Beyond Brushstrokes
By Maria Victoria Rufino
A stroll on the street is a walk though the fumigation machine. One turns gray and inhales the dust and dirt in the atmosphere. No wonder we all suffer from chronic upper respiratory diseases. Children and the elderly people are more vulnerable to the toxins.
During the season of the “-ber” months, the early morning haze is a gray veil that resembles murky mist over the city. Haze deteriorates into dense smog of dark fumes. The smoke comes not only from random fires in densely populated areas but also from public vehicles and factories.
Thousands of trees in wide open spaces would help the city breathe. A strong breeze would diffuse the carbon particles that clog our nostrils and infect our throats and lungs.
Sadly, there are no more spacious parks with big trees to oxygenate the atmosphere.
Smudges of soot and grease stain buildings, windows, our clothes, and lungs.
Unless it rains heavily, the claustrophobic smog remains suspended in the sky. Then we get acid rain.
The struggling trees are blighted victims of benign neglect. The acacia trees along the grand avenues are slowly dying and being balled to make way for new roads.
Fortunately, some sturdy Flame trees still bloom during the summer.
Urban progress is seen the financial district. There are numerous shopping malls, buildings, skyscrapers, flyovers. There are expensive parking buildings and a few empty lots.
The vintage architectural landmarks in Manila are being torn down or left to decay. When will the developers acquire an affinity for nature and respect our heritage?
Meanwhile, the financial district and most areas are overflowing with so many vehicles and motorcycles.
Car companies sell too many cars and motorcycles — on easy installment plans. But there not enough roads. The government consider taxing the easy installment scheme for a period of time. It would slow down the sales while the experts solve the traffic snarls. There should be more efficient LRTs and MRTs for the public to take.
The point-to-point shuttles are so convenient for residents in the suburbs to BGC and Green Belt, Makati City. If only there were more new, efficient, and safe air-conditioned shuttle buses, the main avenues would be less congested.
It is a time-consuming hassle to register a car and pass the emission test. However, the streets are clogged with menacing rickety smoke-belching buses, jeepneys, and tricycles. Perhaps some LTO staff issue permits for a price. The colorum buses should be removed. The drivers of PUJs, buses, and taxis should know basic road rules and courtesy before they are issued licenses.
It is terrifying to ride taxis because the drivers are often rude, obnoxious, stoned, ignorant, and/or careless about safety. The cabs are ill-maintained and dirty. Jeepneys and buses bump private cars on purpose. The swarms of motorcyclists don’t follow rules. There are thieves on two-wheels who snatch valuables and cellphones from pedestrians and motorists.
The cops and traffic aides disappear when it rains. Or they act blind and look the other way.
The Pasig River stinks like a sewer that flow into Manila Bay. Ferries would be a good way to travel — if only the stagnant river could be cleaned up (like the revitalized Singapore River).
The scenic bay, despite its spectacular sunset, resembles a garbage dump with floating debris. The fishes and mottled mollusks are diseased with the dreadful red tide. After a storm, all the plastic and junk turn up by the slimy shore.
From a safe distance, when one riding a big boat, one can see clouds of tar-stained smoke over the metropolis. The skyline recedes slowly into an obscure background of nondescript gray.
The aerial view is disheartening, depressing. The city is completely blanketed in smog except for a few clear patches where one can glimpse the gleaming skyscrapers and the gigantic stretch of a parking lot — EDSA. One longs to escape the opaque cloying fumes of the metropolis. If only one can see a clear blue sky and breathe clean, fresh, crisp air. But that is wishful thinking.
Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.
