Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Down the chaotic Manila streets, alongside large buses, private cars, and taxi cabs,
an eye-catching, anachronistic vehicle carelessly makes its way through. It’s painted
with bright colors and adorned with gaudy accessories. This is the Philippine
jeepney, a post-World War II innovation, a cultural symbol, and the undisputed “King
of the Road”.
The history of the iconic jeepney bears a resemblance to that of the equally iconic
Filipino dish, sisig(sizzling chopped parts of the pig’s head): both were products of
ingenious innovation. Just as sisig was created by making the most of cheap throw-
away cuts of pigs from the US Air Base in Pampanga, the jeepney was up-cycled
from leftover U.S. Willy Jeeps used during World War II.
In the early 1950s, jeepneys began making their rounds in Manila. Soon, they
became a solution to the post-war public transportation problem.
One of the early jeepney producers was Sarao Motors. They began making the
vehicles in 1953 and quickly shot to the top of the production ranks, recognized for
quality output. They also contributed to the framing of the jeepney as a Philippine
cultural icon.
Jeepneys as a cultural symbol
But another significant factor in making the jeepney a cultural symbol of the
Philippines was Sarao Motors. The popular automotive manufacturing company
created jeepneys that were shipped overseas and displayed in tourism exhibitions in
cities like New York and London as a Philippine icon. Back home in the Philippines,
movements promoting the jeepney as a Filipino symbol were being carried out as
well. Today, not only are jeepneys flaunted in the streets of the country, but they also
grace the shelves of souvenir shops in miniature form.
Much has been said through the past few decades about phasing out the jeepney to
make way for much more efficient modes of public transport. While there have been
extensive debates on the matter, and even a decline in jeepney production in the
early 2000s, one thing in certain: they are still around. Surviving nearly 70 years of
the country’s struggles, progress, and change, this cultural symbol proves that the
King of the Road can withstand even the arduous test of time.