Live in the Philippines

Live in the Philippines helps expats with visas, moving and other services regarding the Philippines.

Do you need a car in the Philippines? EAM

Podcasts, Transportation / by

Americans love our cars.  That is probably true more for Americans that for any other people in the world.  Most likely it is because the United States is so large, and in parts of the USA it is quite a long distance from one place to another, requiring a long commute.

So, when we moved to the Philippines, one of the first things of substance that I did was to purchase a car.  I have enjoyed having a car, and have gotten some really good use out of my vehicle here in the Philippines.

A few years back, though, I made a fundamental change to the way that I address transportation.  If I knew 14 years ago what I know now, perhaps I would not have purchased a motor vehicle at all.  Truth is, I rarely drive my car anymore, although I still own it.

Why the change?  Well, public transportation is quite good, in my view, here in the Philippines.  I can get anywhere I need to go in the Philippines with little hassle using public transportation, and it is also very inexpensive.

I got a series of questions, though, through my Expat Answer Man voicemail line recently.  Paul was wondering about having and operating a car here in the Philippines.  He was particularly interested in the costs of doing so.  How much was a vehicle license, insurance and other costs of owning a vehicle.

On today’s Podcast, I address Paul’s questions, and share my view about the need to have a car in the Philippines.

Have a listen and see what you think.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hi Bob;
    When I lived in Olongapo proper I really didn’t need to own a car for as you stated the local transportation was cheap and there was always one waiting be it a Trike or Jeepney. But when we purchased our land outside the city the need to have our own transportation came with the move.
    We will drive down to the Subic Freeport, park the car and ride a Jeepney around town, because it is now next to impossible to find a parking space.in Olongapo.

    • Hi Paul – You are absolutely correct, there are times when having a vehicle certainly makes things more convenient! Because I live in the City, my situation differs from yours. If I lived a ways out of town the public transportation availability would be much different. Like so many things in the Philippines, you just gotta do what works best for you!

  2. On the few occasions when I had multiple stops several purchased items, I have hired the same cab for a negotiated all day price. The driver is willing to go everywhere with you, usually his English is decent enough to assist you, and he will also know the better places to get items.
    I was never certain what to pay, but usually they seemed very happy with 1500p, leaving me to believe I overpaid.
    Getting the drivers cell number and using the same one whenever possible is best, they become much more loyal and reliable.
    Let me add that I find the Davao drivers the most honest in the world, hands down.

    • Hi Bill – I don’t really know the proper daily rate for a taxi either. You are right about Davao taxi drivers, I have always found them honest, and friendly as well! 🙂

  3. Bob,
    We don’t own a car, but next year we will probably purchase one as it is much more convenient taking longer trips rather than use public transportation.

    • Hi PapaDuck – Wanna buy mine? Ha ha.. no, I probably wouldn’t sell it, but it just sits in the driveway, and the thought does cross my mind sometimes! 🙂

  4. A car is a convenience, but I agree with you Bob public transportation is cheaper and is almost as fast as a private car to drive some place and a lot easier to not worry about finding a parking spot

  6. Hi Bob,

    .
    Being over 2 1/2 hours from Cebu City, we rely on our older Pajero to be able to go to the city for
    grocery shopping and mall/my beauty parlor visits a few times a month. In between times, my husband doesn’t mind taking the big Ceres busliner and then taking a taxi or jeepney to his final destination in the city. I’m not really into the bus because it’s a long trip (3 hours one way) with no aircon, so I prefer our own vehicle Diesel fuel for our Pajero is the cheapest, so that helps my cause.

    Last week my husband purchased a used 2013 Honda motorcycle just like the one Scott Fortune purchased recently, because for short trips between houses and around our towns it’s more fun, convenient and cheaper.
    City living opens up way more options as you say, but in more far-flung areas in the province like ours, a vehicle is a must for us, for emergencies and routine living needs.

    • We also own a multicab, but we’d like to trade it in for a used Volkswagon bug for me to use in the province.:)

        • Hey Bob,

          Boy–I’ve seen so many cool old Volkswagon beetles online for sale here So many of the coolest ones are from the Davao region–I wonder why? Do you see many of them there on the roads? I wonder if one could be purchased and shipped up here to Cebu…

    • Yes, I understand that Queenie, as I mentioned earlier to Paul… if you live out of town, a car is needed much more.

      Good luck with your new motorcycle! I hope you enjoy it.

  7. Article interesting…….I was in the car business back in the states all my life..ALWAYS needed and had a car…BUT when I came here I found I did not need a car…I use local transportation and I go where ever I need to.. and for cheap…I did however buy a car from a guy who needed cash and i saw an opportunity to fix the car up and sell it for a profit…When i had the car it was a convience. in some ways .But not really needed…as I repaired the car I found that the weather here is quite a culprit on rubber parts within the car as I had to replace mounts …struts and other components…So maintenance … the hassle of getting a drivers license and insurance and $5.00 gas did not make sense to me…AND a capper was driving at night Wow… what a zoo … and you better be sober and in defensive mold..

  8. I think if you have a baby it is an absolute necessity. I bought my car when my wife was 9 months pregnant. The thought of carrying a newborn baby in a tricycle or in a jeep does not sit well with me. Not to mention carrying a newborn on a motor-single. I want seat belts, airbags, and a temperature controlled area for my baby! Bought a 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage G4. Thought for a while about getting a second hand Honda Fit or something, but I heard they get chopped up and welded back together again. That’s just my humble opinion.

