General Info

[Red Kilt]

This is a really interesting interpretation of the "consenting and payment" transaction between guys and gals.

I am not a lawyer but if I was one of the guys who regularly tries to short-change a women (I'm not) or even "get it for free" it would worry me a bit, especially if there was an understanding that a payment was expected. In a society where the sex industry is legalised (like in Brisbane), then there is a legal pathway.
I guess it is much more murky for a filipina to pursue through any legal means a guy who short-changes her.

Of course, there is always the well-known ploy of calling in the reinforcements (like brothers, parents, boy friends, benefactors etc) and dealing with it extra-judicially.

https://www.theguardian.com/australi...2d43Tt4eTNz6jM

[Socker]

Time for this topic to be moved to the right Forum. Asians and tourist in general are more generous then say the local expats. I don't recall any of my BGs telling me they're more generous and I go for what the Asians go for. A small percentage do get the best but most Asians take the mid tier women like everybody else. Plenty of nice cute 6's to be enjoyed and Asians know this.

The Asians are generally less wild and easier in this regard for BGs to handle. Western males are more inclined to take them and party hard. So one night it's the wild westerner the next the more sedate Asian. Some BGs cannot take this roller coaster ride week after week so they stick w one type. We've all heard about the "3 3 3 which translates to 3 minutes, 3 inches, 3 K. That's what the sharp BGs are after, an easy night. One look at me and they know I'm going to pound them good so some very hot BGs say no, preferably from the stage.

Asians IMO had the inside tract (in AC) a few years ago and since then they've been less of a concern for me. I think the women just got tired of them and also if a BG wants to get fucked good they know where that action is. That's what a few BGs have told me about the difference between Asians and westerners, we fuck better. And in my experience (and that's a lot) pinays are the more hornier of their Asian cousins. They love western dick.

Anyhow, pretty good list Blanq. I just added to it. Only newbies do not know these basics.

[GoodEnough]

Not just flyoverland: anywhere in the states. Are the underlying dynamics in the Philippines really that different than in the states? I suppose we have a system of laws and enforcement that appear on the surface better than those in the Philippines, but the extent to which laws are unevenly enforced may be different between the states and the Philippines only as a matter of degree. Imagine for a minute that the accusations against Brett Kavanaugh had been lodged against a poor Black man. But, of course, we in the states have established a veneer of "respectability. ".

From time to time the Social Weather Stations research group presents data about the distribution of wealth among Filipinos. So pull together the same data for the states. While the amounts of money are massively greater in the states, the percentages of distribution of wealth are not substantially different. That was the case when I made the comparison a few years ago, although call center work may recently have comparatively bloated the Philippine middle class somewhat.

Not much argument from me. I looked up the Giri coefficient a few weeks ago, and as I remember that it was slightly higher in the Philippines, but not dramatically so. And we Americans all know what's happen to the condition of the country's infrastructure over the past decade or more. And, of course, we now boast likely the most corrupt excuse for a government in the developed world and among the most inept.

GE.

[Soapy Smith]

You mean like the effective, inter-linked, system of mass public transport you have implemented in your home town in america flyoverland?

Not just flyoverland: anywhere in the states. Are the underlying dynamics in the Philippines really that different than in the states? I suppose we have a system of laws and enforcement that appear on the surface better than those in the Philippines, but the extent to which laws are unevenly enforced may be different between the states and the Philippines only as a matter of degree. Imagine for a minute that the accusations against Brett Kavanaugh had been lodged against a poor Black man. But, of course, we in the states have established a veneer of "respectability. ".

From time to time the Social Weather Stations research group presents data about the distribution of wealth among Filipinos. So pull together the same data for the states. While the amounts of money are massively greater in the states, the percentages of distribution of wealth are not substantially different. That was the case when I made the comparison a few years ago, although call center work may recently have comparatively bloated the Philippine middle class somewhat.

[X Man]

Quonset hut? I went thru the Clark Int Airport before they had done any interior work, other than ac. So I get what you mean. I can still think of all kinds of reasons to fly there rather than Manila.

