IS IT TIME TO SINK OR SWIM?
Everyone has their darkest days, a day they regret, a day they wish had never occured.
For me it was during February this year when a visit to Manila brought me to the immense reality that railway preservation in the Philippines, by the society I personally had started the ball rolling with (along with friends Bill ad Harvey), had greatly failed the people of the Philippines.
The endless need for ego massaging, to take hold control of all railfan societies based on the Philippines and to be alongside managers and other dignatories at railway events, mean't that the wholesale scrapping of important items went unnoticed.
Indeed, the soon to be proclaimed new president of the 'Railways and Industrial Heritage Society Phils. Inc.' was horrified to learn of what I had found, not least due to the destruction of a couple of his personal favourites.
The soon to be out-going president (officially, but not in reality), too busy massaging his own importance, has since brushed it off saying that they decided to keep whatever "THEY" could hope to restore in their lifetime, without thought to other peoples lifetimes.
You see, socities are mean't to be full of OTHER people. A society works together to achieve a common goal.
Socities, including railway socities, require the usual heirachy at the top, but when these people fail to treat their members and others with respect, they soon find people leaving for other goals. Not even the appointing of a puppet president will curb this downturn - people seeing straight through the bulldust into the reality of what is still going on.
Railway preservation in the Philippines has been failed - Totally Failed.
No amount of ego, smoke screens, mud slinging, lies, lies or other carrying on will ever change this.
The question being put to a meeting of the PRHS this Friday is:
"Is there any reason to continue reservation in the Philippines, should there be a new more considerate society and how can things be done differently?"
Three questions, but three very important questions needing a lot of discussions.
It all comes down to whether or not what little is left needs to be preserved and is there a new team out there who has the capability of doing it?
A answer of 'NO' would be regretable, but fully understandable, given the total disgrace that has spewed forth since 2007.
Philippine Railway Preservation
Time To Sink Or Swim!
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