  9. Hi Luke – Nice to hear from you. I used to drive everywhere I went, but rarely get behind the wheel any longer. I like using the public transportation. 🙂

  10. I never experienced that problem, Roger Craft. My car is more than 14 years old and doesn’t have a dent on it! It has traveled a couple hundred thousand miles too! 🙂

  11. Hi Rusty – I would tent to disagree about a car being a necessity – baby or not. But, it is a person choice that only you can make, and there is nothing wrong with wanting a car. I see babies on tricycles and on jeepneys all the time. 🙂

  12. I see it as well, I just would hate for something to ever happen (an accident for example)…I would not be able to forgive myself for not doing everything in my power to keep my child safe…

  16. LOL! I understand that Bob. You probably act FILIPINO more than myself, hah, ha, ha!!! I left PH many years ago, lived in Tokyo 22 years and moved in MI over 14 years now. Sigh… I miss my county so bad!

  28. It all depends where you are living in the Philippines. For me to drive myself around is a must as I live out in a barrio out of town here in Ilocos Norte, so when need a transport (that is mostly a tricycle) to get to town I have to go to the higway and hope that one vacant passes by, that can take a while… and these trikes here are all to small for a 242 pound guy! And over 62 years… and as there is no taxi service here in this part of the country yet. Also when going shopping at the malls in Laoag it is needed to be able to load a good deal og groceries and other items that are needed a car is a must, even just an old Owners jeep! So, without your own wheels (not tricyckle) it is a better life. Speed is not an issue as the roads are very bad so high speed is not recommended. Slow down as you see the sign along the roads here.

  29. Bob the picture that has come up is a jeepney with a British number plate. Looks as though it is at a classic vehicle meet. Makes the buses in the background look dull.

  30. I must say most Filipino are good drivers and dedicated, specialty the truck drivers…they have mainly old trucks and long hours. I am a Canadian who live and drive in the largest City of Canada and we have the most busy highways in North America for trucks..it’s called Highway 401. Let me tell you by experience even there is the most advanced vehicles here in the world and more highways laws you can imagine…there are accidents every seconds here..and the population compared to the Philippines is just about 3 times smaller. When I stayed In Philippines I drove both motorcycle and a Nissan SUV I had bought there. I am well acquainted to traffic since i have served as a Auxiliary Provincial Police constable here. I have worked for most my career life in Automotive Major manufacturers. Kudo to Filipino to be able to navigate the road with the equipment they mostly have. I miss Philippines! Mabuhay !

  31. We bought a multicab this past summer and I drove it all around. I also got my Philippine drivers license, it took a month or so but it finally came through. I enjoy just taking the local transportation in the Philippines because it’s so cheep. Here in China, the public transportation is very good and low cost.

  32. As I recall, from my visits, the posted price at Gas Stations averaged between 40 and 45 Peso Per Litre for unleaded regular. To me that comes out to about $4 USD Per Gallon and the price seems somewhat stable from year to year the past few years if I remember correctly.

    I wonder about the cost of repairs in The Philippines ? Obviously it is going to be determined by what is wrong with the vehicle but what about the cost of labor ? I am sure it is a lot less than here in the USA. I recently had to have the alternator on my car replaced. Just an average passenger vehicle and it cost me $700 USD. That’s no typo, seven hundred US Dollars ! $300 for the alternator and the rest labor ! Dealer labor rates in my area are now about $120 Per Hour ! Independent shops are not much less than that like they used to be. They had to remove one of the engine mounts in my car to be able to replace the alternator which was burried near the bottom of the rear left of the engine. Years ago I did a lot of this kind of work on my own vehicle but the way cars are made these days and the sophisticated way they are built it is just not practical to work on in your driveway like they used to be.

    I too have seen the old Volkswagon Beetles on my visits. Every year I have seen a metalic pinkish color one always parked near the same place as it was they year before. Makes me wonder where they get the parts to keep them on the road.

    • Hi Bob – Recently, the cost per Liter of regular unleaded is in the range that you mention, it is about P44 per liter. However, for the past several years it has been close to P60 per liter, in the 58 to 59 range. The price you saw previously in the 43 and 44 range was for diesel. Our gas prices change just like yours do, and swing pretty wildly really.

      Repairs are generally cheap here, but do range depending on what is being repaired. The cost of labor, though, being so inexpensive keeps the price relatively low.

      • Hey guys,

        As an example about possible costs, about six months ago our old Pachero got it’s engine completely overhauled by our local town mechanic. This meant taking the engine out and bringing it to the city and back for total parts replacement and putting it back in the vehicle.
        Total parts and labor cost us about $800.00US. Runs really well now.

  33. Hi Bob – A follow-up to our previous conversation about Sarangani Highlands resort hotel here in GenSan, which website you said you designed, Dr. Ruiz, the owner, invited my wife and I to join him at the employeee Christmas party held last night.

    Dr. Ruiz said he knows you. We have been here the past 5 days, and will return to Manila tomorrow. We didn’t get to go to Davao, nor get to see Pearl Farm Resort on Samal, but there will always be next year, I promised my wife. My latest gravatar, as shown above, was taken here on the grounds of the beautiful Sarangani Highlands garden hotel.

    Yesterday, I took a one-hour video of the operations at the huge Philippine government-owned fishport complex here in GenSan just as the boats were coming in at 6AM laden with huge tunas and other fish from as far away as Papua New Guinea and Jakarta. It was an amazing sight!

  34. Was in Davao in September, found the taxi’s very convenient and very cheap ( It cost more in 1980 to use a taxi in the UK) and very honest.
    Being from the UK we like the Japanese drive on the correct side of the road ( LOL ). But I just could not fathom out the rules in the Philippines, they show no courtesy for other users of the road. I enjoy driving in the UK( I love my Audi TT ) but it frightens me at the thought of driving in the Philippines.

    I do plan to retire here in late 2017 or early 2018, I do intend to take driving lessons, should I decide to buy any transport, perhaps Bob you could recommend a good driving school for me.