Driving on Philippine roads - enjoyable or a curse?

Have you ever imagined being stuck in traffic for four hours, and by the time you arrive at your office, it’s closing time? Or maybe, have you experienced being late for school because constructions along roads aren’t timed properly? Well, if you have imagined that, you have got a glimpse of what driving here in the Philippines is like. For some who have experienced tragedy by getting stuck in traffic, you know how it feels like - a resemblance of hell on the road.

But here in the Philippines, where the roads are somewhat paved, full of potholes and wrongly-timed construction projects, traffic has become an everyday cycle in a Filipino motorist’s life. One way or another, wherever you go, there’s always traffic - the “tragically entertaining, stressful, and mind-blowing event that you never want to dream”. Like the photo above, you’d rather stay in bed on a Monday than start your car and drive on a road full of cars which have occupied ALL lanes. But wait - there’s more to that. Traffic isn’t just the main thing here, but aside from dealing with everyday traffic, you should at least prepare some ice packs, an oxygen tank, and a heap of good temper because you’re also going to deal with the following:

1. Bloody accidents, here and there.

Sometimes, the world may give you the good, the bad, or maybe, the unimaginable. However, car accidents here in the Philippines might just be the best thing you could do to scare the creep out of your friend this Halloween. I know that the photo above may be gory, but it is a preview of the numerous accidents drivers experience and suffer from in the Philippines. The Department of Transportation here in the Philippines tells us that four in five car accidents are branches of human error. The WHO estimates that in one year, there are exactly 10,379 car accidents that happen on the road. From these statistics, it could appeal to you that these drivers may have opted not to study Driver’s Ed, or maybe they’re high on something, or simply put, these drivers would love to show off their “excellent driving skills” that they have learned from the “sub-zero driving school”.

2. Stupidly amusing parking jobs.

It’s only in the Philippines where sidewalks, parking lot margins, PWD ramps, and pedestrian crossings become a driver’s last resort when they have nowhere to park. As shown in the photo above, PWD ramps have become an emergency parking slot when it should be an access area for the disabled. If that isn’t bad enough, here are some drivers who think that everywhere is a free parking lot, courtesy of When In Manila:

1. That’s a motorcycle parking area, NOT a parallel parking area for a sub-compact sedan. Haven’t you seen the margins?
2. And again, here comes the bloke who thought that parking margins are useless. Dude, you just occupied a two-car slot.
3. Just like me, these idiots long to be (very) close to you. How much intimacy do you need?
4. Need some space? Not at the parking lot, sir.

3. Mustang-driver wannabes.

Protests are usually a common thing to see amongst unsatisfied Filipinos. Some side effects are police barricades, heavy traffic, and of course, injuries. But for the case of this man, he was apparently run over by a police officer who just wanted these crowds to go away - by using the Mustang way of hitting crowds. The reason why this man was run over is from a recent protest at the U.S. Embassy in the bayside of Manila, wherein this man, and some of his fellow anti-American protesters complain about stuff involving the embassy. I pity those victims who have got permanent tire tracks and broken bones, and my middle finger goes to that policeman and his show-off skills in letting crowds bugger off.

So, ladies and gentlemen, here are just three things you have to deal with here when you wish to drive on Philippines roads. But remember, even though you don’t drive on Philippine roads, always do your best to stay safe, and drive like a professional, not like a sub-zero idiot.