Driving in the Philippines
You know, driving is a little different in the Philippines compared to the USA and some other places I’ve visited around the world. It’s more “free wheeling” here. Rules, when they exist are often ignored, or even forgotten by the drivers and the authorities too.
I’ve been driving in the Philippines for 8 years already, and I must say that I’ve learned a lot, and I feel that I fit right in with the rest of the drivers.
Through video, I’d like to take you along today for a little drive around Davao City.
The video is long, a little over 23 minutes, but I hope you enjoy it!
Bob
Excellent first hand look at driving in Davao City! You can almost smell the diesel fumes.
I hope you dont have to deal with that type of driving on a daily basis, that could get old real fast. Somehow I pictured it to be a bit more rural. Is the average neighborhood area that Americans live in that congested.
I would have to take a closer look before settling down in a area that congested.
P.S. Be nice to Bikers! Thats one of the perks to Split Lanes, I do it here daily on the Interstate on the commute to work.
Hi Neal in Ri – The video was shot in commercial areas, not in residential areas, so no, the residential areas are not this crowded. Actually, the traffic was a little light on the day that I shot this video, except over in the area of the damaged bridge.
Davao certainly is not rural, it is a City of 2 Million residents! It does have much more of a small town feel compared to Cebu or Manila, though.
Hi Bob,
I just got back in the US from Cebu a week ago. I was supposed to meet up with Dave Starr when I was in Luzon but I think he was visiting you!
Anyway, I noticed in Cebu that driving is a game of inches. In the States the rule of thumb is 10 feet for every 10 miles per hour. I think in the Philippines it’s more like 10 inches (or less!). I made sure that I didn’t put my elbow out the window in traffic or someone might run into it.
Happy Motoring,
Mark C.
Hi Mark – Very true, I often use that term myself about driving here – it is certainly a game of inches! I’ve gone through many areas where I only had an inch or so of clearance on each side of the vehicle!
Hi Bob,
Your drive reminds me of early Sunday morning driving in Southern California!
Back “at home” way up in Northern Luzon, city traffic is a little thicker, but sanity rules the day (unlike SoCal). I really miss it!
Hi Paul – Ha ha.. us Americans would call the SoCal traffic “sanity” and the Philippine traffic insanity! It just depends on your perspective, I guess!
Hi Bob:
I haave just watched your video of driving in Davao. I never realized there is 2 million residents in Davao. You know I am here in Texas,USA but my son Nick lives in the Philippines and keeps in touch with you. In fact they are in Davao awaiting the arrival of my first granddaughter this week-end. Since it is too far for me to visit at my age (83) I just wanted you to know how much it means to me to see how things are where my son lives. Of course his business is in Manila.
Thanks for making this a “small world” after all.
Evelyn Nichols
I the Philippines speed limits, driving lanes, right of way, and stop signs are more suggestions than traffic laws
Hi Larry – Speed limits? What are those???
Indeed, there are speed limits in the Philippines? That’s anew one on me. Most of the time you are lucky to be going 15 miles an hour … so when the opportunity opens up … you go.
To Mark C, yes, sorry we couldn’t hook up this time. I just passed through Angeles yesterday on the new Subic expressway, at 120 kph … about all my diesel Adventure is happy with … once in a hwile travel here is good.
To Neal in RI … I know all about the be kind to bikers campaigns in the US … do not expect that here. Your fellow bikers will be your worst enemy. Motorcycels, in traffic are known as “peste’ … Spanish/Tagalog menaing annoying bugs to be squashed. Out and out aggression and completely rude driving are the norm for motorcyclists here … Bob didn’t show all the wrong side of the road, play chicken with the oncoming cars kind of behavior I put up with on a daily basis. Mostly, motorcyclists survive, how, I really don’t know. A Westerner neighbor on my street, who learned to drive mororcycles in Holland and then in the US and Japan was under a bus twice in less than a year. and he is a very cuatious older man with a head on his shoulders … busses swerve as they wish and it’s the cyclist’s (or motorist’s) job to gte out ofthe way. Luckily my friend was able to avoid going under the wheels of the bus both times. He offered to sell me his motor cheap when he left, I told him he didn’t have enough in the bank to convince me to ride here … do _not_ expect a very two-wheel friendly environment.
And a final thought on you ‘neighborhoods where Americans live’ thoughts. There are no such places, in my view. ‘Kano’ … the generic term for any Westerner … are all over, yet are such a tiny percentage of the population that there are virtually no ‘enclaves’. You’ll find Westerners in all sorts of circumstance too … from impressive large homes to run of the mill 30 year old tract housing (like me) … we’re just not that special
Hi Bob, Great film! Brought back lots of memories. I didn’t see any tricycles in the film to further add to the congestion. You have none in Davao?
Hi Dave Starr – You are spot on about the motorcycles! They hover all around the road, spend as much time on the wrong side of the road as the right side. Motorcycles create a lot of danger on the road.
Hi John in Austria – We do have tricycles in Davao, but they are not allowed on the main streets, only in residential areas. It is enforced quite strictly too.
Hi Evelyn Nichols – Hi there! I just had coffee with Nick a few days ago, it was nice to see him again after a long time. I want you to know that I responded to the e-mail that you sent me some time back, but it was returned to me. Some kind of technical glitch, I suppose! I’m glad that you are enjoying some of my various sites, and just let me know if there is anything that you would enjoy seeing on the sites!
I greatly appreciated the video and would like to see more when you get a chance! I think it is interesting to see what it is like. I would be more than a little curious to see one of your neighborhood (or similar neighborhoods).
Hi Tom – keep watching, I’m sure you’ll be seeing more videos!
Bob
I just showed the video to the Wife. She is a shocked to say the least, the last time we were there was 1984. Im being RRODDED to ask you if Brokenshire Hospital is still there(her Mom is a Doc), and if Some village called Donya Vicenta is still a good place to live?
