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Public transport in Iloilo
I took some snapshots of public transportation on my recent travel to Iloilo. These are typical PUVs you would find in most towns across the country. Iloilo’s have some distinct features that they also share with other towns in other provinces.
A typical tricycle along the Iloilo-Antique road seats 8 to 9 passengers. Sometimes passengers even sit on top of the sidecar. Sidecars here and other provinces often have roofs designed to carry heavy loads including agricultural products. Usual trike sidecar seating have passengers facing front. This one has them “talikuran” or “back to back” with some passengers facing back – not really a nice view when traveling along a highway and vehicles tailing or bearing down on the trike.
The typical jeepney in Iloilo is stretched whether it’s for inter-town or city operations. Instead of having the ‘face’ of the jeep (from which jeepneys evolved from), they use the front of the Toyota Fortuner or Mitsubishi Montero. These seat 20 to 24 passengers not counting those who are seated on the bench along the aisle. I wonder what engines they now use for these vehicles.
I took this fleeting photo of a bus. For me it wasn’t just a regular bus like the Ceres buses that now dominate the inter-provincial routes. This was a Calinog Bus Line (CBL) bus. We used to take their buses whenever we traveled from Cabatuan town proper to Tigbauan Road. One of my aunts also rode on these buses going to work as a teacher in another town along its route.
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Is there really a shortage of public transportation in Metro Manila? – Part 1 – Introduction
I will be doing a series of articles here on public transportation. More specifically, I will try to answer the question in the main title of the series – Is there really a shortage of public transportation in Metro Manila?
The quick answer probably is “yes” but we need to examine this concern from different perspectives and reasons so we can be objective about the “why” part of the shortage. Shortage may mean a real lack in terms of the number of public utility vehicles (PUVs) with approved franchises or perhaps the number actually operating on any given day. These two are actually different because it is possible to have fewer PUVs operating compared to the approved number or to have more PUVs operating than the approved number. The latter means there are “colorum” or illegal operations (i.e., vehicles providing public transport services without franchises).
Among the reasons why there is a perceived shortage of public transportation are as follows:
- Fewer than the number of franchises approved are operating.
- PUVs are not able to make a reasonable turnaround (e.g., due to traffic congestion).
- PUV drivers and operators refusing to operate their vehicles.
- Other factors.
- Any combination of the above including “all of the above.”
I hope I can write about these in a manner that can be easily understood – in layman’s terms.
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On the ‘modern jeepney’, consolidation and the modernization program
Last April 30, 2024, the deadline for consolidation of jeepney operators and drivers expired. That basically and generally meant the phaseout of individuality in so far as operators were concerned. It also meant, for many, the phaseout of the conventional jeepney in favor of the so-called ‘modern jeepney’, which are actually mini-buses by specs and design. There are many ‘modern jeepney’ models (I recently posted photos on these.). Some are better than others in terms of their features including the engine, seats, air-conditioning and suspension. Thus, there are models that are superior to the conventional jeepneys that are all practically custom built and utilizing surplus engines. Others may be of questionable quality as evidenced from reports that many are more prone to breakdowns than others. There is, of course, the issue of cost. These new vehicles are more expensive than conventional jeepneys and many individual operators cannot afford to purchase new units even with the current incentives government has provided. This is probably the bigger issue rather than the vehicles themselves despite claims pertaining to culture and aesthetics.
Operators and drivers were required to consolidate or organize themselves into cooperatives. Banks or other financial institutions were supposed to engage these cooperatives for financing the acquisition of new vehicles. While the DOTr has pushed for this, there seems to be a lot still lacking from their modernization program considering the feedback/ backlash it has received from stakeholders. The department has pursued modernization and rationalization at least more than 2 decades ago. These have not materialized for various reasons including shortcomings on the government side and the persistent resistance of the transport operators and drivers. The latter and their supporters though are not without fault as they have not provided viable alternatives aside from status quo.
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‘Modern’ jeepneys in Cebu
The jeepney is actually a jitney, a paratransit mode with a capacity between the bus and the mini-bus. Jitneys are quite popular in developing countries like those in Southeast Asia and Africa. In the Philippines, the jeepney evolved from the American Jeeps left by US Forces after World War 2 that were customized in the style of the auto calesas that developed before the war.
With the government’s public transport modernization program, there are now many so-called ‘modern’ jeepney models operating around the country. The following are photos I took while doing fieldwork in Mandaue City.