Have you had a look at the new terminal at Cebu-Mactan Int Airport? The rest of the city is starting to feel like Manila, but they certainly got the right idea with the airport.

All excellent points, none of which are likely to be implemented anytime soon. SNIP
GE.

[Kabul Guy]

All excellent points, none of which are likely to be implemented anytime soon. ......

I never thought any of these would be implemented. The Philippines is a plutocracy, that is a society ruled by a few powerful and wealthy families. Anything that threatens the wealth and power of these families will never happen.

The real irony is that if the Philippines was able to realize its potential, these families would become more wealthy but less powerful in ability to control the country by themselves. They could have a smaller piece of a much bigger pie, more pie overall but not the biggest piece.

[GoodEnough]

For airports I'd expand Clark and build a high speed link from there to a hub in Manila and on to the existing airport. Lots of cities have their international airport outside of the city. Edmonton Alberta Canada, Copenhagen Denmark and Reykjavik Iceland for three examples. Make the existing airport domestic flights only. (Perhaps private aviation and cargo flights to fill the capacity.).

In the short term start enforcing the traffic laws, have a public education campaign to make it the default behaviors to follow the traffic rules, put it in terms of national pride that Manila and the Philippines is a place of safe traffic. Use cameras with mailed out tickets and a punishment system that escalates quickly if fines not paid in the grace periods, up to and including confiscation of vehicle, loss of driving licenses and permits.

Have the Jeepney drivers re-pass their test on renewal. I read somewhere that about 90% of existing drivers failed the written test when retested.

All excellent points, none of which are likely to be implemented anytime soon. I've seen "studies" on subway feasibility going back at least 20 years with no action ever taken. The same with the light (surface) rail system, which Hong Kong engineers brought in to do a study about 5 years ago, identified as extremely dangerous given the antiquated equipment and the lack of effective maintenance.

I read somewhere that there are more than 100 private bus services (not counting jeepneys) operating in Manila. Buses are treated much as taxis in that bus drivers rent the vehicles from the bus companies and then compete with other drivers for fares. What not establish a municipal bus line, with drivers, mechanics, etc hired as employees of the bus line? I'm sure there are simply too many vested interests to allow this. Jeepneys should have been outlawed at least a decade ago, and so-called "trikes"—which are a real hazard in Davao—never should have been allowed on the road.

Enforcing traffic laws would be great, but the country lacks the personnel and equipment for meaningful enforcement, so the initial capital outlay would be substantial, though would more than pay for itself over time I'm sure from fines imposed. Anyone who drives here could point out at least 10-15 blatant violations per kilometer, all of which would provide potential revenues.

As to the airport, I understand nothing about why no progress has been made. I do know that during Aquino's time, San Mig provided preliminary plans for an airport that the company offered to finance in exchange for the right to run the non-aviation portions of the new airport. I think the company even built a scale model of its proposed airport for display in the lobby of its main building in Manila. Naturally, the proposal went nowhere. As to Clark, I don't believe that much work has been done on the place since the US Airforce built it. The terminal is little more than a Quonset hut, and I think there's only a single runway. I've no idea if the avionics equipment was ever upgraded, but I would not be surprised if it hasn't been. So I'm guessing that if Clark were to become the main hub, substantial modernization would be required. And those comments don't even touch on equally perplexing problems at other airports around the country.

GE.

[Kabul Guy]

...... So, in considering whether to visit or to live here, the status quo has to be acknowledged and accepted, because it's not going to change meaningfully.

GE.

The problem is also that the existing construction now restrains additional widening of roads. I really doubt of anyone would tear down a high rise just to widen the road. The only solutions are more public transit to reduce traffic or to build either up or down to allow more lanes.

I was never in Boston during the Big Dig but as a construction professional I was always interested in reading about it then I recently worked with some engineers from Boston area who were involved in the project. It is a great project to have completed, Boston is now a relatively easy city to get around now, but it was many years of disruption, significant cost overruns plus a lot of eternal costs,. (lost time in traffic, businesses that located elsewhere to avoid the mess etc.).

