Lack of trust. That is at the core behind almost every situation one might find strange in the Philippines. From barbed wire fences around every house to dark tint on all the car windows it is lack of trust and a fear of robbery or murder which motivates the actions of Filipinos. It is why there are security guards with shotguns at grocery stores and malls. It is also why the there is only one way in and out to said grocery stores and malls.
Take this picture from SM as a prime example.
Here to serve? No comment! But take a look at the doors. There are four doors and only one is open. Two of them are blocked by tables because management decided to set up an eating area in the front of the store. If you zoom in you can see that these doors are not just locked, they are padlocked. Or rope locked.
Can you say fire hazard? It is bad enough that the doors are inaccessible but in an emergency when everyone is panicking and time is of the essence these rope locked doors will turn out to be a very bad idea.
And it's all because there is no trust in the Philippines. Look at this entrance to Ayala Mall.
And it's all because there is no trust in the Philippines. Look at this entrance to Ayala Mall.
Everyone enters through one door and then they divide by sex to be searched by either a male or female guard. All the while a drug sniffing dog looks on. Why is there a drug sniffing dog at the mall? This is not the first drug dog I have seen at the mall. Is the mall territory for drug dealers now? Upstairs in this same mall is a fire door which has been taped shut.
Why is an emergency exit door taped shut? Don't ask me! How about another mall? This time Robinsons. Just like every other business this mall has one way in and one way out!
Why is an emergency exit door taped shut? Don't ask me! How about another mall? This time Robinsons. Just like every other business this mall has one way in and one way out!
How has Robinsons Mall passed the fire inspectors examination when they lock their doors? If there was an emergency it would turn into a disaster because everyone would have to squeeze through one door. The only reason the reason there is one entrance and exit on this side of the mall is because lack of trust. Gotta have a security guard at each door watching who goes in and out.
Check out the two entrances to this brand new hospital.
Check out the two entrances to this brand new hospital.
One of them is wide open with no gate and a security hut to watch over all comers. The second is barred shut with metal garbage. They couldn't even bother to install a proper gate. No doubt they boarded up this entrance because there is no security guard booth. So why not build one? Why must every entrance have an armed guard in the first place? Because in the Philippines you can't trust anyone.
I'm not surprised. In Surigao City there is a private school that occupies the second story of a building. Through the sliding metal gate, past the guard and upstairs. One entrance up front bottom floor by guard and one in the rear upstairs which is chain and pad locked shut. Soon as classes start the guard at the bottom front shuts and puts a chain lock on that gate. One guard, one key for both locks.
ReplyDeleteThen there was the earthquake that hit Surigao City. So the shoppers are at Gaisano when the quake hit and what do the guards do? Shut and lock all entries and exits locking people inside to prevent them from stealing. No, the lack of trust is the fault of Filipinos themselves as it seems stealing is in their nature.