Traveling around the Philippines isn’t possible, without different means of transportation. And when I say, different—Philippines has many unique modes of transportation to offer, letting anyone reach their preferred destinations.
If you wish to explore our country’s different places and tourist spots, you are sure to be acquainted with our diverse transportation vehicles that help us get through daily city life.
Jeepney
This is our most popular mode of transportation in the country. It’s a relic of the WW2 soldier jeepneys used back there, only improvised throughout generation and had become the leading transportation vehicle in the country. It usually has a brightly painted body and wheels, and its open-air structure helps anyone see wherever they are going. I usually ride in one when I got to work and when I go home.
The basic jeepney fare nowadays is P8, (0.158$), while the air-conditioned ones can cost P12 (24$) per ride. The price goes up if you wish to go in a distant place from where you left off. A standard jeep can accommodate 10-14 people. You could say “Para Po” (Please pause, or stop) to pull over whenever you wish to.
We also have recently an E-jeepney, one whose power relies on electric energy—compared to a standard jeepney whose energy depends on gas. It’s way eco-friendly than a normal jeep.
Bus and Taxi
It is a miracle if you are like me who go to work at Makati in Manila—to find an empty bus on a daily basis. Buses are the big ones in our streets, as they are bigger and faster than jeepneys. Basic bus fare fee here in our country is P12, while it can cost higher for distant stop overs. One time when I had to go the Cavite, (neighbor city of Manila), I paid a fare of P180 for a one-and-a-half-hour drive. As I have said, it depends on your travel distance. We also have a hybrid bus, more like the bus version of E-jeepneys.
Taxis, on the other hand; have been upgraded nowadays in personalized themes, like the rising car services called Uber and Grab. Unlike Taxi’s, you can have the privilege to schedule your lift service online, anywhere you are.
Pedicab
Photo by Baby Goyal
It’s like a bicycle, but with a protective roof designed to cover passengers during rainy days. The basic fee for a ride is P40 (0.79$) good for 2 people—but it may differ depending on the distance you want to go to. I usually ride a pedicab when I do groceries.
Unlike all other mentioned mode of transportation, they are not hard to find anywhere. Most streets in the Philippines have a long line of pedicabs waiting for passersby. I also ride on them when the rain is heavy and I can’t walk through flooded streets—but I can’t assure that they’ll keep you dry from the rain, based on my own experience. Better carry a jacket for always.
Motorcycle
It’s like a pedicab—but it has its own machine to keep the vehicle running. It’s a motor but also created with a protective bunk and cover. It can accommodate 4-5 persons (3 can share the inside bunk, while 2 can sit behind the driver). One ride costs 8 pesos per person on a group ride, but in a specialized one, it can cost only P60-70 pesos (1.19-1.38$).
LRT and MRT Transportation
Of course, you know these two—they’re the general modes of transportation around the world. Here in the Philippines, you can only have the comfort of riding these trains when it’s downtime, likely early in the morning or at night around 8:30 PM, as they are filled during the daytime. Expect to always stand whenever traveling with these trains on a broad daylight. My friend in the picture, Michelle Asido had an opportunity to ride the LRT at night, telling me people are usually less compared to daylight transportation.
Photo by Michelle Asido
While here is the picture of my former colleague, Erwin Bulang—one time he captured his daily travel to work at MRT.
Photo by Erwin Bulang
You can buy a ticket card from a specific station, costing a standard P15 pesos (0.30$). If you wish to go to a far end station, the price usually cost P20-30 (0.40- 59$). However, if you don’t like to get in line and wait until your turn to the counter, you can buy they Beep Card by only P100 pesos (1.98$) The great thing about this card is that you can load it up however amount you like, and mostly saves you from long line of a queue.
When swiping up the ticket, you should wait for the screen to flash its green color to know that you had successfully swiped your card. If you ever had failed to enter or exiting a station (which can always happen when your card seems to be rejected by the machine), you just must tell a nearby guard about it. Usually, at situations like this, you will present your card to at counter. They will deduct few cards loads to make your card readable again on the machine.
A fun, clever ride.
These Philippines’ mode of transportation are one of our country’s gem, helping us get through everyday life and traveling pursuits easier. Come and experience one of our extraordinary vehicles upon your first visit here in the Philippines!
For more transportation here in the Philippines, check THIS out!
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