MANILA, June 13 — The afternoon heat was intense, made even more oppressive by exhaust fumes from the city’s notorious traffic congestion.

The relentless sounds of honking vehicles blended with the calls of jeepneys, tricycles and motorcycles competing for passengers – a familiar soundtrack in the streets of one of South-east Asia’s busiest metropolitan centres.

Riding on a jeepney in the Philippines had long been on this writer’s bucket list, after missing the chance to do so during a previous visit to Manila in 2024. Returning to the city to attend a workshop under the Earth Journalism Network’s Earth Shorts Fellowship from May 25 to 28, the writer finally had the opportunity to tick that wish off the list.

In the Philippines, jeepneys are known as the ‘kings of the road’. According to a recent report carried by the Philippines’ largest media network ABS-CBN, there are some 120,000 jeepneys operating all over the country. These colourful vehicles with loud horns and diesel engines ferry millions of Filipinos on their daily commutes. 

The jeepneys were originally US military jeeps that were left behind in the Philippines after World War II. Charging 16 to 40 pesos per ride, these vehicles were extended and repurposed with roofs and bench seating by their local owners to serve as a mode of transport for the public.

Symbol of Philippine culture

For this writer, her first jeepney ride (from Taft Avenue MRT Station in Pasay City here to the Mall of Asia, located three kilometres away) was memorable. After about 10 minutes of waiting by the roadside, an approaching jeepney finally came into view. The vehicle pulled over as passengers exited through the rear entrance, and a new wave of commuters quickly boarded and squeezed onto the narrow benches lining both sides of the vehicle. Within minutes, every seat was occupied and the jeepney rumbled back into the city’s heavy traffic.

However, the scorching temperature and growing crowd inside the jeepney with every stop turned the ride into a sweaty affair. 

Yet, despite the discomfort, there was something uniquely captivating about sharing the journey with ordinary Filipinos: workers heading home, young people chatting with friends and families carrying shopping bags, all packed together in a mode of transport that has become a symbol of Philippine culture and everyday life.

An interesting observation about Manila’s jeepneys is that few are left plain. Most of the vehicles are painted in vibrant colours, lined with route details and decorated with religious imagery, pop culture references and personal artworks. 

From pastoral landscapes and scenic beaches to mountain scenes, airbrushed basketball stars and cartoon characters, each jeepney seems to tell a story.

As pointed out by The Philippine Star journalist Marc Jayson Cayabyab, “Jeepney art is a source of personal pride for the owners. Even if money is tight, few jeepney drivers will skimp on their elaborate ‘name plates’.”

“It’s a basic need for people who don’t have money and power to establish a presence and a sense of belonging,” he told Bernama.

Another interesting observation is how passengers navigate the city’s sprawling transport network without technological assistance. 

Unlike buses or trains, whose routes can easily be tracked through navigation applications such as Google Maps or Moovit, jeepneys operate largely beyond the reach of digital mapping platforms. Instead, commuters rely on something far more traditional: experience and familiarity.

Asked how people manage to find their way, Cayabyab said the locals know where the jeepneys are going based on the route information displayed on the vehicles. 

Even when the route signs are unclear or missing, regular commuters seldom face difficulties.

“Sometimes, we just ask the driver about the route if it isn’t displayed, but most of the time we already know because we have been using jeepneys for years,” he said.

Phase out 

While jeepneys are a reliable form of commuting for many people in the Philippines because of their affordability and easy accessibility, the future of this transport system remains uncertain. The reason for this is the government’s public transportation modernisation programme, which seeks to replace older jeepney units with electric vehicles.

According to the Philippines’ Centre for Energy Ecology and Development executive director Gerry Arances, the government introduced the Public Utility Vehicle Modernisation Programme in 2017, a scheme to rid the roads of the loud, polluting and long-outdated vehicles “originally intended for combat, not commuting”. 

“The government initially aimed to replace dilapidated and dangerous passenger jeepneys and vans with modern vehicles, which have safety features and conform to carbon emission standards, and the vehicle owners have to join transport cooperatives and corporations for better transport management,” he told Bernama via a Zoom interview.

“However, it was met with protests from jeepney operators, who slowed down the (modernisation) process… they argued that the changes would only benefit large corporations and ensure the death of small businesses.”

Arances said opponents of the modernisation programme claimed that most poor drivers could not afford to purchase new passenger jeepneys even with promised government financial aid, adding that they also have a fear of losing something that feels deeply rooted in local culture. 

He said the current global energy crisis has also pushed the government to electrify jeepneys due to the high price of diesel. 

On June 4, ABS-CBN quoted the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) as saying that around 6,000 jeepneys nationwide are expected to transition to electric vehicles this year.

Arances said any response to the energy crisis must prioritise justice and fairness, especially for vulnerable communities that are often the hardest hit by rising energy costs.

He said immediate efforts should focus on cushioning the impact of energy price shocks on affected groups, especially workers in the transport sector who depend on fuel for their daily livelihoods.

At the same time, he stressed that the transition towards electric mobility, particularly for mass public transportation, offers a more economical long-term solution compared to conventional diesel-powered vehicles.

In the meantime, for millions of Filipinos, jeepneys remain one of the most affordable and accessible modes of transport, connecting communities and providing a dependable means of getting around the various cities and towns. — Bernama