Aussie falls in ditch, hits PHL Gov’t. over neglect

[DonCebu]

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Aussie falls in ditch, hits PHL Gov’t. over neglect - Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on December 22, 2011.

AN Australian national lambasted the Philippine Government and its poor infrastructure after he fell into a ditch in Carbon Public Market in Cebu City.

The ditch was covered with uneven and movable footpaths, and George Sydney Carlsen, a 69-year-old retired miner, had the misfortune of stepping on them, falling feet first into the ditch.

He was lucky, however, to have sustained only a gash in the left shin and bruises in his right leg.

“I blame the Philippine Government for things like these. The government should do something about these streets. It's the same wherever I've been,” said Carlsen.

“I feel sorry for the Filipinos,” Carlsen added.

Carlsen, who was with his Filipina girlfriend and two friends, is in Cebu City to celebrate Christmas but ended up criticizing the state of Cebu City’s streets and that of the entire country because of the incident.

He was living in Dumaguete City for two years, where he said the situation was no different, but it was in Cebu City where he experienced the “sorry infrastructure” of the Philippines.

“The Philippine Government should be ashamed of themselves,” said Carlsen. “I was in Hong Kong recently and I couldn’t wish for a better street.”

Carlsen limped to the Cebu City Hall yesterday to complain to Mayor Michael Rama about what happened to him.

The Australian was walking along Carbon around 11 a.m. yesterday, at the corner of Manalili and Progreso Sts., when he fell into a canal.

Carlsen’s girlfriend Marie Jell Fernandez, 45, explained they were looking for farming equipment in the area when the Australian fell into the ditch.

City Hall visit

Fernandez's face towel was still blooded when they visited City Hall.

Rama was not around that time, so staff from the Office of the Mayor accompanied Carlsen and drove him to the Cebu City Medical Center.

When Rama arrived at City Hall, he was told that Carlsen was bad-mouthing Cebu City.

The mayor said in jest that maybe Carlsen should not be in the city.

However, Rama said he will task the Department of Engineering and Public Works to visit the area and repair the canal covering to prevent a similar incident.

The Australian said the footpaths covering the ditch were too wide apart.

He is contemplating on lodging a damage suit against the Philippine Government.

Carlsen is from Western Australia and came to the Philippines after his retirement, where he met Fernandez, who hails from Talisay City.

Carlsen, who arrived from Dumaguete just last Tuesday, is in Cebu with the intention of staying.

Do you think Mayor Rama was right to tell him "maybe Carlsen should not be in the city" ?

Do you think our government should take responsibility or is it the fault of foreigners to watch where they are going so they don't fall into open ditches ?

Being a miner in Aus, the guy should not think it was such a big deal but our Mayor should at least give the guy some bleacher seat tickets for Sinulog ? Is'nt out city government trying to attract tourists ?

[peewee_toot]

na news ni ky foreigner mn gd ang na tagak. pero og ordinaryo ra nga tao, aw, wa ra ni. faet!

[Eve's Apple Project]

sakto bai..tungod PUTI man maong na news..hahaha.

if you ask me if sakto ba si Rama? aw, sakto kung parehas ta sa saudi, ang problema Pinas man ni. bisan kinsa pa ang moreklamo ila ta lihokon ang problema kay trabaho na nila..kinahanglan pajud diay nga moreklamo para molihok ang DPWH? hahaha ahaka jud oi?!

[æRLO]

na news ni ky foreigner mn gd ang na tagak. pero og ordinaryo ra nga tao, aw, wa ra ni. faet!

ding ding ding...100 points for Griffyndor.

[john_yo]

pagka faet.... onli in da pilipins. hehehe

[lestat1116]

wala mabuhat ang foreigner. maghinay nalang.

[pepponeskie]

ang foreigner mosabot nalang unta nga dili parehas ka datu ug progresibo ang iyang nasod e kompara diri sa pilipinas. Dili unta cya mag expect ug daku kaau sa atoa.

naa man pod tingale saktong budget ana ang dpwh, ang blema ni sulod sa laing bulsa.

[digitalsuperman]

Butthead: what a dumbass...
Beavis: boyoyoyoyoyng....

[DonCebu]

na news ni ky foreigner mn gd ang na tagak. pero og ordinaryo ra nga tao, aw, wa ra ni. faet!

kitang mga pilino dili man gud tah mo reklamo,ato lang gi pasagdan ang goberno na mag cege lang ug kolekta ug taxes para sa ilang mga kaugalingun...na dapat unta ilang unahun ang pag ayu sa mga gubang KARSADA ug mga SIDEwalk.

[DonCebu]

sakto bai..tungod PUTI man maong na news..hahaha.

if you ask me if sakto ba si Rama? aw, sakto kung parehas ta sa saudi, ang problema Pinas man ni. bisan kinsa pa ang moreklamo ila ta lihokon ang problema kay trabaho na nila..kinahanglan pajud diay nga moreklamo para molihok ang DPWH? hahaha ahaka jud oi?!

mao bah ..pero kinahanglan pa bah diay tah magpa abut na ang farang ang mo reklamo

kta man gud mga pilino wala man gud tai oras mag reklamo kai busy man ta mag stand by ug mag inum ug red horse, tandauy ug tuba.