Praying for a time of peace

The Metro Manila Council (MMC) has a plan to reduce traffic in Metro Manila, particularly on major roads. The window hours of the number coding scheme will be removed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on some major roads such as EDSA, Quezon Avenue, Roxas Boulevard, Taft Avenue., Shaw Boulevard, Ortigas Avenue, Araneta Avenue, etc. The full list will be published in newspapers and the plan will be submitted to the UP Law Center for study. The only thing needed is the implementation of the plan. As such, the number coding scheme will be implemented from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

This is not a new plan. This has been done in previous administrations as the holiday season nears. The MMC expects to reduce the volume of vehicles by 20% on these roads.

Affected by this plan are families with only one car. For families with more than one vehicle, as long as their license plate ends differently, they will only change vehicles. However, this is where public transportation becomes important. If the MRT and LRT trains are overcrowded, it might worsen. Ride-hailing companies like Grab will certainly be busy. Get ready for difficulty booking a ride with these companies.

It's sad when we Filipinos are preparing for the longest Christmas celebration in the world, but major wars are happening elsewhere. The war in Ukraine is still going on. This February, it will be raging for two years. I hope the aid and support of many countries to Ukraine will not falter. The criminal Putin cannot be given a victory. His illusions of grandeur may extend beyond Ukraine.

As for the war between Israel and Hamas, it is clear who the terrorists are. When you kill innocent civilians, as Putin's Russia does, you are on the side of evil. The civilians of Gaza, especially innocent children, are paying a heavy price because of Hamas  attack. Trucks carrying aid to affected civilians were recently allowed to enter from Egypt. But Israel's bombing of Gaza is relentless. One sees Israel's anger at what Hamas started. Thats what terrorists are. They don t attack the military. They attack civilians. We can only pray these wars stop. We can only pray the hatred ends. I hope the senseless killing of innocents will end in both conflicts. Christmas is a time of peace. I hope everyone can experience it, regardless of their faith.