Update: that’s 30,000 plus kilometers in a bit over three years now, still happy.  And still the same folks at the dealer, year after year.  That tells you something about working conditions, employee benefits and the general work environment there, I think.

I use only what is commonly called “casa” maintenance here.   I go back to the dealer for all service.   I’m sure I could do some things cheaper, but I’m very happy to go someplace where someone else gets their hands dirty and where there is a well-trained workforce.  We do not have the selection of car service options here in the Philippines that you have back in the US .. no Quicklube places and such.  Except in large cities, the concept of decent looking, fully equipped independent service establishments if pretty much unknown here.

There are name brand gas stations on major roads where I guess i would feel confident in getting something like a burst radiator hose replaced, but in general the word ‘shade tree’ mechanic, when applied to the majority of independent shops I have seen, would be an insult to the tree.   This is another reason I do not recommend dabbling in the used car market here at all.  I know a thing or three about car mechanicing and I looked at a number of used cars before I decided to buy new from a franchised dealer, and now after two three an a half years I am still fully confident I made the right choice.

CarWorld Showroom

I also can’t say enough about the dealer I used, CarWorld, Marilao. Thanks Romel, Bing, Orly and all the rest of the staff there.  I’ve bought my share of new cars in the US over the years and most of the dealers I have dealt with there are places I would never go back to.  But I’d buy another car or truck from these folks at CarWorld tomorrow, no hesitation.   The dealer is part of a parent company called the Laus Group which is the exclusive sales agent for Mitsubishi Philippines and also has franchises for a number of other makes.

They epitomize what a Philippine business ought to be (hint, they even have toilet paper in the rest rooms) and are proof that the average ‘penny pinching’ way so many businesses here have adopted are not at all necessary.  It’s a very profitable company, it’s too bad they don’t set up a business training college to teach others that treating customers decently, and having things in stock, etc. is a better way to run a business.

This is an actual picture of the showroom/customer lounge area as it looked on Friday … note the space the lack of mess on people’s desk and the fact that their cleaning routines are more than running an already black with dirt mop over a gray floor that used to be white … pwede na (that will do) is the downfall of so many businesses here in the Philippines.

Oh, and did I mention they have added free WiFi Internet access in the customer area since I was there last … next time I go in for service I can bring my laptop and blog real time.  Recommended.

You know while the US car market has a sales loss of over 40% in the past 12 months, Philippine new car sales are up 6% in the same time period. You don’t suppose there is any kind of correlation between the kind of value and service these guys offer and out-performing the US by 46%, is there? Nah.  True blue Americans know car sales come from no money down schemes, zero percent financing come-ons and government handouts.  The recession may indeed come but it sure isn’t here at the moment.

Last Thursday my car was due for its first 5,000km service. It is a 2006 Mitsubishi Adventure that we bought new at the end of November, 2006.  So far all my experiences have been good ones. The sales process was about as un-hurried and honest as any I’ve ever experienced.  The new car process works a bit different in the Philippines, as you might imagine … at least for Philippine-made cars like this Mits. The sales cycle doesn’t revolve around a “new model year” rollout in September or October as it does in the US.  The manufacturer’s produce the number of cars they think will sell and the dealers sell them until they are gone.  Thus the 2006 model when, in fact, we “should” have been getting a 2007.  We paid the same price as this model had been going for all year, less a special dealer promo discount and (what made my wife particularly happy) a free Toshiba laptop.  No matter what we paid for a car there’s always someone out there who could have got it cheaper, but let’s just say this … it’s not our first car and we feel we got a good price.

The other thing that may seem a bit different to folks is the way many dealers are part of very large corporations.  Our dealer, CarWorld Marilao is owned by a large corporation known as the Laus Group which has investments in television stations, restaurant chains and I’m not sure what al else.  The advantage of this arrangement is that there’s a lot of money behind the dealership and the parent company is not afraid to spend on training and the small touches of customer service that so many of us Westerners seem to find lacking.  At CarWorld you’re treated well, from the security guard guiding you to a parking space and writing down your mileage for you so yo don’t have to, the service advisor being in place for years (they know me, I know them) to the sales manager coming out up and greeting me personally, making me a coffee and seeing that I’m comfortable in the modern spacious waiting area.  All the while they know I’m not likely to be buying anything again for quite some time, but I did buy, and because I did I am part of the ‘club’ do-to-speak.

