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3 Cost Effective Ways to Solve Metro Manila's Traffic Problem

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The Facebook page of ANC 24/7 is asking for its reader's suggestion on how to solve Metro Manila's traffic problem. This got me thinking, "what is the best way to solve Metro Manila's traffic problem?" It's easy to make suggestions, what's hard is the implementation and the cost of implementation. So what is the the best way to solve Metro Manila's traffic problem and the most cost effective solution? Punitive Fines Add caption First of all, any implementation will definitely cost money, a lot of money. The cause of the traffic mess is the people themselves so it's only right that those causing the traffic problem should be fined and the fine should hurt. That way, the fines will pay for the cost of enforcing the law. The fines should start at P500 and goes up every week if you don't pay it within 15 days. To enforce this and prevent people from ignoring the fine. It will be tied to their driver's license or car registr

More Photos of Manila - The most Beautiful City in Asia 1950's to the mid 1970's

I've gotten a lot of request to post more photos of Manila during the 1950's to the 1970's. I've done some search from the source of the photos I posted from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee archive.

It was a joy to search for these photos and it really shows how beautiful Manila was in the 1950s to the 1970s.

This is Manila Cathedral when the photo was taken in 1968. Here you can see the dome of the cathedral as the photo was taken from the back. The dome is now colored blue-green but it was black back then.

Manila Cathedral
Manila Cathedral

Aerial view of Manila - Port Area.

One thing you'll notice in these photos is the lack of garbage on the streets. Also, there's no road construction. Just look at the quality of the roads, it's all flat and concrete. Not even a crack or broken sidewalks.

What's interesting is that even though there's a lot of shanties in the photo, you can see that they still kept the are very clean.

Manila Port Area
Manila Port Area

Manila - Port area with view of the Pasig River. Can you believe how clean it looks?

Pasig River

Pasig river when it was the heart of the city for trade and transportation. Look, no trash!

You can also see the FGU Insurance Group building. FGU Insurance Group was one of the older insurance companies in the country. FGU was acquired by BPI in 1999 when the bank merged with Ayala Insurance Holdings.

It's also nice to see the billboard of that era. The signs weren't made with cloth so winds won't blow them away. It's also interesting to see what the old logos were of the companies and brands we know today like Shell and Royal Tru-Orange.

Pasig River
Pasig River

The Pasig River used to be a main thoroughfare for cargoes and people. It helps to decongest the city and should be used extensively again so we can avoid all the big trucks clogging the streets.


Pasig River
Pasig River

Echague in the 1930s. Notice the Balintawak Beer Brewery signage in the background, the one just to the right of the orange International sign and is facing backwards. This sign is facing Rizal Avenue. Echague has since been renamed Carlos Palanca Street.
P. Blanco Street does not exist in the current street maps although it was already P. Blanco since 1898. The current roadway has no name. Villalobos is the next street down and faces Quiapo Church. The yellow sign pointing to "Villalobos" was merely a traffic sign to guide motorist since Villalobos was likely a one way street as is P.Blanco. The photographer was standing next to Quinta Market just under the present Quezon Bridge.

Echague
Echague

Calesas before it was replaced by pedicabs. I'm not sure where this is but it looks like somewhere in Binondo.

Calesa
Calesa

Here are various photos of students in Manila during the 1960's.

This is St. Joseph's Academy in Las Piñas, Rizal.

St. Joseph's Academy, Las Piñas, Rizal
St. Joseph's Academy, Las Piñas, Rizal






High school students working on their science projects.





Student fashion of the time. Notice how all the hemline of the dresses fall below the knees.



University student making a transformer. Most likely an electrical engineering student.


Below you can see Mechanical Engineering students of FEATI University learning about engine the Roll-Royce V-1650-7 Aircraft Engine. Filipinos are considered one of the best trained

Mechanical Engineering Students at FEATI University
Mechanical Engineering Students at FEATI University

Below is a student and teacher at Don Bosco Technical Institute.

Student and Teacher at Don Bosco Technical Institute
Student and Teacher at Don Bosco Technical Institute

Here are several photos of Fort Santiago. Don't you just love how they are planted with beautiful flowers and grass? We hardly see that now in concrete Manila.

Fort Santiago
Fort Santiago


Guided tour of the the dungeons in Fort Santiago.

Fort Santiago Dungeons Tour
Fort Santiago Dungeons Tour

Fort Santiago entrance before restoration.

Fort Santiago Entrance
Fort Santiago Entrance

And finally, Rizal Memorial. People actually go out to enjoy the sun because the weather was cooler back then.

Also, notice how the monument looks majestic with the clear blue sky behind it especially if you're standing right below it.

Rizal Monument
Rizal Monument

This is the last time you'll see it in this glory as the background is now covered by a new building called "Torre de Manila" behind it. This is how it looks now. The new building basically permanently photobombed the Rizal Monument.

