East Meets West

The Purple Line or more commonly known as the LRT-2 is the second train made by the Manila Light Railway Transit Authority. The line consists of eleven stations. These are Recto, Legarda, Pureza, V. Mapa, J. Ruiz, Gilmore, Betty - Go Belmonte, Araneta Center-Cubao, Anonas, Katipunan, and lastly, Santolan. The Recto station is the westernmost station and is the station where one can transfer to the Yellow Line or the LRT-1. The Araneta Center- Cubao station is the station where passengers can transfer to the Blue Line or the MRT. The Santolan station is the easternmost station. The line passes through mostly elevated tracks, except for the Katipunan station, which lies underground.

For me, the LRT-2 is separated into five divisions:

• the train itself as the blood that delivers the substances that the body needs to the different organs of the body
• the people as the substances that the blood carries
• the stations as the different organs of the body
• the employees as the heart of the line

• the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) as the brain of the LRT system.

The train is the blood that is circulating around the whole body and is passing through the arteries and veins. Without this train, those people who live in the east and work on the western side will have a hard time traveling. The people would enter into the hustle and bustle of the city when LRT's are not around. They will definitely spend not only a lot of money, but also a lot of time and effort just to get to their workplace. In addition, without this train, people will have to go to work using cars, which eventually will cause heavier traffic every day.

The train of the Purple Line is wider compared to the other trains, that is why passengers are not that crowded inside the train; unlike the Blue and Yellow Lines, the people cram themselves inside the train as long as they can find space, no matter how minute it may be. These people are like sardines in a can because the people are squished and can not even move. The LRT-2 also has more safety handrails than the LRT-1 and MRT. This is why I find LRT-2 safer than LRT-1 and MRT. (The LRT-1 is considered to be the first LRT system in Southeast Asia. It can also consists of the 15 km elevated railway system servicing the Taft Avenue - Rizal Avenue route between Baclaran, Pasay City, and the Bonifacio Monument in the City of Caloocan.) (The MRT is not related to the Manila Light Rail Transit System, a separate but linked system. The line passes from North Avenue to Taft Avenue.) The safety handrails of the LRT-2 are enough for most of the people to hold on.

The people or passengers are the nutrients or substances that the blood delivers to the different parts of the body. The people are the reason why the government created the Purple Line. They are the reason why the LRT is functioning. Without these passengers, the entire LRT is useless.

As I had observed while I was standing at the platform, the people waiting for the train looked so bored and tired. A lot of them are listening to their MP3s and chitchatting, others already sit on the floor, while some were pushing themselves for them to secure their place inside the train. They would try to squeeze themselves in front of the long line of eager LRT commuters just to be able to go in first.

The stations are the different parts or organs of the body. These are where people drop off before they go to their respective destinations. The stations are the entry and exit point for the people using the LRT. For the LRT-2, as I had observed, the most crowded stations are the Recto station, Araneta Center-Cubao station, and Katipunan station. For the Recto station, it is because a lot of companies and schools in Manila are in this area and also, this is where the passengers can transfer to the Yellow Line. For the Araneta Center-Cubao station, it is because this where people can transfer to the Blue Line. Lastly, for the Katipunan station, it is because schools in the east are mostly in this are.

The employees are the heart of the LRT system because the heart is the pump, and it is responsible for the nutrient delivery in the body. The employees are basically the workforce of the LRT. Without them, no one would manage the trains and stations and the whole LRT would not be able to work properly. Every time a passenger looks confused or has questions, the employees will voluntarily approach him/her and ask him/her if he/she has questions. I appreciate the way they do this because based on my experiences with other government staffs, every time I have questions and I would like to approach them, they would not even mind answering my questions. They would just ask me to find another staff and ask that person. However, with the LRT staffs, they voluntarily help their customers.

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is basically the brain of the LRT sytem. It is the government arm that controls the LRT system. The brain controls the entire body just like how the DOTC controls the entire LRT system. The brain is also responsible of what the body needs. In this case, the DOTC is the one that approves proposals for the LRT system. It is the one that gives the LRT whatever it needs. It makes sure that the LRT system is working properly and that passengers would feel convenient and comfortable using it.

All five of these divisions are needed for the LRT system to be working properly. If one of them is missing, the entire thing will fail to operate. The LRT is like our body, if one of our body organs does not work, our entire body will suffer.

For me, riding the LRT would be the best way to go from east to west or vice versa because based on my experiences, even though there were a lot of people riding it and sometimes you need to squeeze yourself to get in, it will still be the most convenient way of commuting. By riding the LRT, you will reach your destination in a lesser time rather than using private cars because you can avoid the never-ending traffic of the Metro.

Student ID# 090184
EN11- R11