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On the Boulevard
By: Debbie Ann Tan

Roxas Boulevard is alive early in the morning. Vehicles flock this main road with their engines all warmed up and humming. Their wheels glide and screech on the paved ground. I work near Roxas Boulevard, its Manila part, in a side street slicing between Luneta and the US Embassy. Behind us is the Manila Bay.

In the mornings I cross this Boulevard. The sun is streaming down my face. The breeze from Manila Bay blows by. But there's another facet to this place—a low-hanging cloud. When the sun shines down, a cloud of smoke is seen rising up to the sky. This cloud, which extends for miles and miles, horizontally and vertically, is engine exhaust. The fumes that the vehicles emit and the dust they kick spread in the air. I inhale them everyday and surely, everyone else who passes this area inhales them, too.

In the afternoon, the Boulevard has even more visitors. Vehicles don't zoom by anymore. They stop and wait for the green light. From time to time, a bus or jeepney slows down for passengers to alight. Ever so impatiently, the drivers honk their horns when the ones ahead are too slow.

Pedestrians, too, are victims of their impatience. Nerves are frayed on both ends, but the pedestrians are more stressed. They only have their legs to shield them and bring them to safety. Their eardrums are the targets of the loud blasts of horns. Noise and activity reach their peak on the Boulevard. I can hear the horns even inside my office. Not only is it too noisy, there is more smoke being emitted, too. This is such a shame since the
smoke-filled air overpowers the breeze from the bay.

In the late evening, the activity ceases somewhat. But the Boulevard still entertains vehicles. This time, they zoom past, even at the stoplight. The air is fresher at this time as there are fewer cars. It is better to travel down the Boulevard with your car windows down except during extremely humid conditions. But, basically, it's nice to feel the natural air. Sometimes, however, there are other odors in the night. The smell of
burning, for instance. Somewhere along the Boulevard, some people are cooking with coals or burning rubber. Another smell is that of garbage when it remains uncollected. So, instead of enjoying the natural air, it's healthier for us to use the car airconditioner.

Roxas Boulevard serves its purpose of helping to bring people to their destinations. Vehicles cannot resist this route and so, they flock to it bringing their fumes, smog, dust, and dirt. This is the reality on the once beautiful and clean Boulevard.

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In This Issue:
Knowing Your Rights: The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999
EVENT

On the Boulevard
TRAVEL

THE PARPLAYS ARE BACK! MAKE WAY FOR THE PARPLAYS!
PERSONALITY

The Zimbragatzees of the Planet Zing
A Palanca Prize Winning Story

SHORT STORY

Air for One, And One Air for All
POEM

What Is Our World Coming To?
POEM

Urban Parks' Directory
DIRECTORY

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