Torre de Manila, photo source: Businessworld Online

Will we ever see Manila as beautiful as this again?

You can find he link to the original photos from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libraries Digital Collections.



Comments

J said…
The Philippines was so awesome back then. Whatever happened to it now? :(
ALF said…
Post more pictures of Old Manila, please. This time, include more photos of the Luneta Park and old landmarks/buildings that are no longer there. The building of those electric railways marked the beginning of decay in Manila. :o(
Anonymous said…
Replace all traditional politicians. Get rid of Police that can be bought. Then change will happen.
Anonymous said…
I have been reading nostalgic comments about the good 'ol days of our country from I guess, the younger generation of the populace. Let's make a simple analogy or inference which can be answered by most everyone. Compare the population of the country 50 years ago, compare the politicians 50 years ago..then you get an answer.
Anonymous said…
Hmm. Interesting shots. We still have to consider other factors such as pollution, funding, and concentration of population.

If you would look at areas outside Manila around this time, the condition was relatively dire as now. Lack of health and sanitation facilities, and other infrastructure.

Still, it boils down to the fact that the Philippines is a fabricated state, and we're all just using pseudo nationalistic ideals to make everyone believe that we're fair enough to be one people.

We have to face the question of why are we aggregated as one legal territory in the first place? Because we were altogether colonized by Spain? I don't think so. That our collective colonial identity was established by America? Blame Aguinaldo for that.

My allegiance will always be afloat. I'd rather waste my efforts in helping my OWN PEOPLE. Those people whom I belong with etholinguistically.

The Filipino has long been dead.
eileen. said…
I wish I was alive back then. It was really pretty. And better. :(
Anonymous said…
wow so sad..can't believe the people killed the country...i felt bad for our forefathers because they made Philippines a great country now its all ruined. I think people should really change now but i don't think the Philippines gonna be able to bring everything back, I guess all we have to do is move on and do something for a change :) god bless Philippines!
Unknown said…
so nice :)
wonderfull...
Anonymous said…
I can't seem to load the photos. D: Am i the only one having trouble viewing? I see the first blog post's photos just fine though.
Clyde said…
you shouldn't have hotlinked the images from the archive. save it then upload it on your own.
maharlika said…
Great find. unfortunately can't see the second set of photos.. it doesn't seem to display properly.

To everyone else, I say we take our frustrations or sadness and channel them to constructive use. change after all, starts with us, too.
that was the time of Marcos :)
Anonymous said…
This is the manila my grandpa used to talk about. Clean,pasig river with children swimming,not stinking of waste and shit. Air was cool,not full of smoke. I will never say that Marcos was a perfect president,but he knew how to take control. He knew when to get lax and when to execute the iron fist. Because we filipinos of now as i observed,if given freedom we abuse,and when disciplined,we always complain first before even trying to follow simple rules. Simpleng bawal tumawid hindi masunod,yung iba pa kaya?

Change will occur if filipinos learn how to follow. From the politicians to the very workforce of this nation. Political dynasties should be purged,and be replaced with new fresh minds with the intent to help our country rise again,not some asshole who is someones disciple who will just continue his master's dirty work. Change will occur if the philippines will learn how to control its inflating population,our lands can only provide so much for us,but abuse it and it will never give enough. The gap of the rich to the middle classes are too far. One example is simple taxation. Imagine a practising doctor at a private hospital who earns millions a year and just pays 60k a year,while a teacher who earns just a meager 25k a year gets taxed more than that. The system is rotten,change is really needed or the same rotten cycle will just go on and on.

I still hope that there is still something good that will happen. I still believe there can be change. And i hope,even if i wont see this,i hope my children will be able to live in a prosperous new philippines.
Anonymous said…
In the second photo, may informal shanties na ng settlers.
Anonymous said…
ang Manila at Metro Manila ay sinira at binasura ng mga squatters. pinutakte nila ang lahat ng bakanteng lote.
ang mga Manileno ay naawa sa kanila at pinabayang dumami. ito ang resulta ngayon. nakawan, patayan,lahat lahat na kaya nawala ang the most beautiful city in asia. ang mga squatters ay naging proffessional squatters. binigyan sila ng bahay at lupa sa ibang lugar. pero balik pa rin sila. kaya iba sa kanila ay may 3 o 4 na bahay na sa mga relokasyong area.
Anonymous said…
Mga litrato ng lumang maynila na nanggaling sa ibang bansa. Wala ba tayong sariling kuha ng mga ito? Malungkot... Napaka lungkot.
Anonymous said…
This was Manila before Marcos.
Anonymous said…
No!this was Manila during Marcos regime.may father studied in FEU during the 70's and he still recalls these scenes when i showed them to him.
Unknown said…
Even in the 80's Manila was fairly clean. It started going downhill in the 90's when corruption started to trickle down to every facet of life. Hey, blame Tita Corey and People Power...

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