“Japan” vibes?
A content creator’s Facebook post earned buzz for comparing some images of a Light Rail Transit-Line 2 station to that of Japan’s train stations.
Facebook page Engr. berto, with YouTube channel “engr. berto,” posted pictures of LRT-2’s Antipolo Station platforms and some parts of the station itself on December 8.
“Lakas maka-Japan nitong mga shots ng LRT-2 Antipolo Station. GANDAAAAA!” the caption, accompanied by a Philippine flag emoji, read.
The post has earned 7,100 likes and reactions. It was also shared by another Facebook page, “Emerging Philippines.”
The content creator’s opinion earned mixed reactions from the local online community.
Some also praised the LRT-2 station in the comments section.
“Tawa lang kayo, pero legit, this station makes me happy kasi ang peaceful niya, tapos mahangin. Idc [I don’t care] and idk [I don’t know] why is this funny for you. I know malayo tayo sa mga ibang bansa, pero there are some [Filipinos] na appreciate ‘to,” a Facebook user said.
“I’ve always found the infrastructure of the LRT-2 better than the ones on the LRT-1 and MRT. I’ve always enjoyed looking at their round trains and smaller-looking rails lol,” another online user wrote.
Others, on the other hand, were more critical of the content creator’s comparison.
“‘Di [naman]. Wala pa halos tao eh. [‘Pag] madami ‘yan tapos makikita mo ang disiplina, ‘yun ung lakas maka-Japan,” a Facebook user wrote with a laughing emoji.
“The main difference is that Japan prioritizes efficient public mass transport system,” another Pinoy commented.
“Kasi mapapa-‘Yamete’ ka sa taas [ng] hagdan,” a different user wrote, referring to the staircase leading to the particular station’s platform. “Yamete” means “stop” or “stop it” in Japanese.
“Are you kidding me? The only way na magiging ‘close to being Japan’ [tayo] if mismong mga citizens matutong magkaroon [ng] class at marunong mag-alaga ng kapaligiran natin. (Simpleng pag-flush nga lang ng toilet sa [CR] ng train station, hindi pa magawa, tapos hindi pa maghuhugas ng mga kamay after gumamit),” another Facebook user wrote.
To reiterate his opinion, “Engr. berto” shared a video that featured an anime-style rendition of some of the shots taken from the LRT-2 Antipolo Station.
Japan is known as the pioneer of modern high-speed rail lines.
It first unveiled its high-speed rail in 1964 and has since set the standard for modern train efficiency, speed and comfort worldwide.
Japan partially funded the LRT-2’s extension project through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The extension project was finished last year, adding two more stations—the Marikina and Antipolo Stations.
According to the Philippine Information Agency, the initiative of the LRT-2’s extension was owed to the Metro Manila Urban Transportation Study by JICA in 1990.