I really don't think we want to see that here.

I'd take a close look at mass transit. Why not take the existing light rail system and make it a long loop instead of 4 separate systems? Two tracks with one having trains running clockwise the other counter clockwise. Then you could branch out from that loop, perhaps a couple diagonal lines and spurs to the outlying areas. Force all bus lines to relocate to depots located at the ends of the rail lines.

Have dedicated bus lanes and enforce the laws on them. They already have the yellow lanes on EDSA for public transport but it is not enforced.

Open up the number of Grab and taxi drivers. Currently there is a limit of 65,000 and about 10,000 of these are inactive. Issue anyone who wants to pay a relatively small fee and is otherwise acceptable to be allowed to be a driver. I spent over an hour yesterday trying to get a Grab driver.

The use of restricted dates based on plate number is a joke. I have a Filipino friend had 3 vehicles, his, his wife's and one that his two kids shared. He simply bought another with a plate number that allowed them to have 3 vehicles on the road daily, what happened is that his two kids each have a vehicle on weekends and one day a week when they can all be on the road. It actually increased congestion and took up a parking space on the street in front of his house. Another friend changes the plate number with black tape on his restricted day.

For airports I'd expand Clark and build a high speed link from there to a hub in Manila and on to the existing airport. Lots of cities have their international airport outside of the city. Edmonton Alberta Canada, Copenhagen Denmark and Reykjavik Iceland for three examples. Make the existing airport domestic flights only. (Perhaps private aviation and cargo flights to fill the capacity.).

In the short term start enforcing the traffic laws, have a public education campaign to make it the default behaviors to follow the traffic rules, put it in terms of national pride that Manila and the Philippines is a place of safe traffic. Use cameras with mailed out tickets and a punishment system that escalates quickly if fines not paid in the grace periods, up to and including confiscation of vehicle, loss of driving licenses and permits.

Have the Jeepney drivers re-pass their test on renewal. I read somewhere that about 90% of existing drivers failed the written test when retested.

[GoodEnough]

Recently sitting at a Manila Starbucks I grabbed a newspaper off the shelf and turned to the op / ed pages in the back of the first section. A lady wrote a good piece about Manila roads. A blurb went similar to this: "A single high rise building of just 12 floors will create about 1000 new jobs. Does anyone consider this in regards to widening the roads to handle the new traffic? Shouldn't the President (or someone in charge) put an immediate halt to building anything that brings more people into the area?" She's right, and one could extend her claim to include condo's and hotels. Her assertion that high rise building should be halted for a period of time is probably logical, but money interests might not allow that.

She's doubtless correct, and the situation is the same throughout the major cities. In Davao, where I live, there were no condos when I first moved here. Now, it's tough to drive a kilometer without seeing a high rise condo building, and there are more being erected all over the city. Also, I think that zoning laws are more of a suggestion, as there doesn't appear to be any enforcement at all regarding set-backs from the roads, number of parking places per square meter of construction or construction standards.

I should have also indicated in a prior post that there's very little enforcement of existing driving laws, leaving drivers free to act on whatever impulses they choose. Thus, blocking two lanes of traffic while you executive a left-hand turn from the right-hand lane is considered no big deal, as is choosing whatever lane you like on which to drive. The lack of any real enforcement compounds the problem though it's not a prime cause. Traffic management is another issue that doesn't seem to resonate much here.

There are long-term solutions to these problems, but I doubt they'll ever be enacted, just as there's been no action on the construction of a new airport and improvement of the air travel system though the need has been evident for a couple of decades. So, in considering whether to visit or to live here, the status quo has to be acknowledged and accepted, because it's not going to change meaningfully.

GE.

[Golfinho]

The only solution, and one that will never be implemented in my view, is an effective, inter-linked, system of mass public transport.

You mean like the effective, inter-linked, system of mass public transport you have implemented in your home town in america flyoverland?

