“Manong, bayad,” “Pasuyo naman po,” “Para! Sa tabi na lang ho,”—we’ve all heard and said these lines at least once in our lifetimes.
The jeepney won’t be the country’s most popular mode of transportation for no reason. For a stash of coins or a couple of small bills, this iconic Philippine vehicle can take you to every twist and turn capturing the essence of the country’s cities.
The jeepney won’t be the country’s most popular mode of transportation for no reason. For a stash of coins or a couple of small bills, this iconic Philippine vehicle can take you to every twist and turn capturing the essence of the country’s cities.
But why do today’s jeepneys remind us of reckless moments on the road instead of thrilling trips?
Bringing Back Pride to the King of the Road
Despite the setback that has beleaguered the Philippine jeepney, the end of the vibrant road for the classic street icon remains infinite kilometers away.
This year, Jeepney Tours, a tourism enterprise offering Daily City Tours onboard the jeepney, aims to promote its vision further by initiating a unique corporate social art drive—the Jeepney Arts Festival. An advocacy set to bring back the glory days of fun and vibrant jeepneys, the celebration pays homage to the renowned vehicle as a true Filipino icon spread through a series of events.
A three-day initial salvo of the Jeepney Arts Festival dubbed as the On-the-Spot Jeepney Painting kicked off the noble initiative. “A whole level of bayanihan spirit transcended the ordinary as the event brought together more than a hundred registered volunteers—from professional artists, to students, to even handicapped individuals—with an aim to rehabilitate the eponymous Philippine vehicle,” says Clang Garcia, Managing Director of Jeepney Tours.
Bringing Back Pride to the King of the Road
Despite the setback that has beleaguered the Philippine jeepney, the end of the vibrant road for the classic street icon remains infinite kilometers away.
This year, Jeepney Tours, a tourism enterprise offering Daily City Tours onboard the jeepney, aims to promote its vision further by initiating a unique corporate social art drive—the Jeepney Arts Festival. An advocacy set to bring back the glory days of fun and vibrant jeepneys, the celebration pays homage to the renowned vehicle as a true Filipino icon spread through a series of events.
A three-day initial salvo of the Jeepney Arts Festival dubbed as the On-the-Spot Jeepney Painting kicked off the noble initiative. “A whole level of bayanihan spirit transcended the ordinary as the event brought together more than a hundred registered volunteers—from professional artists, to students, to even handicapped individuals—with an aim to rehabilitate the eponymous Philippine vehicle,” says Clang Garcia, Managing Director of Jeepney Tours.
From a blur of metal to a haze of pulsating colors, 50 rehabilitated jeepneys brought back the old glory days of Manila during the Jeepney Arts Festival’s second event—the Grand Jeepney Parade—last September 24.
These volunteers redesigned fifty (50) jeepneys by dressing them up with images depicting the Department of Tourism's It’s More Fun in the Philippines campaign, which generously evokes our rich cultural heritage and world-class tourism destinations.
Stretching this concept, the excellence of Filipinos was further unleashed as the participants were also allowed to upgrade the jeepneys' interiors by re-upholstering the seats, redoing the walls, and adding decors to give the vehicle a total makeover.
“As a way of reaching out to the industries of art and tourism, our organizers and sponsors provided the materials that we needed, such as bare jeepneys, paint, and even fuel, to make these events possible,” Garcia added.
Apart from the thrust of Jeepney Arts Festival to bring back the glory of the Philippine jeepney, the organizers also sought to further equip the men behind the wheels with valuable knowledge. For this reason, DoT provided a training program for participating jeepney drivers simultaneous with the On-the-Spot Jeepney Painting, immersing them in vital topics such as values formation, the culture of tourism, proper handling of passengers, and road safety, among other.
Stretching this concept, the excellence of Filipinos was further unleashed as the participants were also allowed to upgrade the jeepneys' interiors by re-upholstering the seats, redoing the walls, and adding decors to give the vehicle a total makeover.
“As a way of reaching out to the industries of art and tourism, our organizers and sponsors provided the materials that we needed, such as bare jeepneys, paint, and even fuel, to make these events possible,” Garcia added.
Apart from the thrust of Jeepney Arts Festival to bring back the glory of the Philippine jeepney, the organizers also sought to further equip the men behind the wheels with valuable knowledge. For this reason, DoT provided a training program for participating jeepney drivers simultaneous with the On-the-Spot Jeepney Painting, immersing them in vital topics such as values formation, the culture of tourism, proper handling of passengers, and road safety, among other.
Winning the very first On-the-Spot Jeepney Painting contest, Roberto Marquez and company encapsulated the spirit of bayanihan from their jeepney’s hoods, to the outer walls and even to its tires. This rehabilitated icon of Philippine art and tourism is set to be displayed at Café Jeepney in Hotel Intercontinental Manila for the whole month of October.
Ranking 2nd in the On-the-Spot Jeepney Painting contest, the Earist students executed their idea of the Pintados Festival in intricate details which brought the thrill of the festivity to the streets during the Grand Jeepney Parade.
The 3rd place winner of the On-the-Spot Jeepney Painting contest, LJE, spray painted the walls of its jeepney with details depicting the rich wildlife in the country including the well-known Philippine eagle and tarsier.
Gearing Towards a National Revolution
From a blur of bare metal to a haze of pulsating colors, the second part of the Jeepney Arts Festival—the Grand Jeepney Parade—brought back a whiff of vibrancy to the city streets with a one-time display of all 50 rehabilitated jeepneys last September 24, 2012.
Plying the SM Mall of Asia-EDSA-Ayala route and back, the spruced up jeepneys bannered the country's rich cultural heritage and world-class destinations splashed on their walls as it once again made Manila roar as a vibrant city of roving arts and culture.
This corporate social responsibility project was made possible in partnership with the Department of Tourism and SMART Communications. Its sponsors include Petron, Bosny Philippines, Café Jeepney, SM Mall of Asia, Nippon Paint, Design Week Philippines, ManilART, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), Tagaytay Tourism Council, Nurture Spa, and Nescafé Classic.
“The Jeepney Arts Festival is our way of taking that first gear towards revolutionizing the Philippine icon. We aim to take this social undertaking on a yearly basis until such time that the creative brilliance and community values of the Filipino people are embodied in the Philippine jeepneys,” Garcia concluded.
Shedding new light on this noteworthy revolution, the Jeepney Arts Festival is set to take us one step forward in reviving the Philippine jeepney—not only as a world-renowned means of transportation in the country, but as the Philippines’ bona fide iconic vehicle eminently showcasing the artistry, ingenuity, resiliency, and entrepreneurship characteristics intrinsic to the Filipino people.
