Disgustingly Dirty

There was a bit of a drizzle when I proceeded to the Manila Bulletin headquarters in Intramuros to submit my parent's "credentials" for the Longest Married Couple tilt. From the Manila City Hall, I had to take the Lacson Underpass to cross to the other side of Burgos St. so I can take advantage of the covered walkway to the Intramuros Walls. I failed to bring along an umbrella.

The last time I passed by the underpass sometime ago, pedestrian traffic was quite smooth as there were no vendors around. This time about half of the entire width of the underpass has been converted into a tiangge - I am not sure on whose authority.

It is not too difficult to imagine the effect on pedestrian traffic especially on a drizzing day like today.

In any case, I did not really mind the "traffic". However, I did notice that the whole underpass, including the stairs on either side and at the center were all filthy and strewn with various types of trash. Nobody really seems to be minding the store which is just beside the all-powerful City Hall.

If Mayor Lim is so busy with other things, maybe he should keep himself busy with his own backyard first and foremost. Maybe he should remind the tiangge operators, assuming they are there under his authority, to really mind their stores, including the upkeep of the whole place where they are selling their wares.

Cleanliness is next to godliness - is not a lesson somebody thought about only yesterday. It is supposed to be a lesson well ingrained in our consciousness since we started having one.

Mayor Lim is often referred to as Dirty Harry for one reason or another. But I might end up calling him Disgustingly Dirty if he cannot even clean up his backyard.