[WestCoast1]

The real problem, at least from my point of view, is the dearth of efficient, modern mass transportation, both in Manila and in the rest of the country. There are no subway systems, for example, nor municipal buses with dedicated (and rigidly enforced) bus lanes, nor are there pull overs for buses or taxis. There's no modern surface light rail. So, the only real means of transport is the poorly-planned, over-utilized urban road system which is stressed to the breaking point. The only solution, and one that will never be implemented in my view, is an effective, inter-linked, system of mass public transport.

GE.

Recently sitting at a Manila Starbucks I grabbed a newspaper off the shelf and turned to the op / ed pages in the back of the first section. A lady wrote a good piece about Manila roads. A blurb went similar to this: "A single high rise building of just 12 floors will create about 1000 new jobs. Does anyone consider this in regards to widening the roads to handle the new traffic? Shouldn't the President (or someone in charge) put an immediate halt to building anything that brings more people into the area?" She's right, and one could extend her claim to include condo's and hotels. Her assertion that high rise building should be halted for a period of time is probably logical, but money interests might not allow that.

[GoodEnough]

This appears that the planning inpits used did not result in an accurate forecast of eventual traffic, not an uncommon problem anywhere since better roads induces more traffic and this additional traffic is difficult to predict or the models used may not have accounted for the economic gains here in the last decade that create more private vehicle traffic and less public transport.

The real problem, at least from my point of view, is the dearth of efficient, modern mass transportation, both in Manila and in the rest of the country. There are no subway systems, for example, nor municipal buses with dedicated (and rigidly enforced) bus lanes, nor are there pull overs for buses or taxis. There's no modern surface light rail. So, the only real means of transport is the poorly-planned, over-utilized urban road system which is stressed to the breaking point. The only solution, and one that will never be implemented in my view, is an effective, inter-linked, system of mass public transport.

GE.

[Soapy Smith]

This appears that the planning inpits used did not result in an accurate forecast of eventual traffic, not an uncommon problem anywhere since better roads induces more traffic and this additional traffic is difficult to predict or the models used may not have accounted for the economic gains here in the last decade that create more private vehicle traffic and less public transport.

I assume that "inpits" was a misspelling of "inputs. " Alternatively, you may have coined a useful and appropriate new term. Inpits could be used to refer to all the factors or ingredients that go into a planning process in which, as a foregone assumption, the outcome will be even worse than the present situation. Hence the "pit" syllable of the word.

"Wicked problem" is a popular new term out there among some illuminati. It refers to big public problems that are presumably insoluble because, regardless what intervention is taken, some new problem pops up as a result, or some group comes forward claiming that the intervention has created an untenable situation for them. Thus, in theory, wicked problems go on forever. (Personally, I think the idea of wicked problems is a load of crap, but nobody's listening to me.) Your new word, inpit, may be particularly useful in the discussion of wicked problems.

BD and RK seem to have illuminated some of the particular inpits that are inherent in this bridge problem as a wicked problem.

[Red Kilt]

This was my thought, and it might apply to the bridge in question for which RK posted the link. PM seems to see the same issue as GE.

Further to the original post, the closure of the bridge has been delayed until January 2019 because of the approaching Christmas period when the volume of traffic on the roads around that time makes them become impassable (and impossible).

[Kabul Guy]

... So the problem is not one of lack of engineering talent or lack of appropriate construction standards, but one of corruption.

GE.

That is a problem here but I read the articles linked by RK as this particular bridge is undersized. It is only one lane each way and will be replaced by a bridge two lanes each way which on the north bound traffic (Makati to Mandaulyong) matches the feeder roads. On the other side it feeds into a two lane road so that will simply shift the bottle neck north. (This can be expanded but a couple small buildings will have to come down.).

This appears that the planning inpits used did not result in an accurate forecast of eventual traffic, not an uncommon problem anywhere since better roads induces more traffic and this additional traffic is difficult to predict or the models used may not have accounted for the economic gains here in the last decade that create more private vehicle traffic and less public transport.