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Monday, February 06, 2006
Nalzaro: Poverty and luck
By Bobby Nalzaro
THE stampede that claimed the lives of at least 74 persons at the Philsports Arena should serve as a lesson to future organizers of big events and spectators that they should always be prepared for any untoward incident, especially in the aspect of crowd control. I am not blaming anybody, but there seemed to be lapses in crowd control procedures last Saturday morning. The incident also showed the lack of discipline of some of our countrymen. Even if Philsport Arena management and the event organizer, ABS-CBN, hired hundreds of security forces to man the premises, they still wouldn’t match the rude and eager crowd.
But the incident could have been avoided had the organizer adopted some measures. It was the anniversary of the show “Wowowee.” A big crowd was expected. Several hours before the show started, thousands of people, mostly from the provinces, were already in line. They were hoping to get raffle tickets that would enable them to participate in the games, where the show was giving away millions in prizes.
ABS-CBN management should have distributed the raffle tickets earlier, either through the air or through field promo, so that only those with raffle tickets could be accommodated. The raffle tickets should have been based on capacity of Philsports Arena. Or management should have distributed the tickets in exchange for a proof of purchase of any of the products of the show’s sponsors. With this set-up, spectators could have been regulated.
The victims were all hoping to get a raffle ticket. They didn’t just go there to watch host Willy Revillame and his battery of sexy dancers. What drove them was the possibility of winning attractive prizes. When I was in Manila last year attending a network conference, I also witnessed this kind of crowd on GMA 7’s noontime show “Eat Bulaga.”
The incident also highlighted the economic despair most of our countrymen find themselves in, forcing them to rely on quick windfalls and luck to put an end to their miserable existence. That is why they grab at every opportunity to escape, be it by betting on illegal or legal numbers games like masiao, lotto and sweepstakes or by joining TV game shows that offer attractive prizes. Kana laging pamasin ba.
(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 6, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
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