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DESTINASIAN.COM – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
SAIKO^3P/ISTOCKGOOD TO GO HERITAGEJapan and custom-made parts. They typically ac-
commodate up to 16 passengers who must clamber
in via an open back and sit shoulder-to-shoulder on
two parallel benches. Jeepneys might lack air condi-
tioning, glass windows, and safety features like seat-
belts, but millions of Filipinos depend on them to get
around on a day-to-day basis.
These days, the Philippine government sees up-
grading the jeepney as an important move to reduce
the traffic congestion afflicting urban areas. Users
of the GPS-based navigation app Waze twice voted
Metro Manila the world’s worst city to drive in, while
Cebu, 570 kilometers to the southeast, topped the list
in 2016. Roads clogged with diesel-burning vehicles
also present a major health issue, with the Philippines
now choking on the world’s third highest rate of air
pollution–related deaths. Smoke-belching jeepneys
have taken much of the blame; the government plans
to outlaw those over 15 years old by August 2020.
That move has angered the country’s 180,000
jeepney drivers, who face an uncertain future. Au-
thorities claim that higher capacity and lower fuel
consumption of the new hybrid-electric vehicles will
boost their salaries. But first, operators must fork up
the money for the replacement buses, which are sold
for up to 10 times the price of a conventional jeepney.
Government subsidies only cover a small fraction
of that cost. “The new vehicles cost a million pesos
[US$19,000] and up,” says Eduardo Sarao of Sarao Mo-
tors, one of the oldest jeepney manufacturers in the
country. “It’s hard to market them... small operators
demand a cheaper version, but green technology is
expensive. We’re hoping the government will soften
and revise their requirements.”
Also threatened is an entire subculture of jeepney
artists. From the hundreds who used to work in the
capital, there are now fewer than a dozen, who sup-
plement their income by painting shop signs and
windows. They argue that the demise of jeepney art
represents more than a loss of income—it is a loss for
Filipino folk culture. Most of the new vehicles have
the look of a conventional bus, with air-conditioning,
sliding doors, and, in some cases, Wi-Fi.
Public attitudes toward the design are mixed. “It’s
environmentally friendly, but I wish they maintained
the ‘jeep’ look,” says regular commuter Dara Coloso.
Sarao agrees. “For the public to adapt... it will take
time. I’m hoping for a gradual transition, and I’m also
hoping that the traditional jeepney—of course, with
a new engine—will still be around.”END OF THE ROAD
A country-wide overhaul of public transport vehicles paves the way for the departure
of the Philippines’ beloved jeepney. BY SARAH GILLESPIEInstantly recognizable by their anachronistic body-
work and flamboyant paint jobs, jeepneys are widely
seen as a cultural icon of the Philippines. But their
days may well be numbered. In a bid to modernize
public transport across the country, the government
plans to phase out the iconic jeepney in favor of eco-
friendly buses.
Jeepneys encapsulate the Filipino talent for do-it-
yourself innovation. Originally derived from surplus
U.S. army jeeps left behind after World War II, the
vehicles are made in neighborhood garages and lo-
cal factories using second-hand diesel engines from