what they call the “rush hour”, the time when traffic congestion occurs.

 

     Based on the tv show that I watch every Saturday afternoon, the cause of heavy traffic are the improper regulation in number of vehicles that are passing on the national roads especially the motor vehicles. First, everyone can easily buy a motorcycle that increases the population of vehicles. Motorcycles are now affordable, even the family in the low class can have this. Second, most vehicular accidents happen to motorists. Some motorists always try to slip between cars that cause unwanted accidents.

 

     Another cause that contributes to heavy traffic is the poor urban planning. Most roads in Biñan are wavy roads and there is no proper drop off and pick-up system. For example, a jeep stops in the middle of the road to pick-up and drop off passengers and the vehicles that follows the jeepney also stops that creates traffic and straight roads is more convenient to pass by than those wavy roads. Traffic problems must be solved in order to sustain progress not only in Biñan but also in our country.

2nd blog post-Sustainability

     Are we on a sustainable path?  Does the community helps or just derail sustainability?  In some ways, there are practices and human activities that really help while some are not. Sustainability starts at home of every family living in a community.

     The first thing I see in every household is the recycling of water. They use the grey water to flush the toilet, to water the plants and to clean their surroundings.  Second, the schools implement the segregation of waste such as the biodegradable and non-biodegradable.  In houses, they collect plastic bottles and used papers then they sell it to the junk shops. It is a way of helping the environment to be clean and also earning money from it. Third, when preheating a food, they just put it over the cooked rice for them to conserve gas consumption. Fourth, some citizens plant vegetable or fruit at their backyard so they can harvest it for their foods and save money.  These things are very simple to do and it may lead us to productivity because we make things more efficient and effective.

      There are also activities that derail sustainability. First, the conversion of rice fields into subdivisions. Our community is starting to be urbanized but the effects are losing the rice fields which are the main source of our rice and a livelihood for the farmers. In the past years, our country is the one who exports rice to other countries but now we are experiencing the rice shortage. Second is being irresponsible of some people in throwing garbage. They just throw their waste anywhere they want without thinking what will be its effect to the environment. These garbage causes too much flooding that destroy properties. Third is the lack of police visibility in some places especially in the late evening. Murderers have the guts to do crime and to throw dead bodies of people along rivers and grassy places. It affects the economy of the country because as the rate of crime rises, only few investors are willing to invest. Investors might think that our place is unsafe for their investments.                                                                                                                                                                                                

       Even though there are so many hindrances in achieving sustainability, there are still ways on how we can make things sustainable. We need effort, cooperation and being aware of what is happening in the environment.