Driving in the Philippines.....

[alanmf1]

Just returned from another fabulous trip to Phils..

Curious to know what we all think of our experiences of driving (Both car & motorcycles) in the Philippines.

The standards are so different from any where else...

My experiences were on one of the quieter islands, Bohol but no matter how much i enjoyed the experience you have to be on your toes at all times!

Not sure if all the tricycles make it more hazardous in the city or its their utter disrespect for other road users in the country that worry me....

Once you have decided to take on the same attitudes as the locals then you start going places!

If you obey what you think are the rules it seems you will cause an almighty jam.....!

Doesnt matter if its a clear definition of a "B" road to a farm track.... it seems he who moves 1st wins!

It is quiet a scary experience but alas i assume because everyone is expecting the unexpected there do appear to be very few accidents!


As for motorcycles, well it is nice to have the wind in your hair but from a safety perspective i find it hard not to want to suit up in leathers, gloves, boots and a helmet!!!

Hiring a motorcycle from a registered agent and asking for a Helmet! hmmmm I was serious but they thought i was joking!!!


Any way great experience & great fun........

[Englishman2010]

Pleased to read that you survived the experience and are still in one piece Alan

I'm not sure I'm ready to brave Manila traffic yet, but I might think about it in one of the provinces.....but then again, taxi's and vans are so cheap out there, after taking into account he daily hire charges it's probably far cheaper and safer for me to let someone else do the driving.

Hope that you had a great time too

[Tawi2]

my 14 year old son broached the topic of learning today,he can ride a motorcycle,its private ground and he is big for his age,he wants to skill-up early,wouldnt dare let him onto a public roadYeah,I know that would be illegal.

[Tawi2]

Better add my kids cousin works in the land-transportation office,even if he had never once sat in a driving seat getting a full licence would be a short formality once he turns of age

[RickyR]

Driving in the Philippines is a piece of cake, once you understand the way it works! In Manila and Cebu they have fairly good roads. A wonderful road is the one from Cebu to Balamban!

[purple]

A wonderful road is the one from Cebu to Balamban!

Is it passable again? I thought after the landslides that area there is quiet dangerous.

[RickyR]

Not sure actually; but its a beautiful pass.

[JimOttley]

Drive the way you would in the UK with the same respect for other road users as you show in the UK but drive much slower and be much much much more aware of what is going on around you than you are in the UK.

Make no assumptions about behaviour because no one will behave the way you expect them too.

Always indicate but don't assume they saw your indication or for that matter cared about it

Drive defensively as ever.

Try not to upset the cops, no one obeys the rules but if a foreigner does not obey the rules he or she will be stopped and the only way out is a bribe, don't give them an excuse!

Try to remember what side of the road you are on

Apart from that it is fun, also try to learn to drive on Manila roads at Easter when the roads are empty

Oh and I almost forgot all pedestrians are suicides in waiting but the authorities won't see it that way

[grahamw48]

The rule of the road in the Phils is, if it's BIGGER than you it has right of way, otherwise, no other rules.

I used to drive a car in Manila and a Scooter in Angeles City.

The longest trip I made in a car was from Angeles down to Legaspi and back.
Took about 10 hours each way, but enjoyable once out of the city.

I ALWAYS wore a helmet on the scooter (It's the law anyway, despite what the locals do), as my life is quite important to me.

I also use a pushbike a lot when I'm over there.

Best to have a car with smoked windows, so you attract less attention from the cops looking for merienda money.

[alanmf1]

It is a great experience... as you as say! and obviously a perfect way to see the countryside.

I find it amazing how so many people now seem to have access to huge expensive SUV's and pick ups and jeeps!

There is obviously "good" money around ...

I also noticed that many new large family "brick" houses being completed beside traditional dwellings...

[Sim11UK]

As for motorcycles, well it is nice to have the wind in your hair but from a safety perspective i find it hard not to want to suit up in leathers, gloves, boots and a helmet!!!

Hiring a motorcycle from a registered agent and asking for a Helmet! hmmmm I was serious but they thought i was joking!!!

