Roamer’s Roundup

Roundup Bits: Fare Rollbacks, Airport Makeovers, and Posh Prison Cells

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Time for another Roamer’s Roundup as we look as some of the interesting news bits happening in the metropolis recently:

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Six months after a fare increase was implemented, news came out that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved a provisional P1 fare rollback effective Friday, citing developments regarding dropping global oil prices.

(image courtesy of Blogmanila)

It was a surprising piece of news, but nevertheless it was welcomed by commuters as a Christmas present of sorts that would somehow relieve them of those skyrocketing daily expenses.

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After Ruby

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After the initial projections made about the initial strength of Typhoon Ruby/Hagupit, (as it is known internationally) Metro Manila and surrounding areas were fortunate that the typhoon weakened considerably by the time it hit there. Thus, these areas were spared of the damage the typhoon initially brought.

path taken by Typhoon Ruby/Hagupit (courtesy of BBC)

Meteorologists explained that typhoons weaken considerably when it makes a landfall. In the case of this typhoon, it made a landfall at least twice in Samar and Masbate which helped weaken its strength from typhoon to tropical depression levels.

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Bracing for Typhoon Ruby

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I remember that before, strong typhoons are not usually expected to hit the country during November-December. Unfortunately, and sadly, this is no longer the case these days as the climate change phenomenon of recent decades has messed up our planet’s climate, causing strong typhoons to hit our shores even during a period when it was traditionally considered a non-typhoon season.

Tacloban, Leyte after Typhoon Yolanda, 2013 (courtesy of Inquirer)

One should not look further than check out the country’s typhoon history for the past 3 years. 2011’s Sendong and 2012’s Pablo hit Mindanao in December and there was Yolanda  in November last year which struck the Visayas in particular.

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Ozone Disco: Remembering the Tragedy

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One of the most shocking and tragic events that shook the metropolis during the 1990s would be the fire that consumed not only the establishment that was the Ozone Disco Club, but also 162 souls as well as injuring 95 others. It was known at the time as the worst recorded number of deaths in a nightclub. While the event no longer holds that record, that event on the night of March 18, 1996 is one whose spectre still haunts the metropolis and its night club scene.

even after 18 years, this photo showing the aftermath of the Ozone Disco fire still gives the chills (photo courtesy of Rappler )

More than 18 years have passed since the events of March 18, 1996, news came out recently that the Sandiganbayan or the country’s anti-graft court found 7 officials of the Quezon City government guilty of graft due to negligence in their duties in ensuring the safety of the establishment that would have prevented the tragedy in the first place.

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