But the part of the day which really made me feel people were looking out for me was how they handled my only warrantee issue so far.  The car had developed a slight exhaust rattle noise when backing up into my driveway.  It really didn’t sound like anything of consequence … probably some loose tin heat shield or perhaps the parking brake cable hitting the exhaust pipe I thought.

When the car was ready (in less than 60 minutes) my service advisor took me back in the service area to show me what they had done.  On the floor next to the car was the entire exhaust system, from engine manifold connection to the chrome tailpipe extension beneath the rear bumper.  The exhaust pipe itself had a small crack develop where it went up over the rear axle, accounting for the noise.

“We don’t do “piece part’ exhaust replacements” the mechanic advised.  “Too many parts to come loose”.

Total, end to end replacement, when for all I knew they could have just patched something up and told me they tightened a loose clamp.  My cost? Nothing, nada, not one centavo.

Will I buy another car from CarWorld?  In a heartbeat.  Is it possible to get excellent value and customer service in the Philippines … to Western (or better than Western) standards.  yep, it is.

We talk her often about opportunity and business in the Philippines and I hate to keep “beating the online drum” but that is where the money is at these days.  There are about 2,400,000 other pages in Google about car prices in the Philippines, but I rank number three out of all of them for that term.  Why would that be of general interest to a non-online geek … like say a car dealer?

Pretty simple.  two million plus websites who obviously have an interest in car prices, Philippines, are playing follow the leader to me .. whose only interest is actually academic.  I beat the Toyotas and the Mitsubishi’s and the Ford Philippines, and the Chevrolet Asia and all the other big money folks … beat them to the customer.

If this isn’t a business opportunity going begging, I’ve never seen one.  Especially to all my Filipino readers who so often tell me “there is no opportunity for Filipinos in the Philippines”, i say unto you … learn enough SEO top make these people rank higher than me … should be easy since I never even tried to rank for ‘car prices Philippines’.

Anyway, since so many are asking, here’s a good source of new car prices in the Philippines.

And here’s a representative idea on used car prices in the Philippines.

FOR SALE ALSO ACCEPT FINANCING!!!
USED CARS / VANS / AUVs / SUVs
ALL ARE NEGOTIABLE!!!

LIST OF CARS/VANS/AUVs/SUVs – ACCEPT FINANCING  50% DP / 50% FINANCING

1. 1996  Mazda Familia – Automatic - Php. 150K
2. 1997 Toyota Corolla XE BIG BODY – Manual – Php. 250K
3. 1999 Honda City LXI – All Power – Manual – Php. 300K
4. 2000 Toyota Revo GLX – All Power – Manual – Diesel – Php. 380K
5. 2000 Nissan Frontier – Manual – Php. 400K
6. 2004 Isuzu Crosswind XUVi – Matic – Php. 700K
7. 2005 Toyota Innova J – Manual – Php. 660K

REQUIREMENTS:
OFW:
1. Proof of Remittance
2. Bank Statement
LOCAL EMPLOYEE:
1. Certificate of Employment
2. I.T.R. – Income Tax Return
3. Bank Statement
BUSINESSMAN/WOMAN
1. Business Name
2. Bank Statement

Read more:

Recently I was doing some research preparatory to having some sir conditioning service done on my Mitsubishi Adventure.  here are some prices from a name brand independent service shop in Manila … I’ll let you know how they compare with my dealer’s service prices soon.

AIRCON SERVICES CARSS

System Cleaning Dual      2,750.00

System Cleaning Single    1,900.00

Pulldown/Replace Compressor Assembly    750.00

Pulldown/Replace Condenser Assembly  750.00

Replace Discharge/Suction Hose  550.00

Pulldown/Replace Auxiliary Fan Assembly  700.00

Pulldown/Replace Blower Motor Assembly  850.00

Pulldown Dashboard    1,700.00

Replace Pressure/Thermostat Switch  450.00

Replace Thermostat Assembly  350.00

Freon Full Charging  134-A 550/kilo  350.00

Pulldown Evaporator   950.00

I enjoy driving here in the Philippines, most of the time that is, but there are times I feel that if it hasn’t already driven me crazy, crazy is just a few meters down the road.

