Ride-On!

By: Stephanie Kith C. Martos

What are the Transportation Vehicles that are commonly used here in Bulacan?

Although the means of land transportation during the early days were not as sophisticated as modern vehicles and the roads were not as well constructed, the early Filipinos observed some laws to govern their mobility. These laws were as informal and simple as specifying which a person could use to move from one location to another.

In Manila and its suburbs, there were already a few motor vehicles on public highways as early as 1910. Inventions and introductions to better modes of transportation were made in the country. The Filipinos gradually learned to drive cars, trucks, jeeps, and other types of vehicles, and the means of transportation improved and became more powerful, as did the laws governing land travel.

Moving around the country by land is simple, thanks to national highways connecting the major islands and an extensive public transportation system that includes the exotic Philippine jeepney. The main modes of public transportation are trains, taxis, buses, jeepneys, and trikes. From north to south, the MacArthur Highway runs through the province.

The North Luzon Expressway connects most major cities in the Philippines. Bulacan's population has access to a large number of motor vehicles, most of which are owned by private individuals. Aside from the five major highways that run through the province, all roads are widely distributed across Bulacan.

#Number1TransportationThatNeverDies

Jeepneys are the most common mode of public transportation in Bulacan, and they are a complete anachronism. They began as Willys Jeeps left behind by American troops when they left the Philippines at the end of WWII, and Filipinos recycled them into buses with galvanized or stainless steel bodies, fabric covers in place of side windows, and longitudinally mounted benches with seating for 20 (or more) passengers. Despite the cheeky Mercedes-Benz stars affixed to the front of many modern Jeepneys, those beginnings are still visible.