History of the Jeepney in the Philippines (photos)
You may have never heard of a Jeepney, but everyone knows exactly what they are in the Philippines. Here the history of this very popular Jeep based public transportation system.
1. WWII Surplus U.S. Military Jeeps
The Jeepneys were originally made from the U.S. military Jeeps that were left-over from World-War ll. The Philippines were of strategic important during WWII, and the U.S. and Japan fought many land and naval battles in the area during the war. Afterwards, Harry Stonehill, an American soldier, was tasked with the disposal of the Jeepneys, and he instead of destroying them, made a profit with a black-market for these Jeeps. The rugged and simple military vehicle was well suited for the terrain of the islands of the Philippines.
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2. Creating a Jeepney
The military Jeeps were altered to create the Jeepneys and carry more passengers. The original Jeeps were completely stripped apart, and the bodies lengthened. Metal roofs were welded on to create shade, two bench-seats were added on in back to create more room for passengers, and the exterior was decorated with bright colors to attract attention. The local tradesmen got to the point where they could practically build a Jeepney body and frame from scratch.
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3. Instant Public Transportation
The Jeepneys suddenly became the most popular means of transportation in the Philippines. Jeepneys are known for their artistic decorations and extremely crowded seating. The popular transportation-vehicle has become one of the public symbols of the Philippines, with many tourists taking home toy Jeepney souvenirs of their visit.
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4. 1964 New York World's Fair
In 1964, New York held a huge world fair, which was so popular it ran for 2 years. At the Philippines World's Fair pavilion, the Jeepney was featured as an image of the Filipinos' national culture. The Filipino people are rightly proud of their ability to make these mini buses with just a Jeep and their simple tools.
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5. The Name "Jeepney"
The origin of the name is somewhat hazy, as some think it was a mixture of Jeep and Jitney. Others claim it's a combination of Jeep and knee, because the passengers are known to be tremendously crowded with their knees touching when riding on-board the Jeepneys.
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6. Government Involvement
A lot of resources were destroyed during World War ll, and the Jeepneys gained popularity as inexpensive means of transportation, slowly becoming iconic. The Philippine's government eventually started regulating the use of the Jeepneys, and they enforced special licenses to drive these cars, as well as regulating the fares and the routes.
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7. The End of an Era
Just this past year, the government passed restrictions on the legendary Jeepneys, because pollution, safety, and fuel consumption. Metro Manila newspaper claimed in an article that the regular 16-passenger Jeepneys uses as much fuel as a 54-passenger bus with air-conditioning. Few Jeepneys on the road today are based on the WWII era Jeeps, but many are based on derelict Japanese and other small trucks, rebodied. The end of the Jeepney era may be soon, as the government is constructing a Bus Transit System in the Philippines, and made rules that all Jeepneys have to be less than 15 years old.
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