Many Westerner friends have told me, “You are crazy, Dave, I wouldn’t drive there.”  I try never to argue with them, because if you truly don’t care to drive here, you should not.  it isn’t like being stranded in some American city like LA with no car … distances tend to be short and there are usually plenty of alternative methods to get some place … but I am nothing if not stubborn and set in my ways and I’ve had my own car for nearly 50 years now, so I don’t plan on stopping driving any time soon.  If you are planning to dome here to live permanently or even for a long vacation, here are some thoughts on finishing each drive with a car in about the same condition you started in.

Legalities and Licensing: You foreign driver’s license is good for driving anywhere in the Philippines for up to 90 days from your date of arrival.  There is nothing special you need to validate this privilege, it would be wise to carry your passport with you so you can prove your arrival date, though.  Unless your home country license is not written in English, you do not need one of those International Driver’s Licenses (properly called an International Diver Permit (IDP)).  Those certificates are merely host country certification that you do have a valid license and they convey no privilege at all unless accompanied by your home country language, so give them a miss, unless your home country license is in Chinese

Choice of Vehicle:

Bring Your US Car: Many people planning to move here unconsciously think they will ship a vehicle from the States until they run up against the ugly truth.  For a number of reasons (maybe having something to do with the fact that Philippine new auto sales were up 6% in 2008, while US sales plummeted about 30% in the opposite direction), there are very restrictive laws about what cars are even “importable” and the customs duty and fees will run about 110% of the fair market value of the car.  Add on #2,000 to $3,000 for ocean shipping and marine insurance and bringing an American car here becomes even less attractive.

Even if you do want to bring a favorite car here, regardless of the costs, I still advice against it.  The roads are covered in potholes and nasty speed bumps, connected by stretches of often very rough pavement.  Most of Detroit’s finest creations , built to cruise freeways at 75 per, would fall apart in a year.  Mechanics who know what they are doing with US-spec electronic control systems are scares as hen’s teeth, and parts for a US version of even a “world” type car like a Toyota Corolla  are often different, and thus unobtainable here.  You’ll see lots of Toyotas here in the Philippines, for example, it’s one of the most popular cars for taxi services, but the entire drive train and braking system is different than a Toyota sold in the US.  Not recommended.

Buy a Used Car Here: Many folks I have talked to sound like they are reading directly from some Consumer Reports guide to buying a car when they talk to me about transportation.  “Oh I won’t be buying a new car, too much depreciation, a used car is a much better value,”  In the US, this can very well be true.  I do not recommend it in the Philippines, especially when you are new and “wet behind the ears” here.  Let me tell you a few things about the used car market here that the Philippine Chamber of Commerce isn’t going to publish any pamphlets about:

The vast majority of the cars on the road here are Japanese brands.  Thus, the vast majority of used cars are Japanese.  “So what?” you are probably thinking.  “Many Japanese cars are just great.”  Yup, they sure are.  My last car in the US was a Toyota and I miss it.  But owning a car in Japan is nothing like owning a car in the US.  When a Japanese car is 6 years old, it come off the road.  Doesn’t matter how many kilometers are on the clock it what kind of shape it is in, the tax and vehicle inspection laws in Japan force owners to trade in at least every six years. (there’s a reason Japan always has such low unemployment figures, you see).

So Japan might be a great source of low mileage used cars.  In fact, it is.  There’s a big industry in Japan of buying up used cars and shipping them out to the Philippines and other Asian countries, where they don’t have to meet US safety and emissions specs.

However in Japan, they drive on the left.  In the Philippines we drive on the right.  Unlike in the US where you can drive a right-hand-drive car is you wish, it is illegal to put a right hand drive car on the road here.  So, what happens?  easy.  Philippine ingenuity.  At the ports where these Japanese beauties come in there are hundreds if not thousands of little hole in the wall shops that convert the cars to left hand drive.  Sometimes this work is done to factory standards.  Sometimes it isn’t.  Why worry?  We’re only talking about inconsequential items like your brakes, your steering, your door locking systems, your mirrors and mirror controls, etc.  Nothing major.  (did you know that even the headlights are different between right and left hand drive?  You will the first time you come up against one of these half-baked conversions on a dark night when the conversion shop failed to swap the headlights.  You’ll learn fast.

Modern cars are much more computerized than many imagine.  Little things like braking, fuel controls, transmission shifting and the like are controlled by microprocessors built into the car.  A mechanic uses a little plug-in computer terminal a soften as a wrench these days.  Engine running rough and spewing black smoke at idle?  Easy fix, just plug in the handy-dandy diagnostic test set and it will tell what component has a failure code.  Ooops.  How is your Japanese?  How is your Filipino mechanic’s Japanese?  Yep, that’s right, all the internal programming, all the placards and warning labels and such, guess what?  they are all in Japanese.