Many modern jeepneys are actually mini or micro buses like the one in the photo. They did not retain or adopt the look of the conventional jeepneys. This one is a model by Japanese automaker Hino. The one behind is another jitney form – a multi cab.
Another modern jeepney / mini bus model manufactured by another company. I have to check which company given the emblem in front of the vehicle.
Another Hino vehicle but by a different operator as evident in the livery.
Another mini bus model
A low floor bus operated by Ceres, a major bus company in the country that also operates RORO buses.
Another modern jeepney model operated by another coop in Mandaue.
Star 8 jeepneys are also operating in Mandaue City. I first saw these in Tacloban City many years ago. They were supposed to be able to recharge via solar panels installed on the roof the vehicle. That should allow them to replenish power while running. These days, we do have a lot of sun so the only question is whether the solar power feature is functional.
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Are transport strikes still effective?
There is supposed to be a transport strike today, after one group, Manibela, declared what they dubbed as a nationwide strike to protest versus the perceived jeepney phase-out and alleged corruption at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). I used the term ‘perceived’ to describe jeepney phase-out because what is actually unfolding or being processed is a rationalization of public transport services. There is also a modernization program where old jeepney units are supposed to be retired and replaced by vehicles that are low emission and higher capacity, among other characteristics. Perhaps one flaw, if you can call it that, is that the new vehicles look nothing like the conventional jeepney. They look like vans and buses. And so somewhat lost here is the classic image of the jeepney, which was heavily influenced by the old WW2 American Jeeps that were the base units that eventually became jeepneys.
This does not resemble a classic jeepney
Fast forward to present and another declared transport strike fizzled out. It turns out that most transport groups did not want to take part for one reason or another. DILG Secretary Abalos even met with the heads of the more established groups and stated that 95% of jeepney operators and drivers will not join the strike. As many LGUs and schools already anticipated the potential impacts of a strike, they already suspended classes and reverted to online work (WFH) and study modes. In previous occasions, LGUs were prepared with a “Libreng Sakay” (free ride) scheme. That meant most people being able to get rides to go to work, school or home. Transport strikes now seem a thing of the past and further into the future, I don’t think they would be an option. The general public see these more as an inconvenience, and social media and a misinformation/fake news machinery at the employ of those in power means a transport sector with legitimate issues will be demonized.
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A brief history of transport strikes – Part 4: impacts and implications
What was supposed to be a week-long transport strike by jeepney drivers and operators was called off yesterday. Frontpage news showed a photo of representatives of protestors with government officials. Government official statements also declare that the government will be talking with the transport sector to sort out issues and to try to address these in relation to the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP). One day earlier, government was quick to state that the strike had no impact on transport. Were there really no impacts?
I think the fact that schools went back to online mode and offices allowed employees to work from home show the impacts of the transport strike. If you haven’t noticed, the government has been using the tactic of cancellation of classes for quite some time now. To reduce the impacts of transport strikes on commuters, classes on all levels were canceled, thereby reducing transport demand. The only difference now is that there is capacity for online classes due to adjustments made during the height of the pandemic. So instead of cancelling classes altogether, schools reverted to online mode. Meanwhile, for those who needed to go to their workplaces and did not have their own vehicles, there were various free rides (libreng sakay) services provided by national and local government agencies. Cities like Quezon City already operated their own bus services so people could take these instead of their usual PUV modes for commuting.
What are the implications of the shortened strike? The shortened strike has various implications. One is that it showed the protesters did not have enough resources to sustain the strike. It also showed that transport leaders appear to just want some attention from government. A colleague commented about this being something like a show or the strike being part of a game of “bad cop, good cop” among government officials and agencies. If you haven’t noticed, this has been going on for some time now. Government already knows how to reduce the potential impacts of protests like this. Suspending classes in schools significantly reduces the travel demand on a typical weekday. Offices giving their employees the option to work from home during the strike also adds to the reduction in travel demand. And libreng sakay vehicles are easier to deploy as agencies and LGUs have vehicles for this purpose. Meanwhile, the continuing rise in motorcycle ownership also contributed to people being able to still commute (i.e., having the motorcycle taxi option). At least for Metro Manila, once the railway projects are completed, there will be a railway option for commutes. Barring a simultaneous strike with buses and vans, protests from the jeepney sector will surely be diminished.
