Last week, James Deakin posted a photo of an injured horse of a kalesa along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard. According to James, the person who sent it in said it happened in front of the Kapitan Kiko Motorshop along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard. According to the one who sent in the photo, the bus hit the horse, which in turn, hit a jeep. Apparently, the bus driver simply left after the incident without even checking on the horse or the man who probably needed the horse to make money.
In his caption, James says, “It’s time we relegate kalesas to tourist spots in controlled traffic areas to avoid this happening. Using them as vehicles and mixing them in with regular moving traffic is just cruel.” Read the original post here (you can find the comments of the one who sent in the photo in the comments section):
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Netizens are ablaze in the comments section as of this posting. Fiel L. agrees with James said and says that it is sad to realize that yes, it is time to relocate kalesas, even though they are an integral part of our historic culture. “With the traffic and arrogant drivers around, these horses dont stand a chance in walking around the city anymore,” says Fiel. “Maybe they should keep them in a secluded area where there are no Public Utility Vehicles or no vehicles at all. Or is it already time to retire the thought of having kalesas around the city and bring these horses to a much better environment for them?”
KC M. actually suggests removing jeeps altogether and investing in modern public transportation instead. “Jeepneys have been the pioneer of public tranport since World War II and have been part of our culture, but don’t you think that this is also the reason why we’re stuck in this transportation dilemma?” KC asks.
Kristine F., on the other hand, suggests banning horse-drawn carriages or kalesas in the Philippines altogether. “It’s being done in other countries,” she says. She also points out that that “chances are, these horses are also in poor health aside from the dangers they face everyday while on the streets.”
What do you think should be done about this? Share your thoughts with us!
