Transport

According to the different measures of national wealth The Philippines ranges between 125th and 139th richest country in the world out of the 193 countries generally listed in these statistics, so as a nation they are at the bottom end of middle income.

Statistics can however be deceptive. The percentage of working age Filippinos working outside the country is among the highest (perhaps even the highest) of any country in the world. This exodus is not balanced by foreigners coming to work here. Generally speaking it is the better educated and more highly skilled who leave to find jobs abroad. A huge proportion of those who qualify as nurses, doctors, engineers and teachers leave to earn more money abroad. The largest contributor to the countries income is remittances sent back by Filippinos working abroad. The tuition fees of many of the students who study in the High school here can only be afforded because they are paid by parents working abroad.

However the downside is that this money earnt abroad is also taxed abroad. Thus the tax income of the government is much lower than is the case in other countries of a similar income level. Consequently the wages of public workers are relatively low.

This reality means there are certain odd situations here, such as that someone who is good at English can earn more working in a call centre situated here by an American or European company than they will earn as a teacher.

The clearest example of a lack of public funds is that of the transport infrastructure, it is truly woeful. The roads are too small and on the whole badly maintained. The airports and ports are antiquated, and there are no railways worth mentioning. For most people travelling is a very slow enterprise. Short journeys which in Europe could be completed in less than an hour can here take several uncomfortable hours.

 

On the roads the two most used forms of public transport are the motorcycle taxi and the Jeepney. Both of these trundle along set routes picking up and setting down at any point on request.

Motorcycle taxis are an interesting experience of disregard for any safety concern, frequently eight or nine people will squeeze onto one cycle crammed together while the engine struggles to move you along much faster than walking pace.

Jeepneys are a little more comfortable. Passengers sit on benches perpendicular to the direction of travel. The driver has to both concentrate on driving through congested, pot-holed streets and on taking the fares. Passengers pass notes and coins along the line up to the driver and the change is passed back down the line, the system relies on trusting each other to pass the money up to the driver and change back to the correct passenger, I have yet to see any conflict emanate from any accusations of dishonesty.