Author’s note: This was originally written for Volume 5 of The Junior Dawn, the official student publication of the University of the East - Caloocan Basic Education Department back in 2023, so I apologize for any grammatical errors and poor writing!

Back in 2022, the Urban Mobility Readiness Index examined cities across the world and ranked them based on their public transit systems, which factored in commute speed, affordability, public transit station density, and the rate of utilization by the public, among others. After completing the report they concluded that among a total of 60 cities, Manila ranked 5th for having the world’s worst public transport system.

Metro Manila’s public transportation system is terrible, and it’s not just an overstatement to say that it’s also negatively affecting the lives of many Filipinos everyday. As a student who relies heavily on public transportation going to school, I can attest to this. To arrive at my university I’m forced to take long and inconvenient jeepney rides, cross narrow and unclean streets amidst heavy traffic from large SUVs, pickup trucks, and hauling trucks.

All of this begs the question: Why is public transportation, or transportation in general, in Manila so terrible?

If you were to ask a friend or family member whether they prefer traveling by public or private transport, their responses would typically be along the lines of, “If the quality of public transport isn’t so bad, then maybe I can travel” or “You can’t travel safely in Manila without a car.” All of these are valid points. After all, why would anyone travel in a cramped, warm jeepney sitting next to strangers when they can choose to travel comfortably and safely in their own air-conditioned vehicles along with their family? However theirein lies the problem, because if cars are more comfortable and convenient than jeepneys, buses or tricycles, then everyone would want to buy and drive one as well. This creates demand for car use and the need for car-centric infrastructure; this further increases Filipinos’ dependency on cars which eventually leads to a cycle where funds that could have been allocated towards the development and creation of sustainable public transportation, are being diverted towards the development of skyways, road-widening projects, and large parking spaces thus incentivizing Filipinos to start relying on cars further worsening the already terrible public transport system. And we all know that adding one more lane to a highway doesn’t solve anything.

The problem with widespread car use in Manila is that cars are generally terrible forms of transportation. Car vehicles are unsustainable, expensive, harmful to both the environment and health, and take up lots of valuable space. By 2020, the total number of registered and newly-renewed cars and SUVs in the entire NCR region will be around 737,280. Assuming that the average size of a modern car is around 97.6 square feet, we are looking at 6.685 square kilometers, roughly the size of San Juan City, all taken up just by cars.

While there have been initiatives to fund more public transportation and railway infrastructure, such as former President Duterte’s Build Build Build Program and President Bongbong Marcos’ recent railway projects, problems with corruption, bureaucratic red tape, and right-of-way laws are hindering the speed of said projects. That isn’t to say that any of these projects are bad. In fact, they are quite beneficial in helping to reduce the lack of good public transportation in the Philippines. Although, due to the aforementioned problems, it would take years for many of them to come to fruition.

To improve the situation, the government needs to build more railways, improve existing bus routes, and offer public transportation options to make public transportation better for all of us. The government also needs to stop prioritizing car-centric infrastructure, as doing so will incentivize Filipinos to start buying cars which, as mentioned earlier, worsens the current transportation issue in Manila.

A better public transportation system means a better Manila, and the government needs to take urgent action to address these issues. For now, we can only hope and pray that something will be will be done about all of these, lest we want to keep commuting like this for the rest of our lives.