Transportation in the Philippines
[1] Jeepneys are a popular and iconic public utility vehicle;[2] they have become a symbol of the Philippine culture.
[3] Another popular mode of public transportation in the country is the motorized tricycles, especially common in smaller urban and rural areas.
There are also steam engines found in the Visayas, mostly Negros island, which operate sugar mills such as Central Azucarera.
[11] The Pan-Philippine Highway is a 3,517 kilometres (2,185 mi) network of roads, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao, serving as the Philippines' principal transport backbone.
[12] Commonwealth Avenue is also an important highway in the metropolis, it serves the Quezon City area and has a length of 12.4 km (7.7 mi).
The Strong Republic Nautical Highway links many of the islands' road networks through a series of roll-on/roll-off ferries, some rather small covering short distances and some larger vessels that might travel several hours or more.
The expressway ends at Mabalacat and merges with the MacArthur Highway, which continues northward into the rest of Central and Northern Luzon.
[16] During the 1973 oil crisis, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos advised Filipinos to buy smaller, more efficient vehicles with four-cylinder engines.
Provincial buses are used for medium to long-haul routes between cities and towns (including those involving ferries).
Bus services are run by private companies, and routes, operations and fares are regulated by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Motorcycles are the most dominant form of private transportation in the country, accounting for 49 percent of all registered motor vehicles as of May 2022.
[18] They are commonly used for package and food delivery services to transport goods and are often regarded as a cheaper alternative to buying a private car.
[3] They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II[20] and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating.
In the central island of Cebu, the bulk of jeepneys are built from second-hand Japanese trucks, originally intended for cargo.
They have two subgroups: the PUJ, or "public utility jeep," and the large volume metal-stamping companies that supply parts as well as complete vehicles.
Most taxicabs have yellow colored license plates, taxi signs, LTFRB Registration number, and taximeter, which is mandatory in every cab.
[citation needed] Human-powered and animal-powered transport exist in the Philippines in the form of walking, cycling,[22] pedicabs (also known as traysikad or padyak), and horse- or cattle-drawn kalesas.
[23] The United Nations and such organizations as Clean Air Asia[24] support the integration of non-motorized transport as part of a clean and "highly cost-effective transportation strategy" that "brings about large health, economic and social co-benefits, particularly for the urban poor.
"[25] In Marikina, the local government constructed a network of bikeways to help reduce air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, fuel consumption, and traffic congestion in the city.
[26] These railway lines are currently operating in Metro Manila, as well as commuter services in Calabarzon and in Bicol Region.
The system is located along the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), one of Metro Manila's main thoroughfares.
[30] The Philippine National Railways (PNR) operates a commuter line that serves a region from Metro Manila south toward Laguna.
[34] Other trips can last for less than 15 minutes on small, open-air pump boats such as those that cross the Iloilo Strait or between the Caticlan jetty port and Boracay island.
Manila, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, Clark, Subic, Zamboanga, Laoag, Legazpi and Puerto Princesa are the international gateways to the country, with Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila as the main and premier gateway of the country.
[37] The airport mostly serves low-cost carriers that avail themselves of the lower landing fees than those charged at NAIA.
Since the launching of its international operations in November 2001, flies to 27 destinations in 15 countries and territories across Asia and Oceania.
According to John Forbes, a senior advisor at the American Chamber of Commerce at the Philippines, increasing car sales and lack of mass transit and highways cause most traffic congestion, and was feared to make Metro Manila "uninhabitable" by 2020.
[50] With the country's fast development and economic growth, old-model jeepneys have become the main contributor to air pollution in the cities.
[51][outdated statistic] According to the President of Partnership for Clean Air Rene Pineda, the issue stems from overpopulation, since more vehicles on the roads increases road congestion, and high-rise buildings and infrastructure means air pollution gets trapped on the ground instead of dispersing.
[52] According to the World Bank, land transport in the Philippines contributed 25 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020.
