23-1-2024 (MANILA) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended his decision to attend a recent Coldplay concert by arriving in a helicopter, asserting that the show was too exceptional to miss. In an interview with a state news agency, Marcos, who did not complete his bachelor’s degree at the University of Oxford, expressed his longstanding passion for music and claimed to have studied it extensively.
The president and his family faced significant criticism on social media for their helicopter transportation to the Coldplay concert, which took place on January 19. Many commenters highlighted that taxpayers funded the shortened trip to the rock band’s performance.
In response, the Presidential Security Command justified the use of the helicopter, citing the potential security threat posed by the heavy traffic caused by the 40,000 concertgoers traveling to the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
Describing the Coldplay concert as “fantastic,” Marcos expressed his enthusiasm for the event. He stated, “It was great. You can ask anybody who attended the concert. It’s different from the previous concerts we used to attend.”
Metro Manila’s Traffic Woes:
Metro Manila has gained notoriety for having the world’s worst traffic among all metropolitan areas. According to the 2023 Tomtom Traffic Index, the city ranked first out of 387 cities across 55 countries in terms of traffic congestion.
During the Coldplay show in the Philippines, frontman Chris Martin commented on the “completely insane” traffic in Metro Manila and labeled it as the “number one” in the world.
In 2023, President Marcos pledged to improve the country’s public transportation systems and vowed to pursue the necessary modernization of vital transport infrastructure, including roads, highways, and railways.
However, Marcos has faced criticism from transport groups for refusing to extend the December 31, 2023 deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicle (PUV) operators. This decision has sparked concerns about the livelihoods of thousands of jeepney drivers.
