Getting Around City of Manila

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Jeepney is our local transportation in getting around the city of Metro Manila and in all of the provinces in the country, due to its cheap fare, 8.50Php being the minimum fare for 5-10 km. It’s also a practical way to spend money especially if the distance you need to reach is just a few blocks away.

When you wish to ride a jeepney, you just have to wave your hand to be noticed by the jeepney driver. There are sign boards infront of the jeepney that will give a summary of a few places of its route; from the sign boards it will tell you if that is the appropriate jeepney route you need to take.

Passengers in a jeepney sit side by side and the fare is being passed on to the nearest person behind the driver. Sometimes, people used to say "Makikisuyo lang po"- that's just the equivalent of Please in English. The same thing happens when the driver gives back the change of the passenger. When you have reached your destination, you just have to shout "para" or "sa tabi lang po".

In a busy district like here in Manila, with the high hot temperature, riding a jeepney is not the preferred transportation by most of the people going to work, or the people who doesn’t want to look haggard before going in the office or to any of their appointments.

Personally, I enjoy riding the jeepney when I go to the province. The cool wind that brushes your hair will definitely give you a relaxing feeling.

Pedicab is a 3 wheeled public vehicle that’s more commonly seen on the streets of Manila and in the provinces. It's like the manual version of a tricycle that goes around only for a short distance.
Maximum capacity: 3 pax

The fares vary in locations. In Taft Avenue, Manila, pedicab fare ranges from 10-20Php per pax. Just beware of the pedicabs around Metro Manila especially in Chinatown and Divisoria Market, don’t get fooled. They overcharge their passengers.. as in exaggerated overcharged!!! They’re more expensive than taking a cab.

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Tricycles are comparable to the tuk-tuks of Thailand. Tricycles can only travel in a short distance so you can only see these vehicles in the corners of streets or subdivisions & these are commonly seen in the provinces.

Usually tricycle drivers, wait for passengers to occupy all the seats of the vehicle before the passengers are sent to their destinations.

Today, the tricycle design has improved being able to load additional passengers, from 4 seaters to 6 seaters now.

Minimum fare: 7Php.

The airport taxis, yellow colored ones, has an initial flag rate of 70Php which is very far from the regular flag down rate of ordinary taxis, 40Php.

If you’re on a budget, you can take a taxi from the airport- NAIA terminal 2, up in the upper level of the arrival area, ordinary taxis are available there (ordinary taxis available 630am-8pm).

from NAIA terminal 3, you can take the airport shuttle bus, fare’s 25Php, the ride’s up to Pasay Terminal station (Available 7am-11pm).

From NAIA terminal 1, for a long way back home, you can take a the airport taxi and tell the driver to take you to Mall of Asia or anywhere as long as you exit the airport road. Remember, airport taxis starts the meter at 70Php,.. just think of how much it will cost you when your destination is 50km away from the airport.

Please remember these things when taking taxis:
1. Always ask for the taxi meter on.
2. Always ask for your change. All of us work so we need money too.

People usually take a cab especially if they're late going to work, meetings, or appointments and sometimes when they aren't sure of the road to take to go in a certain place.
Flag down rate starts at 40Php.

But this isn't the practical way get around the city especially on rush hours (7-10am, 5-8pm), you'll just get yourself stuck in traffic.

Please remember these things when taking the taxi:

1. Always ask for the taxi meter on.

2. Always ask for your change. All of us work so we need money too.

3. If you’re around the City, if you can walk or bear taking the local transportation, that will be better.

Usually people who want to be comfortable would take the aircon buses or FX or the UV express services. The often disadvantage of the aircon buses is that if your travel time is allotted for 15mins only, taking the aircon bus will double your travel time. This happens because the bus drivers and conductors (these are the people that seems like the sidekick of the bus drivers since they shout out the destination of the bus to call attention of people to ride on their bus and they are the one collecting the fares of each new passengers) would wait at a certain corner to call for passengers until their bus is full.

