We’re no stranger to the hellish experience every Pinoy commuter goes through every day via the LRT and MRT. The long lines, the malfunctioning air conditioning units, the broken railways, the faulty breaks…the reasons for hating it are endless. Artist Ciara Baello took her Metro Manila train riding experience hugot to art. Using Adobe Illustrator CS5, Ciara created the manual in 4 parts: Prep, Paraan, Paghihirap, and Payo.
Included in the Introduction part is this lovely infographic about the Manila Light Rail Transit System (LRT) and the Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MRT).
She also illustrated the different kinds of trains, namely:
Euthanasia (LRT1) – “Oldest version of LRT trains that are still being used. Fairly common. A hit/miss. Sometimes super palpak, init, at bagal. Generally okay.” Ciara rates this train as OK NA LANG, giving it 3 stars for Speed and Capacity, 4 stars for Comfort, and 1 star for Rush Hour.
Youngblood (LRT 1) – “1st Runner Up in our LRT trains ranking, but a champion in my heart. Though it may sometimes smell like diapers inside, it will keep you cool and satisfied.” This train gets an OMG YES overall rating, with 4 stars each for Speed and Comfort, and 3 stars each for Capacity and Rush Hour.
Breezy (LRT2) – “Best version of LRT train available. Sadly not in LRT 1. Relatively new. More spacious and well-maintained. Should be our standard kind of train.” Ciara gives this train a WOW ULAM overall rating, with 5 stars each for Speed, Comfort, and Capacity, and 4 stars for Rush Hour.
Battlefield (MRT) – “Maghandang maging mandirigma. The only type of MRT train we have. PRO: Chill naman pag hindi rush hour. CON: Laging rush hour, wag ka nang umasa, hangal.” This train gets an overall GET SHREkkt.M8 overall rating, with 3 stars each for Speed, Comfort, and Capacity, and a -7.8649… for Rush Hour. Clearly, no one should be riding this train.
Ciara also adds two more types of trains, the Skip Trains. These are the trains who skip stations to accommodate even more passengers on the stations it chooses to stop by.
The LRT/MRT Manual also contains helpful (and pretty funny) illustrated tips on how to ride AKA survive the trip. She lists down the basic necessities (shown below), tips on keeping your place, and warnings on the types of people to look out for during the ride.
Read the rest of the 27-page manual here: Ang Tunay na LRT/MRT Survival Guide and like the artist’s page here: CiarArt.