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A brief history of transport strikes – Part 3: advocacy and bandwagon
You see a lot of posts on social media stating people supporting the current transport strike. There are cartoons and memes that dramatize if not romanticize the plight of drivers. One cartoon I saw has a girl asking her driver-father if he will join the strike. The father replies he is unsure as they won’t have any income to cover their needs. One panel shows the driver’s cash box with graduation photos of what appear to be his other children. Of course, this suggests that the jeepney driver was able to support his children in their education while also suggesting about the uncertainties for the other child (who is in the comic). The comic obviously appeals to the emotions of the reader. It is a fallacy but one that is very close to and appeals to the psyche of the Filipino.
Another cartoon appears to be comparing modernization with replacing office computers. It states that the government’s modernization program is like an office requiring its employees to replace their old notebooks with high end ones. Only, the office is not paying for the new units and will have these charged to the employees’ salaries. I thought that was an oversimplification. Jeepneys are public utility vehicles and not private. There are rules and regulations governing PUV acquisition, franchising and operations, unlike your typical office computer.
I think we should draw the line between advocacy and simply jumping onto the bandwagon that is supporting a transport strike without knowing and understanding the details about it. Otherwise, we end up giving unconditional support to what others will refer to as a backward public transportation system. There are always two sides to a coin and while there are good stories about the jeepney and how it has supported many families, there are also bad ones that have allowed them to remain practically unchanged over so many decades. The same applies to the opposition – those who call for a phase-out or outright modernization without understanding the terms given to drivers and operators and the overall context and situation regarding the modernization program. It is easy to take sides. The question is if you are aware and understand the details about the issues here.
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Modernized jeepneys in Marikina
Passing through Marikina City on the way home, I chanced upon these versions of the so-called modernized jeepneys plying routes in the city. Marikina has some of the oldest routes I’ve known including those originating from Parang and SSS Village. These were at the edges of the city and back in the day were bordering on rural as compared to the urbanized areas what was then still a municipality. The opportunity presented itself so I took a few photos of the mini-buses posing as jitneys or modern jeepneys.
Unlike the old, conventional jeepneys, these are closed, air-conditioned vehicles. While there exists concerns about virus spread in such configurations, one cannot argue vs. the improved comfortability of these vehicles over the old ones especially when the Covid threat is already addressed. The vehicles seat 20+ passengers on average with more room for standees, if required and allowed in the future.
These vehicles are operated by transport cooperatives, which are encourage by the government in their PUV modernization program. Cooperatives have many advantages compared to the old set-up of individual operators. These include the personality or modality to engage financing institutions for acquiring fleets of PUVs. As such, modernization (or the replacement of old PUVs) is expedited. Note the logos along the side of the vehicle? These are DOTr, LTFRB, LTO and DBP. DBP is, of course, the Development Bank of the Philippines, which is one of the underwriters of the modernization program.
More on these vehicles, modernization and rationalization in future posts.
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On the plastic barriers for jeepneys
The minimum requirements for conventional jeepneys prior to their returning to operations include the installation of barriers so as to have physical separation between passengers. Ideally, such separation should be a distance of at least one meter, which was initially relaxed to ‘one seat apart’, and then further relaxed to just the barrier separating passengers. You see various designs installed in jeepneys. I posted a couple in an earlier post showing examples of customized and DIY barriers. Here is another that looks like there was more effort involved in the making of the plastic barriers:
Specially made plastic barriers with messages and graphics on social distancing printed on them. Jeepney drivers are obliged to reject or unload passengers not adhering to the protocols including those refusing to wear face masks and shields while commuting using public transportation modes. I assume that they are really doing this for their and their passengers’ safety and well-being.
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Public transport along Route 8: Cubao-Montalban
I had to go back to my usual commuting route to my workplace via Tumana as Marcos Highway is usually congested in the mornings. As such, I had the opportunity to take some photos of public transport modes along the way.
Bus plying Route 8 – Cubao Montalban along the Marikina – San Mateo – Montalban Road (J.P. Rizal Avenue in Marikina City). Montalban is the old name of the Municipality of Rodriguez in Rizal Province.
A Beep, a modern jitney that is actually a minibus plying to Parang-Stop & Shop route that used to be dominated by conventional jeepneys. That is, of course, a conventional tricycle on the other side of the road. By conventional I mean a motorcycle with a side car, which is the most common type of 3-wheeler in the country.
Recently, I saw G-Liner buses along Route 8. That means the bus company’s fleet is now distributed along 3 routes serving Rizal province and connecting it to Metro Manila. While, capacities are still limited due to physical distancing requirements, these buses should be able to carry a lot more passengers once the situation ‘normalizes’ so PUVs are able to maximize their seating (and standing) capacities.
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Caught (up) in traffic 