I heard many Hospitals wont accept injured motorcyclists, who weren't wearing a helmet?...How true that is, I don't know?

Welcome back Alan...in one piece too.

[Terpe]

I've driven around the town and villages where my wife was born (near Davao). No problem and good fun too.

I also had some driving lessons in and around Marikina City. I wouldn't call it fun but certainly an experience. For me, I found I really need to know exactly where to go, then it's OK. Jeepney drivers and tricycle drivers cause my blood pressure to soar.

[somebody]

It is a great experience... as you as say! and obviously a perfect way to see the countryside.

I find it amazing how so many people now seem to have access to huge expensive SUV's and pick ups and jeeps!

There is obviously "good" money around ...

I also noticed that many new large family "brick" houses being completed beside traditional dwellings...

Lets be honest driving round in a car with a little wheelbase on some Phill roads would loosen your fillings Plus as others say the rule is the bigger car gets right of way and Phills aspire to be west coast Americans in SUV's on the whole..

Also from what I Understand costs are basically fuel, insurance seems to be un heard of and due to being near all the major manufacturers im sure many are the b grade products (that or the components dont need to comply with RoHS and other standards the west impose) many manufacturers seem to dump on Phill and other countries outside of the Western countries. Therefore reducing the cost greatly..

Cant speak about cars but seen my own companies factories and others
and know there are different lines for different markets sadly Phill gets the rough end of the stick..

[Englishman2010]

It is a great experience... as you as say! and obviously a perfect way to see the countryside.

I find it amazing how so many people now seem to have access to huge expensive SUV's and pick ups and jeeps!

There is obviously "good" money around ...

I also noticed that many new large family "brick" houses being completed beside traditional dwellings...

As more and more Filipino's are working in the west and earning western wages, they are going to have more disposable cash to flash on cars, houses and electronics. For many people driving around in a big tank is a status symbol. Although they might have the nice SUV's I wouldn't imagine any of them are serviced and maintained to anything like the same standards we are used to in the west.

[somebody]

Fred and others have mentioned many are imported from Japan and possibly Hong Kong as nearly new. Of course plenty of OFWs and families abroad who are happy to buy big SUV's

In our local area in the Uk most ex pat Phills seem to have SUV's or the larger Honda people carriers handy for big families

[Englishman2010]

In our local area in the Uk most ex pat Phills seem to have SUV's or the larger Honda people carriers handy for big families

I noticed a Honda SUV with the Phil flag on the number plate in Leicester a few weeks ago

[somebody]

I noticed a Honda SUV with the Phil flag on the number plate in Leicester a few weeks ago

Attend a Barrio fiesta and your see many many Hondas

[Arthur Little]

I find it amazing how so many people now seem to have access to huge expensive SUV's and pick ups and jeeps!

There is obviously "good" money around ...

... so t'would seem. I'm amazed at how many can afford anything on four wheels!!!!

[JimOttley]

Business Arthur, those with a business a vastly wealthier than the rest.

[JimOttley]

Fred and others have mentioned many are imported from Japan and possibly Hong Kong as nearly new. Of course plenty of OFWs and families abroad who are happy to buy big SUV's

In our local area in the Uk most ex pat Phills seem to have SUV's or the larger Honda people carriers handy for big families

I doubt it's Japanese imports Andy, it must be purpose built Japanese right hand drive cars, LHD cars are banned in the Phils you would never get one past customs, remember Japan is LHD the same as us.

[RickyR]

Hi Jim, essentially they have a lot of Japanese imports which are then converted on arrival. They cars are then registered and sold as for instance a 2010 because thats when it was imported (it could be 10 years old!!!). Very wierd setup, and is why I'm so dubious about buying a second hand car in the Philippines. I'm driving a Toyota Altis (Corolla) at the moment that we have on long term rent from family.

[grahamw48]

I was intending to build my own Jeep, but got sidetracked into building a house, 2 shops, a restaurant,and several large aviaries instead. Ended up with a blinkin pushbike.

