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Jeepney
A jeepney (Tagalog: [ˈdʒiːpni]), or simply a jeep (Tagalog: [ˈdʒiːp]), is a type of public utility vehicle (PUV) that serves as the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. Known for its crowded seating and kitsch decorations, it is a cultural icon of the Philippines and has its own art, "Jeepney art". At the 1964 New York World's Fair, a Sarao jeepney was exhibited in the Philippine pavilion as a national symbol for Filipinos.
Jeepneys originate from the American colonial period–share taxis known as "auto calesas", commonly shortened to "AC". These evolved to modified imported cars with attached carriages in the 1930s which served as a cheap passenger utility vehicles in Manila. These vehicles were mostly destroyed in World War II. The need for replacement transport vehicles led to the use of U.S. military jeeps left over from the war, which became the template for the modern jeepney. A jeepney modernization program launched by the Department of Transportation in 2017 seeks to use more environmentally-friendly vehicles, but has raised concerns regarding the preservation of the jeepney's iconic look as most modern jeepneys resemble regular minibuses.
As of 2022, there were an estimated 600,000 drivers nationwide dependent on driving jeepneys for their livelihood. In Metro Manila, an estimated nine million commuters take the jeepney each day.
The word jeepney is a portmanteau of post–World War II "jeep" and pre-war "jitney", both words common slang in the popular vernacular of the era.
From the American colonial period up to shortly after World War II, jeepneys were known as "auto calesa" (or "AC" for short), named after the horse-drawn calesas of Manila, or simply "jitney" or "baby bus." The term "auto calesa" was first attested in 1910, and originally referred to relatively cheap imported cars that were used as share taxis by local drivers for ₱2 (equivalent to ₱1,099 in 2021) an hour. The first automobile to be modified for seating more passengers was introduced in 1932 by a Filipino entrepreneur, using cheap imported German DKW vehicles with side-entry carriages attached. These were operated by the DKW-AC Company.
By the mid-1930s, Emil Bachrach, a Russian American entrepreneur in the Philippines (who also owned the Ford Motor Co. franchise in the Philippines, as well as Manila's first bus company), started the Bachrach Motor Company (BMC). They began manufacturing similar vehicles known as the BMC-AC. Unlike the DKW-ACs, they had a back-entry carriage style (similar to the carretela-type calesa) that was joined seamlessly with the chassis. It seated two people on each side. The automobiles used were cheap imported British Austin 7s and later on, American Bantams, both of which are the direct precursors of the Jeep. They later expanded to seat eight to ten people but were still much shorter than modern jeepneys. Most of these vehicles were destroyed in World War II.
When American troops began to leave the Philippines at the end of World War II, hundreds of surplus Jeeps were sold or given to the Filipinos. An American soldier named Harry Stonehill was involved in the disposal of military surplus, and reportedly created a black market for the surplus including jeeps.
The Jeeps were stripped down and altered locally: metal roofs were added for shade, and the vehicles were decorated in vibrant colours with chrome-plated ornaments on the sides and hood. The back part was reconfigured with two long parallel benches with passengers facing each other to accommodate more passengers. The size, length, and passenger capacity have increased as it evolved through the years. In assembly-built jeepneys (notably, those built by Sarao Motors and Francisco Motors), the passenger capacity reached a maximum of fourteen to eighteen (including two up front). These high-capacity jeepneys were the first versions to be referred to as "Public Utility Jeepneys" (PUJ) or "passenger-type" jeeps. The non-extended, original-seat configuration jeeps were labeled "owners", short for "owner-type" jeeps, and are used non-commercially. To distinguish it from those used as public transportation, the term "owner" is used. The original jeepneys were refurbished military Jeeps by Willys and Ford. Modern jeepneys are now produced with engines and other parts from Japan or South Korea.
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Jeepney
A jeepney (Tagalog: [ˈdʒiːpni]), or simply a jeep (Tagalog: [ˈdʒiːp]), is a type of public utility vehicle (PUV) that serves as the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. Known for its crowded seating and kitsch decorations, it is a cultural icon of the Philippines and has its own art, "Jeepney art". At the 1964 New York World's Fair, a Sarao jeepney was exhibited in the Philippine pavilion as a national symbol for Filipinos.
Jeepneys originate from the American colonial period–share taxis known as "auto calesas", commonly shortened to "AC". These evolved to modified imported cars with attached carriages in the 1930s which served as a cheap passenger utility vehicles in Manila. These vehicles were mostly destroyed in World War II. The need for replacement transport vehicles led to the use of U.S. military jeeps left over from the war, which became the template for the modern jeepney. A jeepney modernization program launched by the Department of Transportation in 2017 seeks to use more environmentally-friendly vehicles, but has raised concerns regarding the preservation of the jeepney's iconic look as most modern jeepneys resemble regular minibuses.
As of 2022, there were an estimated 600,000 drivers nationwide dependent on driving jeepneys for their livelihood. In Metro Manila, an estimated nine million commuters take the jeepney each day.
The word jeepney is a portmanteau of post–World War II "jeep" and pre-war "jitney", both words common slang in the popular vernacular of the era.
From the American colonial period up to shortly after World War II, jeepneys were known as "auto calesa" (or "AC" for short), named after the horse-drawn calesas of Manila, or simply "jitney" or "baby bus." The term "auto calesa" was first attested in 1910, and originally referred to relatively cheap imported cars that were used as share taxis by local drivers for ₱2 (equivalent to ₱1,099 in 2021) an hour. The first automobile to be modified for seating more passengers was introduced in 1932 by a Filipino entrepreneur, using cheap imported German DKW vehicles with side-entry carriages attached. These were operated by the DKW-AC Company.
By the mid-1930s, Emil Bachrach, a Russian American entrepreneur in the Philippines (who also owned the Ford Motor Co. franchise in the Philippines, as well as Manila's first bus company), started the Bachrach Motor Company (BMC). They began manufacturing similar vehicles known as the BMC-AC. Unlike the DKW-ACs, they had a back-entry carriage style (similar to the carretela-type calesa) that was joined seamlessly with the chassis. It seated two people on each side. The automobiles used were cheap imported British Austin 7s and later on, American Bantams, both of which are the direct precursors of the Jeep. They later expanded to seat eight to ten people but were still much shorter than modern jeepneys. Most of these vehicles were destroyed in World War II.
When American troops began to leave the Philippines at the end of World War II, hundreds of surplus Jeeps were sold or given to the Filipinos. An American soldier named Harry Stonehill was involved in the disposal of military surplus, and reportedly created a black market for the surplus including jeeps.
The Jeeps were stripped down and altered locally: metal roofs were added for shade, and the vehicles were decorated in vibrant colours with chrome-plated ornaments on the sides and hood. The back part was reconfigured with two long parallel benches with passengers facing each other to accommodate more passengers. The size, length, and passenger capacity have increased as it evolved through the years. In assembly-built jeepneys (notably, those built by Sarao Motors and Francisco Motors), the passenger capacity reached a maximum of fourteen to eighteen (including two up front). These high-capacity jeepneys were the first versions to be referred to as "Public Utility Jeepneys" (PUJ) or "passenger-type" jeeps. The non-extended, original-seat configuration jeeps were labeled "owners", short for "owner-type" jeeps, and are used non-commercially. To distinguish it from those used as public transportation, the term "owner" is used. The original jeepneys were refurbished military Jeeps by Willys and Ford. Modern jeepneys are now produced with engines and other parts from Japan or South Korea.