Motoring Today Column

Dec 18, 2019

Christmas cheer on the road

Today is the perfect time to start the habit of road courtesy. It is the season of joy and what better way to spread Christmas cheer than by being a courteous motorist.

It should not matter that the other drivers beside you are rude and clearly trying to get you out of your lane. How much time will you really gain if you do not give him space?

The test of spreading the spirit of Christmas will really be difficult at the malls where parking spots are now as scarce as a taxi on a rainy payday Friday. Courtesy dictates that a driver does not "steal" a parking spot from someone who is waiting for a parked car to leave his slot. Yet I see this happen often - a driver who passes by suddenly drives into a parking slot even if another car is already in position to park there. It's a situation that flashes the word RUDE in capital letters, but that does not seem to bother some drivers.

And then one needs patience to deal with a person who is standing on the parking slot while waiting for a companion's car to reach it. Is it being courteous to allow that idiot to stand there - usually with hands stretched out like in a game of "patintero"? Or do you open your window and say your mind - which surely will not bring words spreading Christmas cheer.

Starting the habit of road courtesy today may be easier said than done as this is also the season when we are all in a hurry and traffic is denser than usual.

In the past few days, traffic has become horrible that my friend's travel time over a 17-kilometer distance from home to office now takes two hours! I keep hearing horror stories about being stuck in traffic these days that I am tempted to compile and compare them to the stories I shall hear same time next year. Will it be worst - or will it be better?

We are reading about the many new roads, overpasses, ramps, additional lanes being opened that traffic should have eased up by now. But the new road space was quickly taken over by the volume of cars that has multiplied because of the Christmas season.

Traffic has now limited the gatherings of family and friends at this time of the year. I've heard of "virtual parties" where people send each other special food and then talk over the phone to say how much they enjoyed them. For them to actually meet and party means giving up many tasks, one of them work.

I've also heard of a company that now brings their Christmas parties to the offices of people in their guest list. They bring merienda or lunch to their friends in one office instead of inviting them to a party in a hotel where the guests would have to crawl through two hours of traffic just to attend it. That seems like a good idea but it dilutes the fun of simply being in one big party with people you meet only once a year.

I am old fashioned - I still would prefer to sit, talk, have a drink, and enjoy a meal with friends all in one place.

Meanwhile, keep a smile that can inspire motorists around you to be courteous today.

Believe in the magic of Christmas! Yield, be courteous, and spread the spirit of the season.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments & inquiries:

(email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com

(website) www.motoringtoday.ph

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ray Butch Gamboa graduated from the College of Arts and Letters of the University of Sto. Tomas. It was a course that should have been preparatory to a law degree, but the call of broadcasting aborted his plans.

At the age of 16, while still a student, Butch tried his hand at disc jockeying, landing a job at Mareco Broadcasting Network’s AM stations DZBM and DZLM. From there, Butch moved on with his illustrious career as a popular disc jockey, riding the airwaves of Bob Stewart’s middle-of-the-road music at DZXX, and ending his disc jockeying career at ABS-CBN’s DZYL and DZQL.

From there, he stayed on with ABS-CBN, covering live the proceedings at the Manila Stock Exchange and eventually entered into the world of television sales as an account manager for the premier channel of ABS-CBN Channel 2.

In the early 70’s, at the outbreak of Martial Law, Butch was one of the thousands of professionals who woke up jobless when then President Marcos declared the new status of the nation. With the closure of ABS-CBN, Butch ventured into different fields outside of broadcast. He tried his hand and with ease and success at export (Costume jewelry), real estate (brokerage), and restaurants (fast food).

In 1987, after the revolution, with the broadcast industry back to its free state, and with its irresistible call ringing in his ears, Butch made his inevitable comeback and pioneered in a local motoring show, producing Motoring Today on Channel 4 and co-hosting with local motor sports’ living legend Pocholo Ramirez.

After 4 years, he ventured into another pioneering format by producing and hosting Business & Leisure, which was originally aired on ABS-CBN’s Channel 2. The format eventually espoused similar ones in other different channels. But the clones in due course faded away leaving the original staying on airing on Channel 4 and eventually on Shop TV on Sky Cable’s Channel 13.

The following year, the pioneering spirit in Butch spurred him to produce another TV show, Race Weekend, also on Channel 4, covering circuit racing at the Subic International Raceway after the motor sport’s hiatus of 17 years. But when similar shows with duplicated formats sprouted, he decided to give way and ended the program after a year, although still enjoying unparalleled viewership.

In 1998, when the local automotive industry was in a slump, Butch contributed his share to help the ailing industry by producing another popular motoring-related show, this time exclusive to the automobile and its industry—Auto Focus, which became a vehicle for local automotive assemblers and importers to showcase their products and dwell on the industry’s latest technological developments.

In 2003, Butch teamed up with his brother, Rey Gamboa who was a former Shell executive and presently one Philippine Star’s business columnist to co-produce and co-host the TV show Breaking Barriers on Channel 13. It is a talk show that features guests who are in the news and in the middle of controversies. The program ventures to draw deeper insights into current issues to learn how they impact to our daily lives.

Today, Motoring Today on its 28th year of service to the general motoring public still enjoys its unprecedented loyal vierwership nationwide while Auto Focus, after 16 years has firmly established its niche viewership among automobile enthusiasts and on the other hand Business & Leisure is on its 24th year dishing out current business issues and lifestyle features.

Today, aside from writing weekly columns for the Philippine Star (Motoring Today on Wednesdays and Business & Leisure on Saturdays) and executive producer / host of weekly TV shows (Motoring Today, airs Sundays on Solar Sports Channel 70, Business & Leisure, airs Tuesdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13 and Auto Focus airs Thursdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13, Ray Butch Gamboa is currently the Chairman and CEO of Sunshine Television Production and Marketing Services Corp., President of Gamcor Management and Development Corp., Chairman of Asia-Pacific Realty Corporation, President and Chairman of Socio-Communication Foundation for Asia and Founding Chairman of the Society of Phil. Motoring Journalists (SPMJ)