‘In the Philippines, the little man gives way, and that’s even more ingrained in our psyche than the catechisms of the Catholic Church!’
OUR road habits as pedestrians and motorists never fail to leave an impression on me on what they imply about our society. Whether it’s within Taguig’s Bonifacio Global City or BGC (where I reside and work) or outside the rest of Metro Manila or other metropolitan areas, the conclusions I derive from our habits are consistently the same.
And the most basic conclusion is also the most telling and explains a lot about Philippine society. It’s like the equivalent of the imagery of Jose Rizal’s boat “the Tabo” in his novels, that have upper cabins and lower cabins. And it is this: in our society, the little people always give way. Size is power and power is always wielded by the powerful against the powerless and none of society’s “restraints” matter.
Let me explain.
It never fails. Every time I as a pedestrian get to an intersection where there is no pedestrian traffic light but only a pedestrian lane painted on the street, pedestrians beware! Look left and right before crossing because a vehicle, even if it is still considerably a distance away, will not slow down. The pedestrian crossing doesn’t matter. The motorist is the more “powerful” as he is in a vehicle and you’re not, so prepare to step back and let him through.
That happened even within BGC where I have long been hoping against hope that a custom of practice could develop that puts
pedestrians first. Our bad habits are our bad habits whether we are in Gagalangin or a so-called “Global City.”
In a similar light, bigger vehicles push aside smaller vehicles. Unless the smaller one is considerably more expensive in which case the bigger one gives way. People “know their spot in the “hierarchy” of things. Police and traffic enforcers know this too, and turn a blind eye to a huge imposing SUV but may act quickly to apprehend or at least cite the driver of a small sedan. There’s a “pecking order” even if unspoken, and you better know it.
I’ve always wanted to experience here something that my father and I experienced in Kuala Lumpur in 1994 (!!!!). We had come to an intersection that had pedestrian white lines painted across the street and there was no traffic light. We had to cross to the other side where our destination was – a hotel where the late Alvin Toffler was going to deliver a lecture. I was about to step off the sidewalk when I looked right and noticed a car approaching.
With a lady at the wheel, I stepped back and stopped.
As she got to the pedestrian lane, she stopped too and motioned for us to cross. Being Filipino and unused to such custom we shook our heads and gestured that she could proceed. She refused. After looking at each other with surprise and satisfaction, we then crossed the street knowing that you could say “never in the Philippines.” That’s an experience from 30 years back.
Next time you are walking or driving around, try to pay attention to our habits as pedestrians and motorists and see if you can notice the same things I’ve noticed.
In the Philippines, the little man gives way, and that’s even more ingrained in our psyche than the catechisms of the Catholic Church!