Mañez, Chloe Solstice G.

09/09/2023
12-STEM 1
Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics activity

Jeepney Ethnography

Jeepney is one of the best-known modes of transportation in the Philippines; it has been part
of our Filipino culture. I have been riding the jeepney for years now, and here is what I have
observed when riding the jeepney.

When riding the jeepney, you must have participation and cooperation. You cannot be all
uncooperative; what I mean is that you must help the other fellow passenger’s money to get
to the jeepney driver. There are no conductors present in the jeepney; you have to be
cooperative and not an introvert. In order to pass your money to the jeepney driver, you have
to say "Bayad po" in order for the other passengers to get their attention and help you pass
your money to the jeepney driver. For doing this, I think it serves as a symbol of cooperation
among Filipinos.

It is also very important to be considerate of other passengers riding the jeepney. If you see
someone who's elderly, scoot more over inside so that elderly person can easily go down the
jeepney, especially those who have big bags or many baggages with them, but sometimes
they prefer sitting more inside the jeepney that's close to the entrance and exit in order to
keep their bags with them.

Inside the jeepney, you may see a long seat that can fit ten to fifteen passengers. The long seat
has its purpose; you can easily scoot over to the side when someone is about to sit.
Sometimes, you know a jeepney driver is religious when they hang a rosary, and it signifies
God protecting this jeepney and the whole trip. The last thing I see inside a jeepney is their
rectangular sign boards hanging in their windshield, indicating where their trip is heading and
to what area they can travel. It will be easy for the passengers to indicate what jeepney they
will be riding.

There are some etiquettes I have observed when it comes to what seat or space the passenger
should have. Normally, only senior citizens or persons with disabilities sit beside the entrance
and exit of the jeepney, so they can easily get off when they are at their destination. Kids
below the age of seventeen and mothers with a few-month-old babies cannot sit there because
there are risks of them getting off the ride, and the turbulence can cause distress. Only adults
sit there. Meanwhile, at the front of the jeepney, anyone can sit there. For special cases, such
as the jeepney being full, the jeepney driver will offer the front seat, and two people can sit
on the front of the jeepney.

In conclusion, from what I have observed from riding the jeepney, this is a Filipino practice;
you cannot see this anywhere. The most common forms of public transportation
internationally are taxis, buses, or wired trains; jeepneys are only available in the Philippines.
This practice of being cooperative, considerate, and helpful to one another is what makes us
Filipinos.

Two pictures of me riding the jeep: