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You ride it every day to and from work, but do you know the history of the Filipino jeepney?

The jeepneys we use today are actually repurposed from the military vehicles the US used during World War II.

The word “jeepney” is a portmanteau of the words “jitney” and “jeep”--both popular vernaculars of the era.

The word “jitney” is a popular American term for taxicab, while the word “jeep” is a coined term to describe the military vehicle (origin from General Purpose or GP, hence “jeep”).

So, what did the Filipinos do with the jeeps the Americans left behind?

One by one, these jeeps were then converted to public mass transportation to meet the demands of the people to get around the city.

Now considered as the true “hari ng kalsada," jeepneys actually symbolize the creativity and ingenuity of the Filipinos.