I was flipping through the pages of G. K. Chesterton’s book “Orthodoxy” when I was surprised to see this:
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This is an old bus ticket of Metro Manila Transit Corporation (MMTC). What got me excited is the thought that this ticket is quite old. It is possible that the ticket is older than me. An interesting information from the ticket is the ticket cost 2.00 pesos, which may mean that it is the minimum fare during that time. Compare it with the minimum bus fare now, which costs 10.00 pesos.
I showed the old bus ticket to my mom and she told me that she rode the MMTC bus during her college days. She told me that the MMTC buses travels around Metro Manila during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos.
I googled MMTC and I discovered that it is a government-owned company. MMTC was possibly dissolved, like other government corporations, under the presidency of Cory Aquino. There’s no more MMTC buses plying in Metro Manila and only few people remember that MMTC existed. I googled some pictures of MMTC and, to my delight, I saw this:
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| (Photo by express000) |
The bus in the picture is a double-decker Leyland Atlantean model bus on Senator Gil Puyat Avenue (circa 1986). Sadly, there is no more double-decker bus in Metro Manila. I want to experience riding on the top floor of such bus while traveling along Commonwealth Avenue at a speed of 80 to 90 kph. That is an adrenaline-pumping experience that will cause many passengers die of cardiac arrest.
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Nice! I remember us riding one of those in Luneta when we were little. That time it was a short tour that plied the Luneta, Manila route. It was fun. We used to always ride on the top. =)
ReplyDeleteGoing down history lane? : )
ReplyDeleteYeah didn't see any double decker buses in Manila : )
ReplyDeleteAverage Jane
ReplyDeleteYou are so fortunate because you got the chance to ride a double-decker bus. How I wish to ride one.
Foong
History lane indeed. :-)
Yup, there's no more double-decker bus in Manila. There will be accidents if that kind of bus exist today because the overpasses are too low.
amaaaazzziiinnnggg! Php2.00! Imba un! hahaha. but i remember my dad's stories when his Php5.00 can buy a lot. Sa ngayon... fishball na lang yata mabibili ng marami niyan. :D
ReplyDeletenakita ko nga ung pic sa fb mo... ang galing lang. sana naabutan ko pa 'to... feeling turista kasi eh!
i wish to see the double decker again, seems like it has been replaced over the years
ReplyDeleteLatest: Of Balloons and Memes
Tine
ReplyDeleteAstig yung bus ng MMTC, hindi ba? Kapag nasa second floor ka siguradong maganda yng view. Tamang-tama ito na gawing service ng mga turista sa mga tourist spots natin.
Ay, ganyan din ang kwento ng nanay ko. Pati nga yung isang sentimo noon eh napapakinabangan.
Ngayon wala na. Pakalat-kalat na lang yung 0.10, 0.05 at kahit yung 0.25 pesos.
Fishiee
ReplyDeleteYes, those buses were indeed replaced by buses that have no "second floor" but can run faster.
It's nice that you still have the picture of the bus as I remember it when I was young. My son keep asking me about this bus. It was exhilarating experience as a kid. Feels that everything was very clean and quite colder. The breeze of air coming from the bus windows passing thru my face was like being bombarded with sweet smell of trees. Heavenly is the right word.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
ReplyDeleteThat is a good experience that you felt. :-) The sad thing is that the kids today did not have the same experience. What they have are polluted air and rivers.
So Cory is not a good president. She removed Double deckers & increased electricity prices. Remember Meralco was managed by a Conjuangco during her time. Now, Filipinos reap what they sow. They were stupid to vote a housewife because they pitied her.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of COry and definitely not fan of her son Noynoy. Cory is hell bent on erasing the traces of Marcos in the government that she destroyed even the good things that Marcos did.
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