Its name derives from the American jitneys—small buses that carry passengers for a low fare—and the automobile brand Jeep, which supplied the military vehicles used in the war. Passenger-type jeepneys would have the rear tubs of these vehicles expanded to accommodate more passengers, a roof affixed for shade, and chrome accents and flamboyant decorations to add a touch of style and personalisation. 

Owner-type jeepneys, on the other hand, come from backyard assemblers who make replica Jeeps with stainless steel bodies while retaining the light and compact design of the Willys MB or Ford GPW.

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Due to their owners’ creativity, jeepneys across the Philippines boast visually arresting designs. From basketball stars to religious figures and comic book characters, practically anything is painted on the side of a jeepney, giving it a unique character distinctive of its owner’s preferences. Horns also get changed to either have custom sounds—such as laugh tracks—or louder and squeakier pitches. LED lights decorate the interior with speakers blasting the driver’s favourite music, oftentimes added with booming bass sound, for everyone to hear. 

This high level of customisation perfectly embodies the Filipino identity of ingenuity and community, making the jeepney a cultural icon dubbed ‘Hari ng Daan’or the ‘Kings of the Road.’ Its popularity has also been recognised internationally, occasionally appearing in pop culture, exhibitions, keychains, t-shirts, and so much more. For instance, during the promotional period of the filmFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, a jeepney was dressed up with post-apocalyptic wasteland accents and offered free rides around Manila. In 1964, at the New York World’s Fair, jeepney brand Sarao exhibited one of its model units at the Philippine Pavilion. In the 1977 filmPerfumed Nightmareby National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik, a jeepney driver is shown to have dreams of becoming an astronaut. Jeepneys have also been featured in reality TV shows such as season five ofThe Amazing Race in 2004 and BBC’sToughest Place to be a… Bus Driver in 2011.

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The jeepney is an essential medium of transportation for millions of Filipinos—being an inexpensive way to get to a destination as far as 83 kilometres (Banaue to Sagada route). Back in the Eighties, the jeepney fare would cost you around 75 centavos for a four-kilometre-long ride. In 2012, the minimum fare would amount to PhP7.50. Today, it is PhP13. Due to inflation, the rising cost of diesel, and the threat of jeepney modernisation looming over the drivers’ heads, the fares are projected to skyrocket again.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) proposed the Public Utility Vehicle Modernisation Program (PUVMP) in 2017 in an effort to reform the industry as a whole. Other than phasing out old jeepneys to improve safety, reliability, and environmental sustainability, it offers optimised routes, a jeepney consolidation plan for drivers, and intensive training. It envisions to have modern and eco-friendly vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art amenities such as air-conditioning, GPS, automated fare collection systems, and closed-circuit television cameras. Though good on paper, this has received strong opposition among commuters and jeepney drivers alike, and the fight still continues to this day through frequent transport strikes, demonstrations, and online protests.

Public transport organisations such as PISTON (Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide) and the likes vocally denounce the government’s plans to modernise traditional jeepneys as they believe that the Filipino people, including transport workers, are exploited and oppressed due to the lack of stable livelihood and reliable public transportation. 

Forced consolidation would put drivers in a position of reduced profits and financial ruin as they would then be required to acquire the vehicles they operate—prices that could reach up to PhP2.8 million. “Workers’ rights, not franchise consolidation, are what’s non-negotiable. We demand a pro-people, worker-led [and] just transition built on the foundation of social justice and climate justice, not a haphazard ‘modernisation’ program that disregards the needs and welfare of transport workers,” says PISTON during a Labor Day protest.

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While some jeepney drivers own their vehicles, many are part of cooperatives where they need to meet a certain quota—currently at PhP500 per day—to make a profit. “On a good day, I take home around 700 pesos,” says Armando Laron, a cooperative jeepney driver at the Cubao-San Juan Jeepney Terminal. The proposed jeepney modernisation program forces drivers to join cooperatives where the quota is raised substantially. “If I drive a modern jeep, my quota will be around 4,000 pesos. I won’t be able to make a profit anymore. If I don’t meet the daily quota, I’ll take home 300 pesos. That’s not enough to sustain me and my family,” Laron shares. 

The idea of jeepney modernisation sounds great on paper—lower carbon emissions, more comfortable commutes, and safer travels—but it alienates the industry’s stakeholders, particularly the jeepney operators, drivers, and the general public. It also sets a precedent for the corporatisation of public transport, robbing our jeepney drivers of the freedom of association. With higher costs, insufficient financial aid, and loss of the traditional design we know and love, it might become not just a phase-out of a particular vehicle type but of a culture deeply ingrained in our national consciousness. 

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