NU 12 by Juan Villamor - What Pisses Me off in the neighborhood

NU Paper: JUAN A. VILLAMOR, MBAH Section 10B

What Pisses Me Off in the Neighborhood


Neighborhoods are supposed to be “happy places” in one’s psychological well being, and mine is no exemption. When close family relations characterize a neighborhood, then it becomes truly a refuge. But even a neighborhood of relatives can be a source of aggravation, especially when too much familiarity pre-dispose households to discourtesy, insensitivity and disregard for basic social rules of conduct. While I am generally happy most of the time to come home to the comforts and refuge of my neighborhood, it does give me a dose of stressful encounters in many ways as well.


Our family compound is right along the highway, but the house itself is set far back into the inner portion of the lot. Thus, we had to cut a little swath of road across a couple of houses to put in a driveway. On most days, this does not present a problem, since I am the only one with vehicles on our side of the compound; the others use a separate driveway. This fact, however, is also a frequent source of aggravation, as my driveway is sometimes blocked by vehicles owned by relatives whose houses are on the other side of the road! Worse, tenants of an aunt whose property is right in front of ours has taken the liberty of using my tiny driveway as a garage for their motorbikes, often explaining that I am out of town most of the time anyway. Some even had the gall to point out that even a fairly-skilled driver can SQUEEZE in between their motorbikes and a solid retaining wall of concrete. I’m not sure if they mean that as a compliment, but I sure am not flattered!


One would think that giving them advance notice of my arrival would solve the problem, but I still have to wait for up to an hour on most occasions to be able to park my vehicle properly in MY garage. Once or twice a week should also be tolerable, but when these happen on nights that I just went through a two-hour battle with horrible traffic and rude drivers and just want to go straight to bed, then the aggravation is almost physically painful. Worse is when I come from a trip and take the last flight to Manila, coming in at almost midnight, and then find two or three bikes lounging on my driveway, with their owners sound asleep or getting their dose of alcohol in some distant relative’s house in the compound. Then my car gets to spend the night in the shoulder of the relatively busy highway, subject to the elements – criminal included – and the real possibility of getting sideswiped by speeding vehicles.


One other thing that gets my goat in the friendly compound is the noise of insensitive neighbors who doesn’t realize that sound-proofing is a terribly expensive comfort that I cannot afford. Our bedroom is exactly right across the terrace and living room of the house of a wife’s relative. Noise during the day should be fairly acceptable, especially from young and precocious children, hyperactive teenagers and their screaming elders. What really makes for a bad-hair day is noise during the wee hours of the morning or late in the night, when most people would think that their next-door neighbors are asleep. The racket can get so bad that not even the confines of an airconditioned room can drown out the noise of an entire household preparing for breakfast or recounting the day’s telenovela highlights, among other topics or concerns that the next-door neighbors can get excited about.


Offhand, I can only think of two things to try and address these problems: one is the creation of a Family Council (albeit informally), and the second is the installation of motorbike racks or stands somewhere near the edge of the property near the highway, but still within the compound and away from my driveway. The first would require me to spend more time with the relatives, regularly gathering them for lunch or dinner, and perhaps insinuating how difficult it is to come home and find my driveway blocked, and of the challenge of getting sound (and precious) sleep with all the noise in the background. I really should be mingling with them anyway to help dispel the snootiness that I sense they get from me especially in terms of the issues of parking and the noise, and talking about these issues should foster more openness and the willingness to share in the burden of ensuring peace and harmony in the compound. The second would mean a little investment on my part, but perhaps suggest that the cost can be shared. The added incentive would be a shared tool shed, since most the other drivers borrow my tools anyway. Having the motorbike stands near my own garage and giving them access to my tools would most probably help convince the motorbike owners that its going to be worth their time, effort and money to find a more secure and better-looking parking spot for their motorbikes. 3

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NU 12 Paper by Bong Villamor

NU Paper: JUAN A. VILLAMOR, MBAH Section 10B

Serendipity “Drive”: Business Opportunities Along a Rapidly Urbanizing Stretch of the

                                           Indang-Trece Martires City Road





In just three years, our part of the Cavite backwoods has seen much progress. While the subdivisions have long been in place, hordes of families – some not necessarily from Metro Manila or other faraway places – have settled in and found their sweet spot in the cool weather (just 30 minutes from Tagaytay) and relative peace and quiet of our city. With the influx of people came business establishments, and only last Christmas, a full-pledged Waltermart community mall opened shop in the heart of the city.



Driving along a 3-kilometer stretch between the city proper and our family compound, I recently thought about entrepreneurial opportunities that would match the burgeoning commercial requirements of our community. Ranging from the most capital-intensive to the most easily actionable, here are some options for a would-be entrepreneur like me:



1.        Resort and Convention Center


There is actually a small, seemingly hole-in-the-wall type of resort along the highway, but it’s so small I can’t imagine how they managed to squeeze in a swimming pool in the less-than-quarter of a hectare compound (much like some of the private pools in Laguna). A few tables with huge umbrellas are passed off as gazebos, and the shower and comfort rooms are rolled into one tiny cubicle. If your party is more than five people, chances are you’ll be rubbing elbows with the other group in the next “gazebo”. Obviously, having a meeting or running a training activity in that place is out of the question. A relative in the city hall tells me that they have to go to Dasmarinas or Tagaytay if they want to have the convenience and efficiency of running a whole-day meeting. Incidentally, the city also houses the provincial capitol and at least a dozen other government offices, so a place for these kinds of activities definitely has a market. And there is in fact a nice property on sale along the highway exactly for this type of business.

2.        Cable TV Service Provider


Believe it not, cable TV is available only in the city proper, and with very limited channels. Even satellite dishes (Cignal TV) are quite rare, and offered just a few shows, I was told. This obviously will entail some investment, especially if the cables are to be buried underground. Considering the affinity for technology of our households, with their new-found disposable incomes, such a service is not considered a luxury anymore, however. Flexible installation and subscription rates should be added incentives for families to sign up, especially if “educational” content is available, e.g., National Geographic, Discovery, etc.



3.        Resto Bar and Grill


The last time there was a chill-out place within a ten-kilometer radius of the city was more than ten years ago, and not one has sprouted back ever since. Back then, there were relatively fewer people, and nighttime is officially over at 10 in the evening. Such rustic settings are long gone, and you would mistake a good stretch of highway from the city proper as the environs of Marikina (Marcos Highway) or Pasig (along C5). Up to now however, nobody has ventured to open a decent, cozy bar in the city, and people have to – again – go to Tagaytay for some grilled food or band music. If only among my friends and extended family members, this venture sure looks like a winner.



4.        Car Wash


Definitely, cars are more plentiful in the city now, but the car wash joints are ALL in the city, too! A simple set-up and a small budget can get this operation going, and gauging from the lines at the shops on weekends, there seems like a good business proposition for this kind of a venture. From an operations management as well as from a customer service perspective, there are definitely  better ways to run these shops, and I’m sure car-owners like me will appreciate the change in their weekend experience.  3

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