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The Philippine Jeepney: Stalwart of Manila Travel
Manila travel has shed its old dawdling shell in favor of a tougher, meaner backbone - and a colorful one at that.
The Philippine jeepney is the undisputed king of modern Manila travel. Despite the volume of public utility buses, taxicabs and privately owned cars plying the nation's thoroughfares, the jeepney still provides the best balance between reliability and affordability for the urban populace. Trains facilitate Manila travel. There are 3 railway systems in Manila but the jeepney's niche in the Metropolis is still the real backbone of Manila travel.
The jeepney is a ride, a melting pot, a storybook and an artwork rolled into one. One of the best things about a jeepney ride are fellow passengers you get to share the trip with. On the jeepney, it's not uncommon to find two persons conversing with each other face to face, sharing very interesting stories about life itself--to the amazement and delight of all passengers.
But perhaps what made the gem of Manila travel so famous are the different embellishments done on the ride's chrome-plated exterior. The typical jeepney has a big colorful sign on its front (the jeepney's "name"), another sign dangling from its rump, is route plastered across the sides, and different paintings all over. Looking at jeepney signs and artwork not only makes for an excellent individual game, it also gives a glimpse of the stories of the people behind the wheel. Anyone who wants to know about Manila travel must know the Jeepney. Besides, when you're in Manila traveling around, it is difficult to get around with ease without the jeepney since jeepney routes connect virtually any point within the Metropolis.
It's not that the Philippines is the only nation that has its own unique form of public transport. In industrialized Japan, bullet trains blaze through at 170 mph - in stark contrast with slow Hanoi rickshaws, which let their passengers soak in the sights, sounds and smells of Vietnam. Thailand's bustling cities have three-wheeled tuk-tuks and Hong Kong boasts of Star Ferries. But, perhaps because of much intertwining between the histories of man and machine, the Philippine jeepney trumps them all. It is probably the center piece of Manila travel. You can get anywhere in Manila by taking a jeepney. What the train cannot reach, the jeepney will reach. This is a fact of Manila travel which you should grasp as soon as you can.
At the end of the Second World War, US personnel in the Philippines returned back to their homeland, leaving a surplus of equipment in the archipelago, including their jeeps. Filipinos who took possession of these jeeps used them to earn extra. Later on, to attract passengers they began to customize their jeeps, decorating them, ornamenting their hoods with concrete horse figurines and colorful flags, extending its rear so that more can be accommodated, and soon the jeepney was part and parcel of Manila travel life.
Hailing a jeepney today is very easy - just a raised arm will do. Jeepneys will practically stop anywhere for passengers, provided the place is not an explicitly no-loading zone. To stop, just say "Para." For those with weak voices, do not despair. Fellow passengers will not let anyone who bellows "para" miss her stop. You've learned 50% of Manila travel once you've learned to say "para".
The typical jeepney can accommodate 20 passengers at a time, though some can take along as much as 26 or more. The current minimum fare is 7.50 PhP, though a twenty percent discount is given to senior citizens, students, and the disabled.
Many Filipino textbooks still cite the calesa, an ornamented horse-drawn carriage from the Spanish era, as the traditional mode of Manila travel and as the country's national means of public transport. However, the jeepney remains the most iconic piece of not just Manila travel, but the Filipino way of life.
So the next time you visit the Philippines, drop the carpool once in a while and take a jeepney ride. Manila travel and its bustling environs rarely disappoint. Just don't forget to say "para".
