My Very Own Jeepney

Nothing is more unique to the Philippines than a jeepney. With few public transportation options, countless people depend on them everyday. Although they fulfill an important public function, they are also regarded as a serious nuisance by other road users. They are incredibly noisy, infuriatingly slow when you are caught behind them, belch enormous amounts of smoke from their exhausts, and are generally a serious health hazard to any pedestrian.

A necessity for some, and a nuisance for others, the jeepney is such a quintessential component of Philippine daily life, I felt it was important as a visitor to find out more about them.

So I asked myself: what does it actually take to start up a jeepney service? What are the in's and out's, the do's and don'ts of the jeepney enterprise?

As a clueless foreigner I have been trying to find out, and this is what I have learned so far.

The Jeepney Route

When I first arrived here I could not understand how people knew where to wait for their ride. Unless you are at a bus terminal or some other large parking area, there is no clear jeepney stop anywhere. Coming from a country where everything is nicely organized and bus schedules are clearly marked at each bus stop, here things just seem to magically happen. People stand at the road side, and lo and behold, their ride appears.

Then I figured out that each jeepney has a route written on it's side, usually with other lavish adornments. So I guess the first step to operating a jeepney is to get a route concession from some government agency. I'm suspecting it is the LTFRB, but I still need to find out where and how to apply. In any case, assuming I get my concession, it is time for step number two: decorating the jeepney.

The Decorations

The colour and variety of jeepney is truly astounding. You have jeepneys covered in religious icons, jeepneys emblazoned with logos of Ferrari's and Lamborghini's (perhaps hoping they will be mistaken for one), and jeepneys with peculiar themes such as Playboy and the Sexbomb girls.


I guess choosing a proper theme for my Jeepney is very important, and after much pondering I thought a theme based on Eyjafjallajökull would be nice (the Icelandic volcano wreaking havoc across Europe), but I had a hard time pronouncing it. So instead I settled for a Dutch theme since their national day is coming up April 30. I will adorn my jeepney with windmills, wooden shoes, and other typical images from Holland. At the front I will put a big sign with 'Dutchboy'. That should do nicely!

Besides being a feast for the eyes, I also noticed jeepneys have nice car horn melodies, and make a distinctive chirping sound. I'm not sure what that chirping sound is all about, but my hypothesis is that it is tied to the breaks. No matter the purpose, I will have both play Dutch street organ music instead.

OK, decorations done. What's next? Ah yes, the crew.

The Crew

Obviously every jeepney has a driver, and in this case that will be me. After careful observation I noticed that every jeepney also has someone called a barker. Far from being a dog, a barker is the human equivalent of a megaphone. In Tagalog a barker is actually called a konduktor, which translates to the more mundane conductor. I just think barker has a better ring to it, especially considering the skills they need to perform their duties. When searching for a barker, the main qualifications to look for are: a very loud voice, able to repeatedly shout a jeepney's route in rapid succession, strategically herd passengers to a jeepney, and lend a hand in collecting fares.

Now you might be mistaken in thinking the driver's job is easy. Far from it. As far as I can tell, behind the fancy decor, jeepneys are basically just big metal boxes with an engine and four wheels attached. Meaning to say, no airbags, no ABS, and worst of all, no power steering. This means you need to be in a seriously good physical condition to navigate such a behemoth around Manila.


Apart from sheer human strength and endurance, a certain degree of nimbleness and dexterity is also required. Why dexterity you ask? After successive observations I noticed there is a particular method for holding bank notes. This method requires great dexterity. It involves folding every 20, 50, and 100 peso bills you got lengthwise, and then propping them between your fingers, all carefully arranged by denomination. The end result is a fan like contraption sprouting from your fingers. While you got all those bills stuffed between your fingers, you also need to steer the jeepney. Don't forget, no power steering!

OK, so after I hire my barker, mastered the art of propping bills between my fingers, and become sufficiently fit to steer a jeepney, it is time for our next item: the outfit!

The Outfit

Although jeepney drivers do not have a strict uniform, there is definitely a dress code. The single most essential part of the attire is the famed "Good Morning!" towel. It is carefully, yet with a flair of nonchalance, draped around the neck. This towel is essential equipment. After all, if I'm driving all day long around the hot, dusty Manila streets in an open vehicle, there will be plenty of sweat, dirt, and grime to wipe from my eyes.

Besides my good morning towel, I also require a fanny pack or wear cargo shorts. This will allow me to safely, yet comfortably, store my mobile phone, loose change, drivers license, traffic violation tickets, and other essentials.

As for the shirt, I think there is no real requirement. Perhaps a large basketball shirt, or any other type of shirt, that I can comfortably raise above my belly. Proper ventilation of all bodily parts is essential when driving in the Manila heat.

For footwear I think a nice set of flip-flops will do, or maybe wooden shoes in line with my jeepney's theme. I never found driving with flip-flops (or with wooden shoes for that matter) very easy, but I guess if there is a will there is a way. This also brings me to my next item: driving skill!

Driving Skill

As I already mentioned, driving around a lump of steel without power steering or ABS is not going to be easy. Besides this, I will also need to take careful notice of the jeepney driving ethics. This involves cutting off rival jeepneys as fast as you can, slamming on the brakes every few hundred meters to pick up new passengers, needlessly block traffic by make lazy U-turns (I believe the turning circle of a jeepneys is not exactly stellar either), and my personal favourite, driving carelessly in the middle of the road to strategically block anyone from overtaking you.

I think that covers the essentials, but I'm sure I missed some critical parts. Let me know if I did!

On a More Serious Note

Before I started this little post I was not aware of an initiative called Jeepney Magazine. In Europe we have something similar whereby homeless people are given a set of magazines which they are to sell. They get to keep half of the proceeds the earn from any sale. The other half goes back to the charity to support the magazine. These magazines are not some trash publication, but usually have some real good reporting inside, often covering neighborhood issues. Back in Europe I always try to buy a copy. I never knew one existed in the Philippines too, and from now on will keep my eye out for any vendor that sells them. I'm not saying you should to do the same. It could very well be that you like your money to be spent on other charities such as Gawad Kalinga. Nonetheless, go checkout their site and see what it's all about. You can even download a copy of their latest issue.

Picture sources
1. http://www.wikipedia.com
2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrecawaga
3. http://www.thejeepney.com/jeepney-a-solution/the-issues/
4. http://www.friedchillies.com/index.php/articles/detail/foodsters-favourite-50/P2/