It seems that no matter how early you wake up and prepare yourself for the day ahead, there will always be the agonizing rush hours and scores of passenger jeepneys, buses, and private vehicles in a daily ritual of "piss-off-the-people" morning game. Even here in the province of Batangas where I reside, bringing my son to school every morning turns into an hour-and-a-half ride when in the later part of the day is simply a 20-minute commute from our house to his school. It is, however, nothing compared to my aunt's every day complaint when she has to commute from here to her work at the metro.

Manila has been suffering the traffic disease for years. Because it is the capital of the Philippines, naturally, businesses have been choosing it as the place to be. Do I even have to mention traffic's other twin, the Manila Railway Transit? It's like the safer option is to just walk. I've been thinking, though. If private businesses choose the option of carpooling, wouldn't that encourage employees and students to skip using their own cars and save gas at the same time? For those who commute, carpooling will also eliminate the reason for getting late and saving time from scrounging around for change to give to the jeepney driver.

I think this will also have a significant impact on the environment. Less vehicles, less carbon footprint. And because the government is now encouraging electric vehicles, we will also be able to help lessen the risk of pollution-related diseases. For those who are always heavily affected by the traffic every morning, what do you think?

*Images from inquirer.net.ph and buzzle.com