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Commute Starter Pack: 5 Essentials
Every Filipino Commuter Must Have
By Denise Miranda
We’re all living the passenger princess life, but for some, we do it jeepney style! Of course for some people, commuting in the city can be therapeutic, with all the tall buildings and beautiful sceneries that they can spot as they travel from place to place. However, for some, especially Filipinos, not so much.
The idea of commuting in the Philippines where the weather is scorching hot (and traffic is everywhere), traveling can be challenging for some commuters. With this, we gotta beat that traffic and the heat in a fresh and commute-friendly fashion! So bringing these 5 commute essentials will make your life easier when you are stuck in that heavy metro traffic.
Face Towel
When you are commuting to go to your school or work every day, a handkerchief, face towel, or as we like to call it, any ‘pangpunas,’ should NEVER be not with you. Getting on between different public utility vehicles or PUVs can make us sweaty, and any clean towels or tissue will definitely be our savior during these moments!
Portable fan
Another commute essential in this list is a portable fan or any fan that can help us feel cool. Even the traditional and cheap pamaypay is already a lifesaver at this point! Apart from saving us from feeling hot, fans can be a great way for us to become fresh, clean, and comfortable throughout our commuting hours.
Umbrella
Rain or shine, best believe we should be prepared. Walking in the streets in between travels is a normal thing if you are a commuter, which is why bringing an umbrella is a must! We can almost never predict the Philippine weather due to its inconsistency and spontaneity, so better make it a habit to always bring your umbrella with you.
Bottled water
Of course, staying hydrated while in the middle of the road should also be our priority. That is why, always bring your water, guys and gals! Consuming water is important as this can replenish the lost fluid from our sweat, and naturally, this can generally make us feel refreshed. This is also a friendly reminder to always stay hydrated!
Paracetamol, band-aids, and other over-the-counter medications
Besides the weather and traffic, another unpredictable scenario in our life as daily commuters is our health. Taking over-the-counter medicines with us in our daily commute can help us during emergencies, such as when we are feeling dizzy, experiencing headaches, and more. It is better that we are prepared during these inevitable times!
Commuting in the metro can be quite a hassle sometimes, which is why it is up to us to take care of ourselves when we are on the road. As commuters, bringing these essentials along with us can save us from the stress that we are getting from the toxic culture of commuting in the metro. Of course, as passenger princes and princesses, we have to sustain a cheap yet convenient mode of transportation for our own sake and safety.
What about you? What are your personal essentials that you bring while commuting? Is there a particular commute essential you cannot leave the house without? Let us know by leaving a comment below so other commuters can know! You may also check 123, Tara!'s donation drive to support the cause of our digital publication. See you there!
3 Free-of-charge Museums and Art Galleries in Metro Manila
(and How to Travel There Using Jeepneys)
By Denise Miranda
There is nothing more rewarding than visiting a museum—especially when it’s FREE! Hitting two birds with one stone, you can visually indulge your eyes (no charges) and learn in a creative manner. As much as all of us would love to support local artists and their creative works by paying for exhibits or buying their crafts, not everyone has the means of doing that. Luckily, we found these museums and art galleries that everyone staying within Metro Manila can visit for free! The locations of these gems are also accessible, and you can easily travel using PUVs, even jeepneys to get there!
Museums and galleries are a good way to learn and hang out with your barkada. So, if you are in the mood for a fun yet educational experience, here are 3 museums and art galleries located in the metro that you can visit for FREE, and know how to travel there using jeepneys!
Metropolitan Museum of Manila
Address: MK Tan Centre 30th Street, Bonifacio Global City
Landmark: Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA)
First on the list is this TikTok and Instagram viral museum that is found in the heart of BGC! The museum’s core mission, ‘Art for All’ proves that their services of exhibiting arts and crafts are indeed accessible to everyone, due to their contemporary art exhibitions that are created by local and international artists. Take note that booking a reservation through their Google Forms a day before visiting is required in order to be admitted free.
How to go there: You may take either the EDSA carousel bus or the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) going to Guadalupe station. From Guadalupe station, walk along the streets of EDSA until you can see Jollibee, located at EDSA corner P. Burgos. From here, jeepneys going to Market! Market!, Taguig is located. Ride a jeepney that is going to that route and once you get off at Market! Market!, you can walk your way up to BGC.
Art Galleries located in Chino Roces Ave.
Addresses:
Finale Art File: Warehouse 17, La Fuerza Compound, 2241 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati
Vinyl on Vinyl: 2241 La Fuerza 1, Chino Roces Avenue, Makati
Modeka Creative Space: Warehouse 20A La Fuerza 1, 2241 Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati
Landmark: Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) or Taft Avenue
If you want to appreciate more intimate and personal arts and crafts produced by local artists, art galleries are your best friend! These art galleries nestled in Chino Roces Avenue, Makati are all located in La Fuerza Compound. These gallery institutions are known for their art exhibits that feature and showcase independent artists’ contemporary visual arts. Just make sure to check these art galleries’ social media accounts to know if they are currently running art exhibits.
How to go there:
(Option 1) When going to Chino Roces Avenue, you may choose to take either the EDSA carousel bus or the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) going to Magallanes Station. Once you get to Magallanes Station, walk your way to Southgate Mall. From there, ride jeepneys along the streets of Chino Roces and make sure to get off at La Fuerza Compound.
(Option 2) From Taft Avenue, you can either ride a jeep going to Buendia or Gil Puyat Station or take the Light Rail Transit-1 (LRT-1) and get off at Gil Puyat Station. From there, walk your way until you reach Gil Puyat corner Taft Avenue, and ride jeepneys going to PRC. Ensure to get off at Chino Roces corner Dela Rosa street, and from there, ride another jeep going to La Fuerza Compound.
National Museum of the Philippines
Address: P. Burgos Drive, Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila
Landmark: Taft Avenue
Of course, nothing beats the historical National Museum that is located in Manila! At this point, almost everyone knows this cultural institution due to its exhibitions of the Philippines’ cultural heritage, natural history, and classical art pieces produced by Filipino national artists. Due to the museum being overseen by the national government, the National Museum of the Philippines stands as one of Metro Manila's most frequented educational attractions for tourists. If you haven’t been here, you’re especially missing out on our very own best of the best!!
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How to go there: Once on Taft Avenue, ride jeepneys or any other PUVs going to Ermita, Taft Avenue, and get off at Padre Burgos corner Taft Avenue.
5 Commuting Tips You Should Consider Doing
When Commuting In Metro Manila
By Denise Miranda
If you want to make your commuting experience in the Philippines more bearable, it is important to be strategic or madiskarte about the possible routes you are taking. Even your mode of transportation and payments should be strategic. Not all the time, we can Grab or Angkas our way to our places of destination as they may not be the most practical and budget-friendly way to commute. However, you can still make your commuting 101 experience more manageable by keeping in mind these helpful tips when you’re traveling around Metro Manila.
Whether you’re a first-time commuter or you just want to explore more commuting tips and hacks, you’ve come to the right place! