Jeepneys are considered the most famous form of public transportation here in the Philippines. When there's a king in the royal family, there are also kings on the road. These vehicles loved by the Filipinos originated way back after World War 2. Because Filipinos are having difficulty accessing public transportation, creative Filipino minds came up with the idea of turning the war jeepneys into means of public transportation. In the years since, these kings of the road have been roaming the country, providing everyone with affordable rides.
One of the most famous trademarks of PH Jeepneys is the way we pay for our fare. Most of the time, especially when we are far from the driver's seat, we will hand over our money to the next passenger, and then that individual will hand it over to another passenger until it reaches the conductor or driver. This culture formed inside the jeepney reflects the bayanihan (cooperative endeavor) behavior of Filipinos. Aside from that, who will forget the word para po! to notify the driver that we have already reached our destination and it's time to stop the vehicle? Over the years, there have been several variations in telling the driver to stop. For instance, moaning hard or shouting like a superhero.
However, as time goes by, these kings of the road are being threatened to be replaced by new and modernized jeepneys that look like small versions of buses. This is ordered by the government, which, according to them, will make public transportation here in the Philippines safer and more convenient. Other than that, one of the problems faced by the jeepney drivers is the ongoing inflation of petroleum products. This is exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic, where travel is halted to prevent the spread of the virus. This has left several drivers with little to no earnings, which has made some of them decide to just stop.
Seeing the struggles of PH jeepneys makes me sad. They may vanish soon if the government doesn't do something to alleviate their problems. When that happens, we will have lost a piece of our cultural heritage.
With all of the happenings, this makes me look back on the pre-pandemic time when I used a jeepney as my main mode of public transportation when going to my university, shopping at the mall, and meeting with my friends. Compared to any other public transport, the jeepney is far cheaper. With around P9 to P11 (USD 0.17-0.20) as minimum fare, you can reach your destination.
With jeepneys being part of my everyday life, I certainly have some embarrassing stories to share.
One of the most memorable, and perhaps the most embarrassing, happened during the time I was studying at university. Being a senior high school student is no joke for me. I had to meet new people and adjust to the whole day class schedule. As an introvert, I hate this kind of setup. This left me very exhausted at the end of the day. So, even if my friends invite me for a little hangout at the end of class, I often refuse.
Anyway, in that kind of situation, being sabaw or lutang is inevitable. One day, while I was on my way back home riding on a jeepney, I sat next to a woman watching a funny video on her smartphone. Unconsciously, I also started peeking at what she was watching. Then, there's one video clip that I found funny for no reason that made me burst into laughter. The woman looked at me with confusion and turned away her screen from my sight. Due to my embarrassment, I decided to just go down even though I was still far from my destination. To this day, I still can't believe that I laughed at a monkey slipping. That's not my humor, bruh.
I also have an experience where I feel sleepy and groggy during a trip and then suddenly I jerk out of my nap thinking that I have already passed our subdivision. I shouted, "Para!" and then the driver slowed down. When I realized that I hadn't reached my destination yet, I apologized and told him to just continue and go on.
There was also a time when I didn't pay for my fare. I admit it's not a good thing to do and makes me feel bad at some point, but the reason why I have done that is that I lost my wallet. I just need to go home, and I have no available money to spare. We call these "1,2,3". To be honest, I have no idea why they named it after a series of numbers.
These kings of the road saw and heard each of our stories, and how we use them to reach our dreams, attend various social events, and meet people who are special to us. Jeepneys are already engraved in the hearts of every Filipino. Without them, we would not gain every small steps we do to achieve our goals. For instance, we will not reach our school to study without them; we will not reach our work to earn without them. This is why Philippine Jeepneys, for me, is not just public transportation but a symbol.