Non-aircon buses are applicable for people who want to go natural and spend a little. Minimum fare is 10Php while for the aircon it varies from the bus’s name; usually 13-15Php is the minimum fare. If you want a thrill and you like to reach your place in a very fast way without spending too much, you can try the color “RED“ ordinary buses. I tell you, it’s like riding on a roller coaster! As for me, I prefer to ride this red bus when I want to reach my destination ASAP and I enjoy the speed of it… pretty much like I’m on a bus race.

Unlike in other countries, you just have to tap a card to get in the bus, here in Manila, manpower is all we got.
There are conductors assigned in every bus that will get your fare.
The conductors will ask the passengers to where they wish to drop off and base on the distance is how they will give you the fare amount you need to pay for.
Like what we use to say, these kind of stuffs are seen "only in the Philippines".

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We have 3 trains going around the metro- MRT3, LRT1 & LRT2

MRT3 is the busiest and the most crowded train you’ll ever see… especially on weekdays! A lot of people exert effort and try to ride the MRT since it’s the cheapest mode of transportation. Minimum fare is 11Php, Maximum fare south to north bound, only 14Php. The end points- South and North give way to people residing in the provinces and going to work in the city that’s why it’s always mobbed. Its route is concentrated along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue.

2nd to the blockbuster train you’ll ever see is the LRT 1. The MRT 3’s route is along the main cities of Metro Manila going on a straight line while the LRT 1 is on a somewhat railroad curve inside the Manila, (south- Baclaran to north- Roosevelt), what I’m trying to say is that, picture a letter “D” in your mind…. The straight line serves as the MRT while the curve is the LRT1. But there’s no direct connection from the MRT to LRT, you need to walk inside a mall to transfer rides. There are only 2 fare amounts in LRT1- 15Php and 20Php.

A less toxic train is the LRT2; its route is within the Quezon City to the boundaries of Manila. This train is the most spacious and most convenient among the 3. Most of the passengers are college students. You can ride the LRT2 if you wish going to the Divisoria market or Chinatown. Minimum Fare is 12Php, Maximum 14Php.

For convenience, people who use these trains commonly purchase a Value Card worth 100php and 500php so they will not have to fall in a LONG line just to pay for the fare.

MRT3 Route: North Avenue-Quezon Avenue- GMA Kamuning- Araneta Cubao- Santolan- Ortigas- Shaw- Boni- Guadalupe- Buendia- Ayala - Magallanes- Taft Avenue
Open ON WEEKDAYS 5AM-1030PM WEEKENDS: 530AM-930PM

LRT2 Route on purple line: Recto (Manila) –Legarda (Manila) -Pureza (Manila)-V. Mapa (manila)- J. Ruiz (san Juan) – Gilmore (Quezon City)- Betty Go Belmonte (Quezon City)- Araneta Center Cubao (Quezon City)- Anonas(Quezon City)- Santolan/ M.A. Roxas (Marikina City)
Araneta Center Cubao serves as the link to transfer to MRT3 line
Legarda Station- closest link to get to University of Santo Tomas
Recto Station- connects to LRT 1 yellow line

LRT 1 Route yellow line: Baclaran- EDSA- Libertad- Gil Puyat- Vito cruz- Quirino- Pedro Gil- UN Avenue- Central Terminal- Carriedo- Doroteo Jose- Bambang- Tayuman- Blumentritt- Abad Santos- R. Papa-5th avenue- Monumento- Balintawak- Roosevelt

Balintawak Station- closest link to MRT 3 North Avenue station, but you have to walk a few meters to get in the MRT3 station
Doroteo Jose- gives the link to the LRT 2 purple line, by taking the walkway bridge to the Recto Station

The FX and the UV express services are also another convenient way to get to your destination. It’s air conditioned and like a personal service car but a little expensive. These vehicles can be found in terminal stations, they have specific location going to and you can also ask the driver to drop you off at a certain place. Fares vary from destinations, minimum fare 12-15Php.

These FX or UV express services usually are in the forms of vans (12-14 seaters) , crosswind (10 seaters) adventure or Tamaraw FX.

Like in a jeepney, you pay your fare by asking the person next to you to pass your payment to the driver.

Sometimes in a terminal, there are conductors that will collect the fares of each passengers and is better so no one can be disturbed (asking favor to everybody to pass your money to the driver) once all are inside the vehicle.