Comfort on the road

MANILA, Philippines – It is sad and unfortunate to admit that commuting in the Philippines is the worst part of a worker’s day. But, disappointing as it is, this has become the reality for every hardworking Filipino worker. Whether in the early morning rush or during the laidback yet congested evening rush hour, people line up for hours just to catch their 20 to 30-minute train ride home while some even sit on a two or three-hour bus or shuttle ride to get their rest. And can it get any worse? It can. When a train malfunctions, when an accident happens along the road, or when it rains heavily (or worse, all these happen in one instance), commuting–from being a burden–becomes unbearable.

Now, while this sounds all too whiny, why not think of ways to ease the situation up a bit? Is there something people can do about the railway transit, or the traffic, or the rain? On that, maybe there’s none. But commuters can definitely do something to keep their daily travel safe and, yes, “comfortable”.

Here’s how you can survive your rainy-day commute and reach your destination safe and sound:

Prepare your gadgets for the worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is getting stranded because of heavy traffic and flooding. But if there’s something that can get worse than that, it’s getting stranded without having the slightest idea about what’s happening around you. That’s why it is always a must to keep your gadgets charged and your powerbank ready for some emergency charging. This way you can still check on news online or, if you want to lessen the stress, listen to music, watch movies, read e-books, and most importantly, call your family and friends for updates on your whereabouts.

Always bring food. This can be a pack of biscuit, a bar of chocolate, or anything you can munch on while stuck on the road. It is important to keep yourself nourished and hydrated while trying to survive the ordeal at hand of commuting on a rainy day.

Don’t forget your jacket. A water-resistant jacket is one of the best companions commuters can have on a rainy and traffic-congested day. Imagine riding an air-conditioned vehicle while you’re still soaking wet from the rain. Perfect formula to get sick the next day, is it not?

And your umbrella. Though it sometimes feels like the umbrella doesn’t do much, it still spares us from cold and fever when it protects majority of our body from the rain. So remember to make your umbrella a regular in your bag. You need it more than you think you do.

Don’t make your office shoes combat water. If you don’t want to end up spending much on office shoes, invest on rainy day footwear that will save your leather or suede from getting soaked. It’s not cool to wear those while braving the rain, and more importantly, it’s not practical.

Hop on to a worry-free ride!

But instead of commuting, owning a car will let all your rush hour hassle and rainy day worries vanish!

You wouldn’t have to wait in line for the shuttle or bus that is taking forever to arrive, you don’t need to walk long distances and get soaked in the rain just to reach the public transport terminals, you can take other routes that are less congested and cut down your travel time and you can sit comfortably, turn the music up to your rainy day playlist and sing along (or dance) all you want.

With BDO Auto Loan, a smooth, comfortable and worry-free ride is within your reach.

And from October 9 to 19, 2014, you can enjoy a hassle-free and stress-free car shopping experience at any of the BDO Deals on Wheels showcase happening nationwide.

Drive home the car you’ve always wanted and don’t miss out on these special offers:

• Free Gas up to Php10,000 (upon successful loan application)
• Low interest rates and fast loan processing
• All-in Financing option to cover payment for Chattel Mortgage, 1^st year Car Insurance Premium and 3-year LTO registration

Hurry, visit any BDO Deals on Wheels showcase now and say goodbye to your commuting woes! You’ll be surprised with how convenient and affordable it is to own a car.

BDO Deals on Wheels promo loan packages are available from October 9 to 19, 2014 and are applicable to all applications subsequently approved and availed not later than January 19, 2015.

For more details, please call the BDO Customer Contact Center at (02) 631-8000, Domestic Toll-Free at 1-800-10-6318000 or visit any BDO branch nearest you.

You may also text BDOLOANS to 2256**, key in the corresponding product code (AL for Auto Loan) together with your name and contact details and a BDO Account Officer will immediately reply to your loan queries and concerns.

*Terms and Conditions apply.

**P2.50 charge for Globe and Smart subscribers. P2.00 charge for Sun subscribers.

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