To make a long story short … this is getting too long already … if you are sure you want to buy a used car here in the Philippines, be my guest.  You may get lucky.  I do not recommend it, especially for a first car.

Next article in the series, the dealer and what to expect.

Resources:

International Driving Permit (IDP) allows an individual to drive a private motor vehicle in another nation when accompanied by a valid license from their home country. The document is slightly larger than a standard passport and is essentially a multiple language translation of one’s own existing driver’s license, complete with photograph and vital statistics. It is not a license to operate a motor vehicle on its own.

The Land Transportation Office of the Philippines Part of the Department of Transportation and Communications. Provides information on driving licenses and vehicle registrations.

CAR FINDER Philippines is a magazine dedicated to photo ads of cars, accessories, and all other types of vehicles because we believe that a picture is more appealing to readers and “it speaks a thousand words.”

Buy and Sell Philippines Sulit sa Free Ads! Buy Sell Swap cars and everything else.

Subscribe to PhilFAQS so you don’t miss an article.

But they did have the full price list and payment plans on the flier.  One thing you will find completely different here in the Philippines than in the US is, in general, there’s one price for a certain model car and that’s it. MSRP lists are readily available … in fact here’s a useful site with the price list for nearly all the cars sold here in the Philippines currently:



Auto Search Philippines

The other thing that’s probably pretty strange to most Americans is, there are virtually no ‘zero down’ deals, no cash backs, no zero interest specials etc. You can figure 15% to 35% down and while you can find loans up to 60 months (five years) hold on to your socks when you figure out what the total interest you will be paying on such a loan is … most car loans are 12% annual interest and higher and that’s just about the size of things.

The best way to buy a car here is enter into a program that hasn’t been seen in the US for years … ride public transpo and save your money in a bank until you have enough for Dave’s recommended “everything down and nothing per month” plan.

I know, I know, that sounds almost un-American … well you aren’t in Kansas anymore when you get here, Toto, that’s for sure.

Driving is fun here in the Philippines. buying a car is even “funner”.

Well it turns out that I had just come back from filling up our Mitsubishi Adventure here in Marilao.  Know what I paid?  $4.03 based on that day’s exchange rate.  Pretty small world, eh?  Can you believe that prices have gone that high?

Yesterday I used up more than half a tank on a trip to Pangasinan (a province north of here in Central Luzon).  I’m on my way out to the store for a few items and I think I’ll fill the tank back up while I am out, because the headlines in the morning paper say more hikes are coming any day now … the government and the petroleum companies are "Unable to say" what they think it will be, but figures of as much as 15 pesos per liter are flying about. Sheesh.

Yesterday I took note of the prices at a lot of stations over a 100 plus mile radius.  The price differences were tiny.  diesel, which I use, and I highly recommend you plan on using, averaged just over 48 pesos per liter.  At yesterday’s exchange rate … call it 44 pesos to the dollar, that would be 48 times 3.785 (the number of liters in a US gallon) divided by 44.07 (pesos per dollar) or a lovely, economical $4.12 USD per USG.

Unleaded regular gas seemed to average PhP 55.6 per liter, or $4.78 USD per USG.  I’ve lived a number of years in Europe and lately in Japan, so I’m used to these sorts of prices .. for the rest of you, welcome to the real world.  There’s an old Chinese curse that goes, "May you live in interesting times". and I believe it’s coming true … I hear GM dealers are offering some great cash back incentives on Hummers this month ….

The reason I said I recommend diesel has to do with two things.  Physics and politics.

Physics:  Here in the Philippines you can plan on spending a lot more time sitting in traffic.  A diesel engine of comparable size has one tenth the hurly consumption of a gasoline engine at idle … you will really notice the difference in Philippine conditions.

Politics:  For each barrel of crude oil a refinery can make slightly less diesel fuel than regular gasoline.  Therefore, in simple commercial terms, diesel should always cost slightly more than gasoline … and in the US this has been holding true … just ask an over the road trucker who is paying $100,000 plus per year for fuel.  Here in the Philippines there are two major transportation-related lobby groups the government pays attention to … long haul bus companies and Jeepney diver’s unions.  Any guesses as to what all big busses and most Jeepney’s use for fuel?

