We deserve better; the rest can wait
WE are a very lucky nation that Uber and Grab went out of their way to bring their apps and business models to the Philippines. Finally, we have our own personal drivers on demand, 24/7.
We don’t care if they didn’t invest even a single car, or a pilot fleet of cars. Why should we care? So what if they are not that invested in the country? This is a different thing! This is technology disrupting public transportation! This is heaven-sent!
We’re pretty sure Uber and Grab won’t leave us at any moment. They love us, and we love them. There is absolutely nothing that would force them to live. We are the perfect market, because we need their services and we are ready to defend them to the death.
With Uber and Grab, there’s no more pangongontrata, compared with these smelly and manloloko na taxis. And don’t dare use “surge pricing” as an argument kasi that’s a matter for us to accept. Kung di mo kaya yung “surge,” eh di wag ka mag-Uber or Grab. Maglakad ka. Wala kayong paki kung ok o hindi sa amin yun.
Stop the black propaganda against Uber and Grab. We don’t care if Uber could map the locations where we go, or if Uber drivers get all the information they need to stalk women. It only happened in the US, and it won’t ever happen here. And Uber and Grab drivers are better than taxi drivers. They are decent, mabango, and mabait. They love being part of a “piecework subcontractor economy” where they have no assured monthly salary, no social security benefits, and no security of tenure. They love that situation.
And who are these people claiming that taxi operators have joined Uber and Grab as partners? That’s not real or possible. The incidents where Uber and Grab drivers don’t end rides on their apps, complain about the traffic, ask us to order another car — they’re all isolated incidents.
Saka we believe Uber and Grab are honest businesses. They tell us the truth, like showing all the available cars in an area. Walang magic dun. They have never rigged the system to make it look like there are few cars in the area, and so there will be a higher fare to encourage drivers to go out. Law of Supply and Demand lang yan, mag bes. They’ve been very honest and fair ha. Paying 11,500 for a ride from The Fort to Mother Ignacia is just fair, and saka we’re sure the driver for something like up to 11,200 doon. The government should let Uber and Grab decide how much they’d pay the drivers, di ba?
Please don’t preach to us about mass transport, okay? What do you want us to do? Suffer the indignity with the proletarian commuters as the government implements Public-Private Partnerships for mass transport projects? Everyone else should wait for the new trains and new train lines. We supported that. Just like Uber and Grab, they’re being done by the private sector. These businessmen have nothing but our interests at heart. All the government should do is to provide the funding and let the businessmen like Ayala and Pangilinan do their magic!
And these jeepneys and buses? They should be modernized ASAP and stay on their lanes! These jeepneys are so old. Sa exhibits na lang sila maganda. And cool kaya na magswitch na lang sa e-jeepney immediately. We’re sure mag-iinvest ang businessmen dyan para sosyal yung byahe ng mga poor people.
Just imagine, e-jeepneys plying Alabang to Calamba, and Calamba to Sta. Rosa! Imagine e-jeepneys crossing entire provinces and mga bundok tralala. We’re sure there will be chargers along the way and there will be engines and batteries that could be as fast and long-lasting as to cover the distance. And to make things really cool and world-class, ituro na ang Beep. Lahat Beep na lang. Who cares who owns Beep? As long as it works at may decent markup sila for helping us out, ok lang yun.
Salot yang buses. Salot sa EDSA. Bawasan na yan kasi serial violators yan ng traffic rules. When we reduce buses on the road, there will be more space for cars and for Uber and Grab.
These bus drivers and jeepney tsupers have jobs waiting for them in the “shared economy.” They should buy their own cars, form fleets, and be partners for Uber and Grab. Siguro naman, they have life savings with which to buy suitable cars. Everybody wins, di ba?
The only way to solve the mess in our public transportation is to take the public out of it, and make everything private.
We’ve been doing that for the last 40 years, di ba? The government gave up the Love Bus. All buses are now private. Then, we leased our LRT1. We asked a private consortium to build the MRT and gave them the money they needed. We have also privatized the NLEX and SLEX. The seaports and airports are being managed either by private contractors or corporatized government offices. The taxis are private din, and we agreed to ban driver regularization, regular salaries and unions para makatulong sa kawawang investors. Everything is going well according to plan. Uber and Grab will take everything to a higher level!
Just believe us, Philippines. We’ve given this much thought. What’s good for us, long-suffering middle class, is good for the nation. Whatever gains of Uber, Grab, and the other private entities in the public transportation businesses would surely trickle down to all. Mauuna lang kami.
Join na kayo, mga bes. Buy a smartphone, subscribe to data (not just free Wi-Fi ha), download the apps and have a credit or debit card ready. That’s all you need. Together let’s enjoy the best life has to offer.
By the way, when you sign up, use the promo codes: KANYAKANYATAYOBES