Kris Aquino takes MRT

MANILA, Philippines – Nature and man-made traffic being the great equalizers, Kris Aquino joined the hoi polloi and rode the MRT, amid the sudden downpour over Metro Manila on Tuesday late afternoon, September 10, and the frantic rush hour aggravated by the weather.

Here’s a picture posted on her Instagram sometime before 8pm:

The actress-host was on her way to the Lucky Me indie-film event.

“MRT! Habol sa Lucky Me event!” went her comment with the above photograph, which omitted the crucial detail of which station she took the train or which part of EDSA her car was stuck.

Blame that on the more urgent concern to reach her destination.

The beltway had become a parking lot because of the traffic and the weather. Luckily for Kris, the train system was working that night.

READ: MRT operations disrupted due to power outage

The youngest sister of President Aquino wore what seemed to be a pearl necklace and leather jacket, going by her posted photographs.

To the MRT’s credit, its security over the years has considerably reduced or altogether discouraged incidents of snatching, which is a prevalent threat among bus passengers trying to catch a ride home on the beltway, below the elevated tracks.  

Soon enough, Kris was inside the train. There was nothing in her Instagram saying if she fell in line or was aided by her fellow passengers in the spirit of Filipino hospitality.

Her next Instagram an hour and a half later went with this comment: “Me on the MRT. Made it to the awarding ceremony… People were so NICE. What a memorable experience!”

The photos prompted the immediate feedback of netizens, some commending her “humble act” and her being “cool na cool.”

READ: Tuesday rain floods Metro Manila

Julia Montes was another celebrity who availed herself of the MRT and the jeepney, improvising her way through Metro Manila’s traffic, as pep.ph reported in July. So did Anne Curtis more recently.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas used to be a frequent commuter of the MRT.

In a magazine interview some years back, actress Iza Calzado expressed pride in her pre-stardom period as a daily commuter, admiring the old buildings along the historic Calle Azcarraga (renamed Claro M. Recto in 1961).

The Philippines’ train system before the Pacific War, including Manila’s streetcars or tranvia, is a widely admired facet in the story of the country’s much-vanished heritage.

But other stars, including those in the showbiz scene for more than 20 years, have never in their lives taken public transportation – which of course remains an exasperating concern in the Philippines, as opposed to Hong Kong and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.  – Rappler.com

Here’s a  brief YouTube clip of Kris Aquino in the MRT posted by Darla Sauler: