The Philippines. Part I. Main DetailsMap
September The Spanish ruled over the Philippines for several hundred years (and even named the islands after King Philip II of Spain), but the Filipinos can’t stand them and don’t speak Spanish. It was Americans who influenced the country the most: everyone speaks English, America’s imprint can be felt on everything. After World War II, the Philippines were left with a large number of surplus military jeeps; local handymen learned how to lengthen them and convert them for public transportation use. Today, the art of making jeepneys—jeep-like public limousines—is incredibly well-developed in the Philippines. ![]() They start by taking a used engine from an old Toyota or Nissan, and painting it to make it look a bit newer. ![]() Then they weld together the frame. ![]() Then manufacture the body. ![]() Meanwhile, they also stamp out some 1950s-style fenders—a must-have for the rear wheels. ![]() The vehicle begins to take on form. ![]() Now for the passenger benches. These are made from a board and some coconut shavings, upholstered with imitation leather. ![]() Everything is assembled together. The final product is then always painted with different colors and designs. ![]() Five years ago, if the hood of a jeepney didn’t resemble the pediment of the Bolshoi, it wasn’t considered ready to come off the conveyor. Today this is banned by the government. Not because it’s an injury hazard for pedestrians, but because the driver can’t see anything from inside the car. ![]() The final product pickup desk. ![]() A fully painted car costs up to $1500. Jeepneys are the main form of transportation in the Philippines. ![]() On every street, in every city. The fare is 8 pesos for the first 4 kilometers and 50 centavos for every kilometer thereafter. ![]() A Mercedes star on the radiator grille is a practically mandatory decoration. It represents the fact that this is a car. ![]() In second place in terms of popularity and capacity as a means of transportation is the tricycle, a motorcycle/bicycle with a sidecar. It theoretically fits three passengers, but outside of large cities, drivers will take seven without batting an eye. ![]() The Philippines also have incredibly ugly and ridiculous-looking armored cash transport trucks. ![]() Every car windshield has some kind of sticker with a license, parking permit, taxi meter inspection certificate, and so on. ![]() The license plates are ordinary only at first glance. A profound meaning is hidden within: large cities restrict entry for vehicles with plates ending in 1 and 2 on Mondays, 3 and 4 on Tuesdays, and so on through Friday (9 and 0). Wealthy people keep two cars to get around this restriction. On the weekends, everyone can drive wherever they want. ![]() A kilometer marker post. ![]() The front window of a driving school. ![]() By the way, almost every store has a security guard at the entrance who also doubles as a doorman. They open the door for you, then search your bag. ![]() A curious detail: policemen’s caps are see-through here. It’s hot, after all. ![]() Filipinos love to play the lottery. There are actual lines for tickets right before a drawing. ![]() The wires in the street sometimes eclipse the sky. ![]() It’s not uncommon to find five utility poles stuck in one spot. ![]() Nowhere else have I seen such a large number of pole-supported main power transmission lines. ![]() Electricity meters are placed high up on the poles, eliminating the temptation to mess with meter readings. ![]() Billboards of incredible size are the main decoration on inter-city highways. Sometimes it feels as though you’re driving through a city. But it’s just advertising. ![]() All the monuments in the country were made by inept amateurs. ![]() A gas station sign. ![]() Slippery road. ![]() A box junction—an intersection which drivers aren’t allowed to block—is marked here with a symbol that resembles an envelope (instead of a grid). ![]() Yep, there it is. ![]() Signs warning about pedestrians on the road have an acid yellow background. ![]() All public transportation vehicles, from jeepneys to buses and from trucks to taxis, have a sign on the back asking you to call a certain number and snitch on the driver if you have any complaints about their driving. ![]() Stretches of the road where manual traffic control is required (in instances of traffic jams or road work) are manned by a person with a glove painted neon green on one side and neon orange on the other (in other countries, traffic controllers have flags or something like a lollipop or racquet—see Canada, Chile, Ghana, etc.). Some controllers get carried away and work themselves into a state of traffic ecstasy: they dance, attract everyone’s attention and direct traffic with one hand, all while bringing a smile to drivers’ faces. ![]() |
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Philippines. Part I. Main Details
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