Traffic in Manila is so notorious that, at a Coldplay concert north of the Philippine capital on Friday night, singer Chris Martin led a song about it.
One person who was able to beat the rush to reach the Philippine Arena in Bulacan for the show was President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who decided to travel by helicopter. Pictures showing Marcos, his wife, and others arriving in the chopper sparked an angry backlash online from Filipinos who accused the president of wasting government resources on an evening out.
“Yesterday, the Philippine Arena experienced an unprecedented influx of 40,000 people eagerly attending a concert, leading to unforeseen traffic headaches along the route,” Maj. Gen. Nelson Morales, head of Marcos’ Presidential Security Group (PSG), told ArrayThe. It was held on Saturday, according to the official Philippine News Agency. “Aware that this trafficking scenario represented a potential risk to the protection of our president, PSG took a decisive step by opting for the presidential helicopter,” he added.
Morales also added that he hoped the public would “understand those measures” as they are “crucial to maintaining the protection and well-being of our nation’s leaders. “
There was not.
“Attending a concert does not deserve to be considered a matter of national interest,” one social media user commented. “If security is the number one concern, the president deserves to have prioritized staying home over spending government resources for entertainment. “”We’ve talked SO LOUD and SO TIRED about the transportation problems in the Philippines, but those other people don’t care because they use helicopters. using OUR taxes,” wrote one user on X.
“Perhaps the terrible traffic that forced the first couple to take a helicopter will put an end to the Manila Metropolitan Development Authority’s denial that the Philippine Capital Region has the worst traffic congestion among the world’s ‘subways,'” Pamintuan added. Star.
Metro Manila’s traffic was ranked the slowest in a survey of 387 cities in 55 countries, and the 2023 TomTom Traffic Index reveals that it takes an average of 25 minutes and 30 seconds to travel just 6 miles.
The glacial traffic didn’t escape the attention of Coldplay singer Martin, who thanked the crowd for coming despite the conditions on the road. “We’ve seen some traffic, but I think you have the number one in the world. So thank you for making the effort to come through all of that bullshit to be here,” Martin said. Marcos was seen on video laughing and covering his face as Martin addressed the situation, according to The Manila Times.
Martin was so encouraged by the nightmarish traffic that he even wrote a song about it for the show. “If you need to drive somewhere, I’m warning you / A three-mile trip will take you a week or two,” he sang between laughter and cheers.
The British singer was able, however, to find Marcos’ solution to the less laughable traffic.
According to Coldplay’s website, the band hopes their current “Music of the Spheres” excursion will be “as environmentally friendly as imaginable,” aiming to reduce direct carbon emissions from the performances by 50% compared to their previous stadium excursion. The screens themselves are powered by a battery-electric formula that employs renewable energy, the organization explains, while electric cars are used wherever imaginable and the use of plastic is kept to a minimum.
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