[David House]

I drove today from Moalboal to Minglanilla, which is where our Phil house is. Lovely ride by the way over the mountains from CarCar. I have an almost new Sportage which seems ideally suited to the roads here as it can take the rougher roads but remains a nice smooth ride. Being automatic means it is easy to manage in the Cebu traffic and it also has quite a turn of speed, which is very helpful when overtaking in tight spots!
Driving here is an aquired taste. It is not for the faint hearted and you truly do have to tear up the highway code and go with the flow. Jeeps and multicabs stop at will. Pedicabs, cyclists and motorbikes will ride on the wrong side of the road. Many vehicles don't have lights and those that do turn them off as you approach, or just don't use them as they seem to think it means they use more fuel. Darkened windows are great during the day but at night they really reduce your vision and on unlit roads, with unlit traffic and suicidal pedestrians you need to have every sense highly tuned.
The bus drivers are the worst road users I have ever seen, often tearing along the wrong side of the road towards oncoming vehicles who are forced to pull over. They do this to remain in front of the competition and pick up more passengers. In the city there are frequent minor scapes but nothing too serious as the average speed is so low. Outside the accidents can be horrific with scores of people killed in a single incident if two buses collide. We passed a fatality locally only last week and no-one thought anything very much about it and it did not feature at all in the local press.
I always drive defensively and although I get upset at some of the things I see I try to let it pass as quickly as I can. Today I had a truck behind me driven by a kid who thought he was Lewis Hamilton, hanging on my bumper, driving along the other side of the road and only swerving back in at the last moment.

[sars_notd_virus]

Curious to know what we all think of our experiences of driving (Both car & motorcycles) in the Philippines.

If you survive the first (3) consecutive days driving in the Philippines and go home in one piece then u will be fine ...I learned how to drive using my grandfathers (owner type jeepney fpj style), nobody wants to bump on it as their cars will be infected by the rust ahahaha,quite a lot of fun actually!!! but just be mindful of the motorcycles,they just popped out from nowhere
One thing for sure, i will not let my husband drive a car in the Philippines,...we will always be in trouble ....I will just get him a Quad bike to use inside the subdivision(strictly for off-road use only)

[fred]

Last week my battery terminals came loose(Didnt know this at time)and the car wouldn't start in our Caltex garage..So the Caltex men pushed me and my SUV out of the garage and down the hill which goes down to the island we live on so I could bump the engine.. My power steering went and after about 20 meters my brakes too..There were trikes multicabs and god knows what else in my way..Im not sure if it was the expression on my face , the eratic and silent vehicle with huge bull bars hurtling towards them or the screaming Caltex men running behind me that urged them to suddenly clear me a path! Clear it they did though!!!
Fortunately I remembered 1st gear and the handbrake after around 200 meters..
Most Filipino`s usually behave like dumb primates when put behind the wheel of a motor vehicle but I must admit,on this occasion I must respect their reactions as my runaway vehicle was pointed in their general direction.

[grahamw48]

Your brakes will still work, just unassisted by the servo. Need to press harder.

Your steering will still work too, just no PAS, but muscle power required as in the olden days.

Have you ever driven a truck with no PAS ?

[alanmf1]

Scary moments Fred.......at least you were in a reasonable built up area....im guessing near Tagbilaran. what ever, could have been much worse were you on a track road....

Funny. I was driving from Danao and intent on getting towards Carmen.
I was on a reasonably main road changing from shale to concrete as they do...
Then unexplicably there was no road.. just cranes and trucks and building a new bridge.
Id travelled maybe 7 miles and no signs of road closure or road works....
There did not appear to be an old bridge either...........

All good fun as they say.... just glad i wasnt driving in the dark....

[stevewool]

they where the days , no P A S use to have to bounce the wheels of the curb sometimes just to get the bloody thing round

[fred]

Graham..Trust me...They didn't work..I had my back pressed against the back of my seat and I was just about standing on them.
The steering was also rock hard..Just about managed to steer into the curb..

[stevewool]

was your ignition swithed on there fred