It would be great to see maybe a walking tour of the every day living areas and streets, just to get a visual of how everyday interaction within the community is for a Xpat.
Thanks again for all you effort on your site. I have sent a link to all the Filipino people that we know here in the US.
Dave Starr
You kind of burst my bubble about (in the future) riding my Harley in the streets of the Philippines, It sounds like a Deathwish.
Perhaps I will be better off driving a Tamaraw, and asking Bob to give me driving lessons of “Offensive Driving”
ha-ha driving in the Philippines can definitely at times be a little “hairy”. But, in most areas I don’t think riding a motorcycle is that bad. I have ridden in and around Manila, through out Bulacan and down to Subic, also on most roads in Bohol. then again I also have riding experience in Europe and the middle east (talk about a dangerous place to even be on the sidewalk
) it is a lot easier and quicker then driving my Ford Everest around those areas.
I may have more motorcycle experience then most people. I have been on 2 wheels since age 5 and that is still my main mode of transportation. Ha-ha my 3 year old son loves the bikes too.
Dave Starr- Have they completed the construction in down town Marilou? ha-ha that use to have the cars and bikes so backed up they would be going from sidewalk to sidewalk Nothing like having a jeepney going the wrong way in the center of a 2 lane road 6 vehicles wide.
I remember seeing a couple speed limit signs right before the sign that says this area is monitored by aircraft… 
Thank you,the trip was the next best thing to being there.See you in the summer.
Hi Neal in Ri – Yeah, Brokenshire is still here, not far from my house either. Dona Vicenta is also very close to where I live, it is a decent subdivision.
Hi Mike K – Personally, I would never rice a motorcycle here, I feel that it is quite dangerous. Everybody’s opinion varies, though.
Hi Jim – glad you enjoyed the video!
I would be more in tune to say that riding in the “Good ol’ USA” is far more dangerous then riding here in the Philippines. If nothing else just due to rider awareness. That is true though…Everyone’s opinion varies…
Hi Bob,great vid,reminds me of my first trip to Davao.We had a crazy taxi driver,I was hanging on for grim death at first
even ducking down at times 
But got used to it after a couple of days,now I find it good fun.
Now Im looking forward to my next death defying ride in a taxi in two weeks time when I have a whole month in Davao.”Bring it on.”
hi bob..thanks for the video and am looking forward to more …..i am coming to philippines for the first time and have most things in order but haveing to buy auto and driving …thanks again ..i enjoyed your video as they say in philippines SO MUCH….joey
I drove in London for 20 yrs so i think! i can handle driving there although i have not driven for 10 years! will have to take it easy but i guess you never forget how to drive.
Nice work Bob, im sure its an eye opener for anyone planning a move there and im sure other videos will be popular(maybe a short one over to Paradise). These days video clips have taken over pics imo and with broadband excessible to the majority, it streams well.
Hi john.j. – I hop eyou enjoy your trip to Davao! It’s a great place to enjoy. Hang in there and don’t let a taxi driver get you killed!!
Hi joey – I’ll be doing more videos in coming weeks and months. It seems that people enjoy them!
Hi graham – Ha ha… I think you can handle it. Only problem might be that if you are used to London driving, you might end up on the wrong side of the road here! Oh, hold it… everybody drives on whatever side of the road they want anyway… you’ll be fine!!
Hey Bob,
Great Video!! I had almost forgotten how crazy the drivers are in the Philippines. I remember the last time we were in the Philippines we decided to rent a jeepney for a day so we could go to the beach in Tobacco. When the Jeepney showed up, it had bald tires. I remember the Jeepney driver flying around curves at a high speed on hilly coastal roads that had big drops. I was sure I was going to die. To make matters worse, the driver decided he would drink a little Tanduay while he waited for us at the beach…I think when we go back in August we will find another way to the beach!!
Hi Joe Parisi – Ha ha… you mean tires aren’t supposed to be bald? I didn’t realize that! I thought it was just normal!
LOVE the video!! Really gives me the feel of the Philippines. Looking forward to more videos!!
Hi Jen – I’m glad that you enjoyed it! I’ll be posting up more videos regularly!
Bald is ok…haha the key thing to look for in a tire is a round shape.
Hi Mike K. – Round helps!
Bob,
What about auto insurance. It is required, does anyone have it?
Danny
Hi Danny Thompson – Yes, Auto Insurance is required. The vehicle I am driving in the video is an 11 year old vehicle, so I just have liability insurance on it, which costs P600+ per year.
@ Neal in RI .. there are some Harley’s here in the Philippines, although rare indeed. Technically you can’t import them and if you could the customs duty and other fees would come up to about 125% of the blue book price. If you are able to get one in here, be sure to bring extra cluch cables because you will sur ebe sitting a lot witing for space to move.
@ Mike K … I’m not familiar with any construction of note in Marilao. Traffic in the ‘bayan’ backs up during the day, but I seldom go there … SM is around the corner from me and the route to the NLEX toll gate doesn’t involve much traffic.
There’s a lot of good two-wheel info here … be sure to peruse the forums, they are quite popular. For me, I’ll stick to my old man four wheeler for the time being:
http://www.motorcyclephilippines.com/
I don’t know about the speed limit signs either. There was a news item about 6 months back that said the NLEX patrols were going to start using radar to monitor speed (btw, bikes over 400 cc are allowed on the NLEX and the new Subic Expressway) but I haven’t heard that thye have received their first radar gun ‘up to now’. It’s probably waiitng for someone to pay the customs duty or else the batteries are out of stock *smile*
Hi Dave Starr – There are actually quite a few Harleys in Davao City. It’s sort of the official bike of the DDS after all.