David's Jeepney Page

by David Kravetz

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February 3, 2005: I have finally gotten around to posting my Jeepney page.  I really felt that I couldn't do a Jeepney page without actually experiencing one first hand.  Last Saturday I spent a day with four guys from Lexmark.  We took Jeepneys around the town, both old and new.  My adventures for Saturday are on page 3 of my Cebu journal (here).

Philippine Jeepney History (taken from various locations)

During World War II, the Americans were here with the country under occupation. (In fact, the Cebu Airport is a remnant of the Air Force base that the U.S. left behind).  After they left, they left jeeps behind, as well as many other things. These army jeeps left by the United States inspired the creation of the Jeepney, and thus the name. Over the years, the Filipinos have created their own cultural icon, first with the leftover jeeps and then with other vehicles.  Some of these vehicles have been decorated with painstaking detail.  As well, there is a variety of bling-bling (sorry family, I had to use that word) on these things.  Decorative fixtures, numerous mirrors and lights, bright colors and fun lettering all make for a fascinating look at one unique cultural invention.

As I noted above, the first jeepneys were actually the army jeeps themselves, numbering into the hundreds all over the country, but mostly concentrated in the cities. These were repainted or scraped to the metal, and then a variety of decorations were attached. Moving horse figurines, flags, colorful lights, paintings, traditional designs, bonnets, mirrors and stickers were put on these vehicles, making each vehicle startlingly different in terms of appearance from the next one. Later on some began to use Ford Fieras for jeepney production. Soon, due to demand for more capacity, some companies begaqn making bigger bodies and installed surplus diesel engines (which are generally cheaper to operate than a gasoline engine), thus allowing for higher capacities. Soon, the army jeeps and Ford Fieras began to be displaced by the Philippine-made jeepneys with bodies entirely crafted locally, but with the high-tech parts obtained from surplus shops throughout the country. The Philippine jeepney industry was thus born, and later on, it spread to the different provinces from Metropolitan Manila where it all started, thus making the jeepney one of the icons of the Philippines.

What I find interesting about Jeepneys is that I have not seen one that is exactly alike.  They each have their own personalities.  Some are plain, but some are colorful.  There are still the old style ones around, but there are also newer vehicles.  The paint jobs and color on these vehicles is fun to see.  Following are a couple of examples.  As always, my commentary can be seen underneath the photos.

Here are two photos with examples of the old style.  Notice all the bling-bling (decorations) on all of them.

Notice the colorful look of these two. They can be deceiving.  Though new and flashy on the outside, they are not as nice on the inside.  The wording on the side indicates what that particular Jeepney's route is.  Of course, the guy on the right is obviously a Los Angeles Lakers fan.  I wonder if he is paying royalties to the NBA for the use of their logo???

The typical Jeepney has a set route.  Some go from one mall to another.  Others go from one neighborhood to another.  Some travel log distances.  Many people may ride one to one location and then catch another.  Some may ride three or four before they get to their destination.  The Jeepney costs 5 pesos in most cases, at least that is the going rate in Cebu.  To ride, you see where it is going and hop on.  There is usually someone in the back taking the fare.  It appears to be on the honor system as far as payment goes.  You tell the guy on the back where you want to get off and you pay.

But, for some, it can be an experience.  If one is a big person, such as me, they can have troubles getting on or off as well as trouble sitting in one.  Check out the following two pictures:

Jeepneys usually can 20 to 30 people max.  Many of them will have a guy hanging off the back.  One of the Jeepneys we rode actually had 4 guys hanging off the back.  The Jeepney was rolling down the road at 30 to 40 mph and these guys were hanging on for dear life.

Finally, I must note that some of the things on the Jeepneys are pretty funny.  I think that the computer geeks at Lexmark will get a real kick out of the following Jeepney...we about died of laughter.  Its amazing what Linux can do now. 

Click here to see the Jeepney Slide Show.  It may take a moment to load.