Traveling at noontime along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City, I chanced upon the changing of morning and afternoon shifts for a national elementary or grade school. The scene is similar to that of the high school I posted previously but there were more people here considering many grade school children were with their parents or guardians, easily doubling (more?) the number of persons generated by elementary schools. However, there are few private vehicles generated by this public school and so congestion along Sumulong Highway is due to the sheer number of people entering, exiting and waiting at the school’s single gate and the tricycles manoeuvring in the area. I also noticed here that most people did not take a vehicle to go to/from school but walked to/from their homes. Again, this underlines the issue about where we send our children for schooling and how they commute. It also says something about the quality of schools that ‘force’ parents to choose the more exclusive ones located a good distance away from where they reside.

Students arriving at the school have to fall in line and wait for the morning batch to come out. There is very limited space outside the school so people including parents and guardians spill out of the sidewalks and occupy part of the curbside lane.

Causing some congestion were tricycles manoeuvring as they brought in students. Those waiting for their potential or intended (sundo) passengers were lined up along the curb side.

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