Driving on Provincial Filipino Roads

It's no exaggeration to say that the amazing 7 day road trip we experienced after Christmas was only made possible by the fact that we had such a skilled driver behind the wheel of our hire car. Arnel's presence was extremely reassuring for so many reasons, not least because driving in the Philippines often quite literally means taking your very life in your hands. Below are just some examples of the hazards Arnel had to overcome while driving us around the provinces.

Rain-drenched slippery roads of deep mud and full of potholes were almost impassable in our 

Toyota Innova. At times there was even a steep drop off the edge. It was no small feat that
Arnel skillfully negotiated his way along several miles of this track
during the dead of night in pitch darkness.

Carbon-monixide poisoning was a constant danger when travelling behind a public bus 

embellished with the slogan 'Your safety and comfort is our main concern'!

Overhanging rocks can collapse at any time....

... and quite frequently do.

At such times it's important to keep a look-out for workmen who are actually catching
falling rocks even as you drive by. Dense fog makes it almost impossible
to see them until they are just metres away.

Any number of protruding objects can puncture your tyres on unfinished roads.

Road repairs are often carried out with mud rather than gravel or tarmac.

The dust is pretty horrendous for your lungs at times too.

Arnel - King of the Road

Overtaking trikes is a real nightmare, as they are so numerous and unpredictable. 

Some kids riding them look as young as ten.

Don't get too close to the back of a refuse truck, as you never know 

what (or who) will fall on your bonnet if you do.

Anything that moves is used as a vehicle, be it on roads or down alleyways. 

And for this very reason, as soon as you're back in the city, very little traffic moves at all.