Don’t know how long this situation will hold true, but in the meantime I am enjoying my artificial government-0mandated discount on fuel along with many other things which I still enjoy about living here.  Going to the gas station, though, is rapidly falling of my enjoyment list.

Update to the Update:

Recently my wife and I headed up to Pangasinan province to fetch her sister home for the holidays.  Finally the new SCTEX northern segment was completed in it’s current form.  Not nearly as impressive as the segment that goes west to Subic, that’s for sure.

Again I am completely unimpressed by the lack of coordination between the toll systems … every time someone decides to collect a peso they put up yet another toll gate and hire 24/7 staff to do so rather than use the facilities that are already in place an making money.

But at least the new segment of road dumps you off in the middle of rice fields far from the mess of Tarlac City, one of the big chokepoints on the road north.

Now, if we could just get the mayor of Urdaneta to stop digging, refilling and digging anain the same trenches across the same few blocks of the most congested city in the Philippines we would actually be able to make decent tme.  Life is slow here in the Philippines but then again, that is one of the attractions

A few times lately I have written about the NLEX (Northern Luzon Expressway) and the SCTEX (Subic, Clark, Tarlac Expressway), which recently ope4ned its segment from Clark to Subic Bay.  (The remaining segment, Clark to Tarlac is slated for opening next month … I have to go north early next month so I’ll be anxiously awaiting developments in this area, more as it happens).

Other foreigners I’ve talked to and more than a few Filipino friends are sometimes slightly mystified and often a little irritated by the mechanics of using these roads.  The toll systems, in particularly are not the same and not always intuitive.  Here’s a little rundown on what you would go through if you travel from Metro manila to Subic, about the farthest you can currently travel.

You enter the NLEX at the Balintawak toll plaza, just north of EDSA.  The lower 20 kilometers or so (first 5 exits) of the tollway are on a “flat rate” system … that means you’ll pay 38 pesos to go anywhere in this segment of the tollway.  There are electronic toll tags and special lanes available, but as of yet I haven’t explored getting one, because there doesn’t seem to be any time advantage … the lines at the electronic toll card (EC) gates are as long or longer than at the conventional gates.  What I do to save time is always make up little packets of 38 pesos, usually coins wrapped in a 20 peso note and keep them in a little compartment on my dash … then I can use the dedicated “Exact Toll” lanes or any other lane that is open and get through pretty fast.

When I am going home from Manila this is all the toll transactions I need to worry about, since the exit for my house is within the “flat rate” area, there is no toll gate and I just exit direct from the expressway ramp onto city streets.

At the town of Bocaue (bow-cow-a) the longer, metered or variable rate segment of the expressway begins.  There is a different toll for each of the remaining exits, based upon the distance you travel.  If you are already within the “flat ate” segment this is all transparent to you, the road sweeps around the Bocuae toll barrier and you just drive until you reach the exit you want … all cars without a special ticket indicating they entered farther along the road than Bocaue will pay the same toll, no matter which place within the “flat rate” segment they entered.

Maximum toll is at Dau (dow-uu) the last exit and the place you want to go to enter the SCTEX to continue your trip to Subic.  Total fee, end to end of the NLEX is PhP 180 pesos.  If you enter from the “Flat rate” area, you’ll owe PhP 142 … 180 minus the 38 pesos you have already paid.  If you entered at some point within the measured toll area, you will have been given a ticket upon entry, the “toll teller” at Dau will figure you required toll based on your entry point.

This road is built pretty much to any international standard,  The lanes are wide, well marked, there are a number of full service rest stops along the way … gas, repairs, rest rooms and numerous restaurants … and all exits are well marked.  Each ext sign carries the name of the next two exits for pre-planning purposes, and each exit has a 2km, 1 km and 500 meter announcement sign so you can get into the exit lane without hassle.

I highly recommend you that the last rest stop (just after the San Fernando city exit, because there are no rest areas at all along the SCTEX.

Once you leave the NLEX Dau toll barrier you’ll immediately see signs for the SCTEX which branches off in just 2 kilometers.  You exit to the right and the ramp sweeps you up and over the NLEX and into the entrance toll barrier for the SCTEX.  You use the same entrance whether going toward Subic or toward Tarlac, so at the toll barrier you’ll be given an electronic smart card indicating your entry point.  There are no toll barriers or different segments along the way of this road, just follow the signs for Subic and 55 kilometers later you will arrive at the final toll barrier in the tiny town of Tipo, situated on the main entry road into the Subic base proper.

