Why Jeepneys Became the Philippines’ “Hari ng Kalsada”

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Tagged as “Hari ng Kalsada” (King of the Road) in the Philippines, jeepneys are the most prominent mode of transportation in the country. Our streets would not be as Pinoy as it is without this colorful and intricately-designed vehicle.

Ikaw, gaano ka kadalas sumasakay ng jeep? O, nakasakay ka na ga ng jeep? Sabi nga, hindi ka tunay na Pinoy kung hindi mo pa nararanasan ang mga bagay na tatak atin talaga. Gaya na lang ng jeep. Kung hindi ka pa nakakasakay ng jeep, aba, panahon na para subukan mo naman.

It has been said that jeepneys in the Philippines were modified U.S. jeeps when the American troops left the country after the World War II. Filipinos who were able to purchase these jeepneys from the Americans modified the vehicles and turned them into dashing and spacious means of transportation.

One of the famous makers of jeepneys in the Philippines is Sarao Motors which started its operation in 1953. With the design, the noise it’s creating, the features inside it, and the masculinity it poses on the streets, now wonder why jeepney became the Philippines’ Hari ng Kalsada.

Our family had a jeepney we called ‘Celino’ (I can’t remember why my lolo named it as such). It has been with the family before I was even born and my lola had let go of it in 2010. We sort of had an attachment to the jeepney which had carried our family to various parts of Luzon for almost three decades, even as far as Baguio.

For first time visitors in the Philippines, don’t be afraid of riding a jeep here. Although there are drivers we call “harurot” or those who drive so fast you’d feel like riding a sports car on the busy streets of the metro, there are still a lot of drivers who are cautious of their speed limit. Current minimum fare as of February 2011 is P8.00.

I bumped into this comical but informative video on how to ride jeepneys in the Philippines. This YouTube video features Moymoypalaboy. Nice one, Moymoypalaboy! 😉

Sakay na sa dyip!