Is The Metro Manila Commute Still Worth It?

Source: Inquirer.net

Can anything good be said about commuting in Metro Manila? Top Gear Philippines recently published an article that says 30% of Pinoys identified commuting as the worst part of their day. If that's so, why bother commuting at all?

In reality, most people don't have a choice. Scooters and motorbikes would be a viable option if it weren't so unsafe in Metro Manila's roads.

But instead of focusing on the negative, let's focus on some aspects that can make you glad you're commuting:

No worries about parking. Sometimes you're late for an appointment not because of traffic but because you can't find parking. Commuting relieves you of that worry.

Nothing to get damaged or carnapped. If you're a vehicle owner, you can't help thinking at the back of your mind if you still have a car to come back to or if you'll discover new dents or scratches.

Nothing to leave behind during gridlocks or flood. As a commuter, you won't be constrained by traffic gridlocks or floods. You can just wait it out at the mall or take refuge at a higher elevation. A car owner has to think twice about leaving his/her car in the middle of the road.

Less maintenance expenses. No need to worry about parking fees, gas consumption or license renewals. And if they implement stricter vehicle owner restrictions such as higher taxes on cars or the "No Garage, No Car" policy, you'll be glad you don't own a car.

More exercise. Let's face it, a large part of commuting is walking and climbing up and down stairs. While all this physical exertion can make it daunting for most, we should actually look forward to this especially if we spend most of the day sitting in front of a desk.

While there are many things to be unhappy about when it comes to commuting in Metro Manila, hopefully the above points will help us recognize the little "wins" out there. After all, it may be what keeps us sane as we grind through our daily commute.