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Travelling in Style: The Filipino Way
Getting around the country is a major element in the Philippines adventure. Millions of people rely on public transport for all their travel needs, and solutions reflect the natural exuberance of the people.
Like many thing Filipino, the jeepney developed out of practical need. In the initial post-war era there was a need for public transport and coincidentally a surplus of American Jeeps. Enterprising mechanics simply chopped the engine and front cab of the war-horse and fabricated a much more practical rear end that could accommodate 20 or so passengers, and the jeepney was born.
But that wasn't the end of the story. The metal panels of the jeepney body were a blank canvas and it didn't take Filipinos long to personalize their wheels. Whether its shiny chrome or a full paint job, the jeepney is never boring, and no two are ever the same.
The Bangka
The bangka is in many respects the jeepney of the seas. A long, slim canoe with bamboo or wooden outriggers and a huge sail, these sea crafts are ideal for inland waters, zipping across the surface. Bangkas are used as tour boats, short-distance ferries and cargo vessels and they're a ubiquitous sight in holiday beach scenes.
The Filipino Tricycle
These small motorcycles with cabs welded to the side are the wheels of the massesin the Philippines, where passenger traffic isn't dense enough to make a jeepney profitable. For just a few pesos one to six people can be transported in relative style, trudging along at around 15kph (9mph), and be dropped off at their doorsteps; though it's no fun in rainy weather, despite the ingenious devices employed by drivers in an effort to keep passengers dry. Hundreds of these cute contraptions crowd markets, major streets and bus terminals.