All You Need To Know About Jeepneys and Jeepney Drivers

Written by Emily Choong
Photographs by Melissa Chia

 
  I had the great opportunity to interview two jeepney drivers in Iloilo during the trip. With the help of the student guides, namely Zherluck and Paolo in translating, I managed to find out a little more about this particular form of public transport as well as the background of the two drivers.

An example of a jeepney

The basics of jeepney travel

The following are a few rules we have observed when travelling in a jeepney:

1. The driver will stop whenever and wherever his passenger instructs him to - even if the stopping may obstruct the traffic.

2. There are two ways one can stop the jeepney. First, make a gesture and say "sa lugar lang!" or use a coin and tap on the metal railing above to get the driver's attention.

3. There are approximately 10 different routes. Each jeepney driver has to follow their respective routes. To avoid taking the wrong route, one should ask the driver about his route before boarding the jeepney. 

4. Do take care of your personal belongings because there have been cases of people being robbed in the jeepney. 

5. It costs PHP 7 to ride a jeepney. If you are a student or a senior citizen, it will only cost you PHP 6. A child may only ride a jeepney under the watch of an adult. 

Jeepney Drivers

     The first driver I interviewed, Ramses, is 37 years old and he has been driving the jeepney for 12 years. He is the 3rd generation of jeepney drivers in his family. He said that he has to spend about PHP 1000 each time he fills petrol for his jeepney. He works 13 hours a day, driving non-stop along his assigned route.

     The second driver I interviewed, Rene, is 40 years old, and earns between PHP 200 - 500 a day. However he thinks that the current rates (PHP 6 for students and senior citizens, and PHP 7 for adults) are too low. Everytime he tops up his petrol tank, he spends approximately PHP 750. 

Rene has been driving a jeepney for 15 years, working an average of 14 hours a day. So far, he has not been in an accident, which is pretty impressive considering the total amount of hours he has spent on the road. He said that being a jeepney driver is really tiring but that he would rather continue driving his jeepney than resort to thievery. 

     When I asked him about his hopes for the future, he said that he has no particular worries. He has two children in high school - one is in the first year and the other in the second year. He hopes that his children will do well in school, and one day succeed in their chosen life paths.

Travelling in a group is so much fun!

My Experience

     As a foreigner, I noticed that the locals who enter the jeepney would fill up the back of the jeepney first rather than the front. This is because it is more convenient for people to get off if they were to sit at the back. This system means that as new passengers come in, they are forced to squeeze their way through taking great care not to tread on anyone’s toes or rap their head on the roof.

     Throughout all the rides, I cannot believe the amount of exhaust smoke and dust I inhaled, most especially during jams, because it is an open vehicle. The trip gets really hot in the afternoon as air-conditioning and fans do not exist in the jeepney. That was the only uncomfortable part of the ride.

     I also noticed that it is a norm for the people to pass the fare to the drivers from the back to the front, and for change to be returned the in same way, which I found fascinating. It seems that the drivers also know when a passenger pays up. I now have the impression that Filipinos are really honest and nice people.

     It was an interesting experience riding on a new form of public transport. It wasn't just an eye-opener to the basic rules of travelling in a jeepney, but also in gaining knowledge about the lives of those behind the wheel. 

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Emily is currently pursuing her second year at Monash University majoring in Psychology and Communication. She believes that food is the best way to a girl's heart. 'In Search of Iloilo' marks the first time she sets foot in the Philippines.