The scenery along the SCTEX is worth the drive even if you aren’t interested in Subic.  Well worth a trip now, before it gets cluttered with the inevitable ugly billboards.

Your toll will be PhP 112 pesos, the smiling toll teller will make quite a show out of sliding your entry card into a reader and waiting for the computer to calculate your toll which will show up on an electronic tote board.  This expressway was built via joint venture with the Japanese and Philippines government.  Mostly this doesn’t show, but the toll system does.  I lived in japan for years and I’m familiar with their love of gadgetry for gadgetry’s’ sake, you may be amused at the show.

As soon as you leave the Tipo toll gate you enter on to a road built by the US navy as a commercial entry point for Subic.  Years ago it was sold to the NLEX folks who at one time planned to make their own tollway to Subic.  they never did, but they still control this little piece of road, so guess what?

Yep, one more toll booth … you’ll be asked for 19 more pesos to travel down the hill onto Subic itself.  I just pay and smile, I gave up figuring out the purpose of having multiple tolls along the same route long ago … I just live here, I don’t run the place.

After you pay your last toll you’ll drive a few more kilometers and be presented with yet another barrier blocking your path.  What?  Not another toll?  No, this is the entry control point for the SBMA itself.  The guards will look the car over and give you a little piece of paper known as a one-day pass.  Keep it in the car, because you’ll have to surrender it when you leave.

That’s it, enjoy your stay on Subic.  When you return, everything is the same in reverse sense and order except on the NLEX you’ll just get an entry ticket at the Dau toll plaza and when you reach Bocaue, on the south-bound side, you will pay the whole toll due .. 180 pesos.

There are some very nice sights along the way, though, so don’t let all this toll trivia spoil your day … about 2 hours, end to end, even if you observe the speed limits … mostly 100 km per hour (62.4 mph) the whole way.  Enjoy.

The Philippine Star has a write-up on the SCTEX here, goes into some detail on the basis for the tolls and future plans

Tuesday last we drove up to one of my sisters-in-law’s home in Pangasinan Province, a trip of almost exactly 200 kilometers (about 124 miles for the "thinking impaired").  We trawled first on our local town roads to the entrance of the NLEX (North Luzon Expressway), about 2km from our house.

The NLEX is a greet private enterprise-government coop success story.  The was atoll road (sometimes called the North Diversion Road) that had been built by the government years ago.  It was cheap, and it was a mess … humps, potholed, people driving on the shoulders, swerving cross all lanes of traffic, etc.  Someone had a brilliant idea.  They turned the whole mess over to one of the "ruling families" who formed a corporation, got foreign investors in on the deal and rebuilt the road to essentially US tollway standards.  It cost more these days … PhP 180 ($4.23 USD at today’s rate) for the complete 80 km distance, but a fantastic time saver … you can drive end-to-end in an hour, even obeying the speed limit (I know, who does that? ).  What’s more important, it has an ongoing maintenance budget and makes money for its investors.  They even dropped the tools last year because they were making money and paying off the investors far ahead of schedule.

We then transitioned to the new SCTeX (Subic, Clark, Tarlac expressway). This is also a joint venture with private industry … a Japanese investment consortium provided funds to build the system and a private corporation will operate, maintain and pay back investors with profits.  The system goes in two directions from where we entered, southeast to the Subic Freeport (55 km, toll PhP 110), and north to the city of Tarlac, on the main route north to Baguio … the way we traveled to reach Pangasinan.  We hung a   right at the junction in the picture.  (that’s the Zambales Mountains, Mt. Pinatubo in the left background, by the way)

All good things come to an end, though, so we finished the trip to Pangasinan on a national road (roughly equivalent to a state highway).  You can see how the roads, outside the towns, look in the last picture.  This is MacArthur Highway which actually runs the entire length of the Philippines from north to south.  Yes, that MacArthur, many people in the US won’t even remember the name any more but you won’t find many Filipinos who don’t know about "Doug".

Anyway, that’s a little about how trips go here on Luzon … paradise it is not, but in many places the roads are very good and the driving is pleasant.  People who have the preconceived notion that foreigners can’t or shouldn’t drive in the Philippines sort of amaze me a bit.  I’ve been driving all my life and have pretty much always had a car available to go where and when I wanted to, I really see no reason not to do the same here in the Philippines.

