Fear and Loathing in Metro Manila, Philippines
Two days ago, I survived yet another nerve-wracking trip to and from Metro Manila. Of all the places I've been here, I dislike Manila, Philippines the most.
I left here on Wednesday morning at approximately 6:30 am and arrived at the American Embassy at about 9 am. The stretch from Olongapo City to San Fernando in Pampanga is annoying and the slowest part of the journey, but it's not really dangerous. Traveling through Manila after leaving the Northern Luzon Expressway, is the part that terrifies me.
Manila, Philippines Traffic
I don't drive in Manila. Whenever I need to go to Manila, or any place I'm not familiar with, I hire a driver. Luckily, the driver I use for Manila lives down the street from me, literally. His name is Edgar and he's an awesome driver.
This short video, which isn't showing "rush hour" traffic, gives you an idea of how bad the traffic is in Manila, Philippines. You'll notice that the lines in the road are merely treated as guidelines and how people don't use their blinkers to signal lane changes:
I have proximity sensors on all 4 corners of my 2006 Toyota Corolla Altis and you wouldn't believe how many times I heard the fast beeping that indicates that a vehicle (or person) is too close for safety. Every trip to Manila, Philippines includes at least 10 near-collisions and every time it happens, my stress level jumps to astronomical proportions.
The Notary and Federal Express
It took over an hour to get my documents notarized at the embassy and the line wasn't that long. The lady behind the counter was just incredibly slow. I can't believe it costs $30 to get a single notary signature from the American Embassy. I guess they can get away with it since they're one of two places in the entire country authorized to notarize signatures for American citizens.
The return trip was just as bad as the first. I'm sure I have more gray hair now than when I left. I stopped at FedEx in downtown Olongapo before heading home. It cost me $35 to send a single letter envelope. The cost was less than $25 just four months ago.
Stress and Sleep Recovery
My sleep cycle is currently based on the 15-hour difference between me and my wife. She calls me anytime between 10 am and 2 pm, Phoenix time, and that happens to be between 1 am and 5 am here. Needless to say, having to stay awake for an additional 10 hours disrupted that sleep cycle and it has taken 2 days to recover.
Why did it take so long to recover? I also had to recover from the stress induced by the trip. The near-collisions are solely responsible for that.
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I am a Filipino but I have to agree with you. Manila is one crazy city. That's why I almost never stray from my office to home route. I'd rather stay at home than go out when I have a free time.
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Wow…
It looks kinda crazy out there. And they say the drivers in Malaysia are rude. Haha! At least we don't go to that extend of wanting to bang others of the road.
Wow, the traffic is what surprised me the most. I was watching that video and they were going all over the lines, I'm surprised everyone doesn't get in to an accident every day.
The thing I noticed the most was that the lanes meant nothing. No one stayed in their own lane. They would move over without paying any attention to any other cars around them. Horrible. I AIN'T going there ever. Just saying. Have a great day RT.
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Have you guys ever seen the traffic on Indian roads?
Particularly in the metro cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai?
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I remember traffic in Barbados being similar, except the vehicles were squeezing between buildings on either side with inches to spar and constantly yelling at each other out the window.
Why is it that no one pays attention to the lines? Are road markers a recent innovation there, or what?
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Hi RT! never tried driving in Manila. Perhaps, i never will.
But i don't know if its worse here in Cebu City. Taxis and jeepneys in threes or fours squeezing through a two-lane road, and a lot of traffic lights broken you couldnt tell if its a stop or a go. I recommend driving here, its quite a "driving adventure".
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i've been to cebu and what i can say is that cebu is basically the same as manila. cebu city that is, looks like certain parts in manila and quiapo. There one spot which i recall looks exactly as one spot in manila. Anyway, the smog i recall in central cebu city is as bad as manila and the driving the same.
Wow.. such dangerous driving! I wonder how they can live in peace there ^^"
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i agree with you RT, manila is the one place in the Philippines not conducive for healthy living not to mention having peace of mind. The smog there is just incredible. Hard to breathe. And the noise factor. No wonder people living there are cranky and grouchy most of the time. The smoke gets into their brains, (not into their eyes).
Just got back from Manila to Australia and all I can say is 'what a crazy city'. It is the highest population density of any city in the world, according to official population of 14 million, but some suggest the population could top 20 million. I love the horn not indicator to indicate change of lanes, that was interseting. There should be a survival guide written for this place, the things you don't read in the Lonely Planet guides, like taking a taxi rules and how to handle being harrassed on the street. Good luck to first time visitors!
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Okay I don't feel so bad when I'm sitting in traffic now. I thought we had it bad, but man! Manila looks crazy! I wonder how many traffic accidents that city gets every year?
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Hi so basically I am not Filipino but I was born and raised here in manila, and reading all your comments made me feel slightly better about myself because all my 20 years of existence I thought that I was just a whiney little brat. Though, it still sucks for me because I have to deal with manila everyday. I don’t hate manila or anything because this city is home to me but its just so damn stressful here. Well if you are planning to visit manila, I recommend that you take a friend with you who is familiar to the city. Nightlife is one of the things I like in this city, and malls here are prettygood too. ^_^
Sound like the modern day wild west! I want to check it out. HA
cheers,
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I just want to say that it really sad seeing these drivers. Looks like they are driving without rules and regulations here,it is very scary! But i still love my PHILIPPINES!