Ang Alamat ng EDSA

Once upon a time there was a farmer named Eduardo and a haciendera named Saturnina. Eduardo lived with the northern families while Saturnina lived with the Southerners. One day during a town fiesta, Eduardo met Saturnina and the two fell in love instantly. They met in secret for fear of getting caught by Saturnina’s strict parents. Because of this, the only time they could be together is when Saturnina ventures to the North for her studies escorted in secret by Eduardo and when Eduardo goes south to sell his produce, accompanied by Saturnina in disguise. One day, Saturnina got caught while she was up north and was summoned to go back south. Eduardo knew they’d never see each other again, so he wished that their journey south would take as long as a lifetime so that they can be together forever. A diwata heard Eduardo’s wish and felt bad for him. With one enchantment, the Diwata cast a spell on the road so that they can keep moving to their destination forever in each other’s company. Eduardo and Saturnina never reached the south. Some say that Eduardo and Saturnina are still traveling the road, which people renamed after the two – the Eduardo Saturnina road which was later shortened to EDSA – forever bearing the enchantment that anybody travelling there will take forever to get to their destination – a symbol of Eduardo and Saturnina’s unmoving and unending love for each other.

That is why, some nights you will still hear the cries of Saturnina’s family in anguish when traveling that very same road. “Hayop ka EDSA, gumalaw ka naman!”

The end.

Bus ban on EDSA

Violators of the ordinance will be fined P2,000.

Buses coming from the provinces are no longer allowed to ply EDSA during the rush hours starting August 15, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced.

Under the proposed scheme, buses coming from the north shall end their route in Cubao, Quezon City while those coming from the south shall end their route in Pasay City.

Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian joined MMDA and Land Transportation and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) officials at the inspection of Valenzuela Interim Terminal to assess if it can operate as a station for provincial buses starting August 15.

The policy takes effect during “rush hours” or from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Violators will be slapped with a P2,000 fine.

Garcia said the five-hectare terminal in Valenzuela City has yet to comply with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) requirement, including the installation of waiting sheds, comfort rooms, and walkways, among others, before provincial buses can fully utilize the facility.

Once operational, provincial buses coming from the north can drop off their passengers inside the terminal located on Paso de Blas Road where Metro Manila-bound commuters can transfer to city buses.

Among these are the establishment of designated areas for provincial and city buses; management of queues for jeepneys, buses and UV Express vans that share the terminal; and completion of waiting sheds for passengers.

Nevertheless, the MMDA will still implement on August 15 the ban of provincial buses on EDSA during rush hours.

This means that starting August 15, MMDA personnel will begin apprehending provincial buses on EDSA from 7am to 10am and 6pm to 9pm.

Why EDSA?

The Epifanio de los Santos Avenue is the main thoroughfare in Metro manila passing through six of the capital's 17 local government units. This includes the Santolan and Socorro districts, where the twin military bases of Camp Rafael Crame and Camp Aguinaldo, are located. Since it was the Martial Law, it was also where Marcos' main line of defense lies.

The 24-kilometer long Avenue, however, wasn't always called EDSA. It went through a long of history of changed names:

1) North-South Circumferential Road
Construction of what was intended to be a two-way highway started in the 1930s, during the term of President Manuel L. Quezon, and ended in 1940. The team was led by engineers Florencio Moreno and Osmundo Monsod.

The road started from the North Diversion Road (today the North Luzon Expressway) and ended at the current Magallanes Interchange of the South Luzon Expressway, thus the North-South in its original name.

2) Avenida 19 de Junio
After the independence of the Philippines from the American occupation (1946), the road was renamed Avenida 19 de Junio to commemorate the birthday of Philippine hero Jose Rizal.

3) Highway 54
It was again renamed by American administrators in the 1950s to Highway 54 because of the common misconception that the avenue stretches to 54 kilometers in length. The real measure is actually 30 kilometers less.

4) Epifanio de los Santos Avenue
By virtue of Republic Act 2140 in 1959, the road was renamed to honor Filipino intellectual and historian Epifanio de los Santos. Former Senate President Eulogio Rodriguez Sr. started this movement, and upon his death, Atty. Juan Francisco Sumulong completed the campaign. Besides NHCP, groups that approved of the name change included the Philippine Historical Association, the Philippine Library Association, and the Philippine National Historical Society.

Epifanio de los Santos or "Don Panyong" (1871-1928) was often regarded as the greatest Filipino genius after Rizal. Noted historian Gregorio Zaide described him as a rare genius because of his encyclopedic knowledge. He was a scholar, lawyer, historian, journalist, jurist, philosopher, bibliophile, biographer, philologist, painter, poet, musician, literary critic, politician, librarian, biographer, translator, linguist, researcher, and philanthropist. He wasn't only fluent in Spanish, English, French, and German but also has excellent command in Philippine languages like Ibaloi, Tingian, and Ita.

Despite being one of the best Filipino writers in Spanish and being the first Filipino to become a member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Language, Literature, and History in Madrid, he wrote extensively in Tagalog. He was a member of the Samahan ng mga Mananagalog, which was founded by Felipe Calderon.

He championed Philippine independence through journalism and became the associate editor of the influential revolutionary paper, La Independencia, in 1898. He also co-founded patriotic publications like La Libertad, El Renacimienta, La Democracia, and La Patria.

De los Santos also served as a member of the Malolos Congress. He was the first governor of Nueva Ecija in 1902 and again in 1904. He was then appointed provincial fiscal of Bulacan and Bataan. Interestingly, he wrote an essay "Fraudes electorales y sus remedios" (Electoral fraud and its remedies) for the Philippine assembly in 1907.

How to Beat the Horrific EDSA Traffic?

There’s no way you can beat EDSA traffic during rush hour, either you use a nonexistent teleport machine or you ride a helicopter and fly (which commoners like us have no access) over the long highway turned parking lot.

Traversing EDSA on a rush hour equates to a #chaotic, #formidable, #life-draining experience. It’s an everyday event that becomes a common and ordinary part of every daily grinder’s life. But have you think about which mode of transportation in EDSA you can actually trust in case you’re caught up in the rush hour window?

With the endless lines of MRT commuters on the entrance, the moving human-sardine bus, and the bumper-to-bumper traffic in the private lanes, choosing your transportation may be a hard decision.

Surprisingly, MRT is still the best & fastest way to get through EDSA. You can read the full account and adventure of the reporters in EDSA time travel: Fastest by car, bus, or train?