CAWAYAN PORT, Masbate — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sent off on Monday the roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry that was on its maiden voyage from this port, but did not board it.

The Super Shuttle Ferry 12 was the third ferry she sent off for the day as part of the Ro-Ro caravan to promote anew the Strong Philippines Nautical Highway that linked various islands in the country from Luzon to Mindanao…. more of the article here.

What the heck is Ro-Ro and why do you care?  Well, here’s a picture of one that I like, taken by a friend of mine during one of his drives from one end of the Philippines to the other.  Drive?  Where there are no roads or bridges between islands?  yep.  Roll on-Roll off ferries provide the answer.  Another friend, Bob Martin, put up a nice video of a trip he makes almost daily on a smaller Ro-Ro.  It’s well worth watching if you aren’t familiar with this form of transportation.

One of the things the Philippines needs is more tourism.  An often over-looked resource is internal tourism.  Filipinos themselves and folks who live or visit here.  You can get almost anywhere you want to … but you often have to really do some digging to find out how.

As of now, there’s no central source a person can go to find out about inter-island ferries.  I sincerely hope one becomes available soon.  For now, keep in mind you can go places by car, even if you have to make a lot of local inquiries, and it can be a really fun way to travel. The Philippines Nautical Highway … something you won’t see every day you sit at home, wondering.

Here’s a map I threw together just to show how long a trip you can make using roads, bridges and Ro-Ro.  I’ll be glad to add more information if folks want to forward it to me.

Last night my wife (The Unofficial Cook) and I had a good chuckle at a real estate ad she found on a Philippine   newspaper website.  It was an obvious typo, instead of describing a house as being on a tree lined street they had written that it was on a "Three lined street".  A simple sort of mistake that any of us could have made … but we laughed none the less.

Then I got to thinking about what a ‘Three-lined street" might really be like.  Did they mean there were three lines painted down the middle of the street, or did they unconsciously think of a street with an extra line of traffic jammed in where only two would fit?  (yes, I think strange thoughts, you already know that or you wouldn’t be here *smile*).

I really need to put up some videos on my own here … some of my readers have absolutely no how traffic flows and doesn’t flow here in the Philippines … I’ll get on that project right away soon now.  But for the meantime you might want to have a look at the basic driving in the Philippines video my friend Bob Martin posted recently.

Many streets here just don’t have lines painted on them.  And for those that do, the lines are nothing more really than a suggestion.  In the US, virtually no roads have lane widths less than 9 feet wide (the Interstate standard is 12 feet).  Nine feet is nearly three meters., twelve feet close to 4.  The average small car needs less than 2 meters of space.  So let’s consider a street with two 3 meter-wide lanes, one in each direction.  That’s about 6 meters of roadway width and only about 4 meters taken up by vehicles … hmm, 6-4 leaves 2 … another whole lane of traffic.

Now poor country or not, the Filipino has a great tradition summed up by the Tagalog word "simot", which translates into using up the very last bit of everything.  So if you were a driver and you saw 2 meters or so of excess pavement … paid for by the taxes of the poor and the rich alike, would you waste that space, or would you make simot?  I think you can guess the answer.

Now given this scenario you might be thinking, ok that extra two meter’s he’s talking about … I can see how it can be useful, but given that traffic flows both ways on that street, which direction is that traffic going to flow?  An excellent question, and an excellent, democratic answer (the Philippines is much more democratic than say the US, where everyone seems to wait for some central government to tell them what to do).  the democratic answer is, whichever way it wants to … he who gets there first rules, and if the timing is in question of who was first, he who is bigger wins.

Sometimes this practice is set up officially, where traffic is ordered to flow against oncoming traffic by public officials/law enforcement.  That’s referred to as "counterflow". such as the traffic legally on the ‘wrong" span of the bridge in Bob’s video.  However, "counterflow" is rumored to be apart of the Philippine Constitution (I haven’t, as yet, looked it up).  It’s authorized to be invoked by any citizen (or any foreigner who wants to pose as a Pinoy) at any time s/he decides to partake of the right. 

thus "Three-lined" streets are more the norm than the exception … if there is space, you use it.  As a parting thought, for our two-wheel (powered or un-powered) enthusiasts … consider that a two-wheeler needs less and a meter of space … so how many extra lanes cane you get in using bicycles/motorcycles.

The Philippines.  I love it.  Real democracy in action.

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