Signs of the Signs
Have you seen those tarpaulins attached to the pillars under the MRT? The ones with the portrait of MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando looking sternly at the motorists? Is this supposed to be a deterrent to traffic violations? Will Manila’s drivers observe traffic rules and regulations because an authority figure/bureaucrat/father substitute is standing there in a barong tagalog glowering at them? Is this anywhere as effective as, say, knowing that if you break the rules you will certainly get caught and penalized, and that if you get pulled over it’s for a real, actual violation?
Note the words printed at the bottom of the tarp: “Mere possession of this sign is punishable by law”. Meaning the MMDA is aware that these reminders for motorists will likely be stolen. So maybe there should be a second tarp of Mr Fernando glaring at the culprits who intend to steal these signs. These tarps are government property. They belong to the people. Stealing is wrong. But then you’d have to put signs everywhere to remind thieves that what they’re doing is bad, and then. . .
Meanwhile, there are bumper stickers saying Erap 2010. Oy, the theory of eternal recurrence. We can’t even say “Now I’ve heard everything”, because we already said it years ago.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
March 19th, 2008 at 04:55
They do have a Big Brother (the book not the localized show) feel about them.
March 19th, 2008 at 05:33
The nonverbal threat of a smackdown seems to always work for our people. I wonder if there’s some correlation to that with our predilection for Pinoy pugilists (holy alliterations, Batman)?
March 19th, 2008 at 06:51
Leave it to the folks who chose hot pink as their official color to come up with cosmic genius of this caliber.
March 19th, 2008 at 08:39
BF for 2010.
although he wouldnt win in VisMin.
March 19th, 2008 at 13:49
I always wanted my picture taken beside that pink MMDA sign that says “Bawal ang tao dito”.
March 19th, 2008 at 14:11
what about metro gwapo?
March 19th, 2008 at 14:14
I don’t know how widely it is on the news in the Philippines, but I was surprised to see this story about Filipino flagellants and crucifixion re-enactments on a trashy, third-rate, but highly frequented news site in Australia: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=400457
I suppose local news over here would have so little to offer over the holiday period – Archbishop delivers sermon; shops are closed; 19 million people get drunk; long-weekend road accident fatality statistics; the end – so the networks have to turn to more gutsy global stories. Thus, the Philippines has got the billing.
March 19th, 2008 at 21:05
Totally. BF is trying his darned best to put order into Metro Manila, and I wish he succeeds, but it is impossible. He’s got a full arsenal of ideas like Wile E. Coyote. Ever seen that sign “Bawal tumawid, nakamamatay”? I can’t help but laugh to myself whenever I see that sign. For greater intimidating effect maybe they should add: “ang sinomang tatawid ay tatadtarin ng bala hanggang mamatay.” How about the sign “bawal ang tao dito”? I’m almost tempted to put in a graffiti that says “kalabaw lang ang pwede”. On a pedestrian overpass in Pasig is written this sort of battle-cry:(I don’t know if it is from MMDA or from the Pasig government) “Sige pa, Pasig, sige pa. Sige pa!” While driving to Tiendesitas ,my horny bastard friend Val insisted they should add “ohhhh sige pahhh…..ohhhh….phassiig”. Which is almost appropriate, considering that Pasig is known for its motels.
March 20th, 2008 at 15:02
If there’s a (constitutionally challenged) Erap 2010 movement, then I guess neither Cory 2010 nor FVR 2010 is unthinkable. Horrors! No recycling, please.
March 20th, 2008 at 23:54
to franzi j.
actually, the sign reads “walang tawiran nakamamatay”. i’ve always been tempted to spray paint a “g” at the end of the word “tawiran” (which would give it an entirely different meaning) just to stir things up.: ) anarchie pour le r.p., oi oi oi!
March 21st, 2008 at 08:57
its just too early for a presidential campaign huh! and thats using the government funds, right?
March 21st, 2008 at 17:07
capitanmontressor:
“They do have a Big Brother (the book not the localized show) feel about them.”
The Chair is Watching You.
March 22nd, 2008 at 02:51
he’s not even president yet his face is splashed all over edsa.
this has some parallelism with saddam hussein as his portrait is all over iraq once.
probably behind the tarpauline is the dreaded camera that the pnp has setup to cover it up.
“Note the words printed at the bottom of the tarp: “Mere possession of this sign is punishable by lawâ€.” – if one of these signs got lost, expect them to be in someone’s room, alongside katrina halili tanduay posters.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:28
Actually it’s quite clever of him to hang those banners, paid with taxpayers money and hung with impunity on places that the MMDA have declared illegal for anyone else BUT them. In the midst of the ZTE scandal and the Spratley’s Issue, who will pay attention to him? A few have, indeed, like Mon Tulfo in his column, and quite a few blogs by Filipinos, in varying levels of disgust. Just don’t let the BF4P brigade see those blogs (as they have seen mine). Expect a lot of hate spam when they do.
April 5th, 2008 at 23:47
The banner screams “1984”. Tsk, tsk. Too bad, since I (used to?) like BF.