Riding the MRT is only the beginning of the challenge

A challenge is something that by its nature serves as a call to battle, contest, or special effort.

It is not a battle, unless we see everyone else who is trying to get on the train as an enemy. It is not a contest, unless we think that there is a race on who gets to work or school first. It does not demand a special effort, unless we acknowledge the whole ordeal of getting on and off the train demands a special skill.

I believe that riding the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) is not a challenge. To call it a challenge is to say that it is out of the ordinary.

But people ride the train on a daily basis. The MRT for most people is their way of life.

The poor condition of our public transportation denies Filipinos a quality life. The one or two hours spent queuing rob a person of that extra hour or so of quality time with his or her family. Having to deal with the discomfort of being stuck in a train filled beyond its maximum capacity is exhausting and can affect one’s productivity. By the time you get to work, you feel spent. And by the time you get home, your children may already be asleep.

The real challenge

There is also that constant risk of being pickpocketed or groped. The threat to your life exists as train accidents are not uncommon. And one of the most petty but nonetheless bothersome things that you have to deal with is the stink that penetrates your entire being. 

Riding the MRT for just one time should not receive the merit that the general public is currently giving those who take the “challenge.”

I find it disrespectful for public officials to even consider an MRT ride a challenge. And what is even unforgivable is the attempt of those who take the “challenge” to fool the people by making it seem that it isn’t so bad. What do they take the public for?

The fact that the public wants these officials to experience the difficulty of riding the MRT shows how naive these officials are about the real conditions of the people.  

For me, the real challenge lies in creating and enforcing laws that will provide better living conditions for the masses. Because no matter what motivated them to vote for these officials – whether out of popularity or because of the platform they presented – they continue to hope. They hope that the public servants they voted to office can help make their lives better.

Unfortunately their basic demands of access to quality food, water, electricity, education, and public transportation are not met.

I do not agree to the act of sensationalizing the MRT challenge. But I would definitely sensationalize any effort to change the conditions that the public is exposed to every day. – Rappler.com

Kathryn is involved in educating people from diverse backgrounds, beyond the four walls of the classroom. She also loves dogs.