In the middle of an occupied and busy road, full of buses, trucks, motorcycles, and private vehicles there's this one eye-catching elongated mode of transportation, no no no! It's not a train. This one's painted with brilliant bright colors, full of decorative designs, it's no other than the one and only Jeepney of the Philippines.
Jeepney or simply Jeep is the most popular and common mode of public transportation. Jeepney is known for its crowded seating and kitsch decorations, which have become a wide-spread symbol of Philippine culture and art. The designated routes of the jeepney were printed or painted on its side or displayed in the windshield. Jeepneys don’t just conquer Manila, they also operate particular routes all over the country.
Jeepneys are stretched long enough to accommodate around 15 to 25 passengers, have open ventilation through windows all along their side, and an open backdoor for easy loading of passengers and unloading. Jeepney is also an inexpensive way to commute in the Philippines.
Jeepneys can stop anywhere unlike buses, and because of its open rear door design, it can pick up and drop off easily its passengers.
The History of Jeepney
Believe it or not, jeepney was up-cycled from leftover U.S. Willy Jeeps used during World War II. Filipinos then began recycling and converting them as buses with bodies made from galvanized or stainless steel, fabric covers instead of side windows.
In the early 1950s, jeepneys started up in making their way in Manila. Soon, it became a solution to the post-war public transportation problem.
The Invention of Jeepney
Leonardo Salvador Sarao, Sr. is not the first person to alter the surplus jeeps left behind by the U.S. Army from World War II, but he saw them as a business opportunity for mass transportation.
He redesigned the surplus jeeps to increase its functionality by extending the body to fit at least twice the number of passengers and by putting some railings at the back and top for extra passengers to cling and clench to, and for cargoes.
He then became the founder and owner of the Sarao Motors, a popular automotive manufacturing company creating jeepneys that were shipped overseas and displayed in tourism exhibitions in cities like New York and London as a Philippine icon.
Jeepney's Art/Design and Cultural Symbol
Body designs of jeepneys vary by region. Some are plainly colored, while others can use enormous variety. Some jeepneys are painted with beautiful images and colorful colors. Jeepney drivers mostly painted their vehicles with distinct colors and images of anything that suited their personalities, from some Catholic images to pictures of the Philippine countryside to word art and their favorite cartoon/comic characters or anime characters.
When the capacity of the seats was occupied, then up to three small wooden stools, euphemistically called 'extensions', are placed along the center-line, so that two passengers on each can sit back to back. (I hate to seat in this part)
Jeepney eventually became a part of Filipino culture. It symbolizes the Filipino spirit of being resilient, innovative, and optimistic.
The Filipino Jeepney Today
I have ridden different jeepneys for countless times already, but as years passed for almost 70 years of running in the road, I have seen lots of modernized jeepneys nowadays.
There's this one jeepney that has a karaoke inside, where passengers are free to sing or just listen to the music that is being played. There's this one jeepney with television too, played with a movie, for the passengers to enjoy the ride and avoid boredom during the trip. I have ridden those jeepneys here in Iloilo.
Today, it became a rusty iron and is threatened and endangered by many faces and the competition of cheaper transportation alternatives and options. But it cannot be forgotten, that it was once called the undisputed 'King of the Road'. And Pinoy jeepneys are just an example of how Filipinos are really innovative, resourceful, and creative. It is a proudly Pinoy creation, only in the Philippines.
Sources:
All Jeepney Photos/Images from Pixabay & Unsplash
Related Articles:
Things a Tourist should never do in the Philippines
@eommaZel ✍🏻
I miss those times when I can sleep on a jeepney because of long hours of travel from school to our home and eventually when I started working. And those moments when I'm more comfortable to review my lessons when I'm riding a jeepney. And most specially, I miss those days when I could freely stare at the handsome and beautiful faces of different people in a jeepney.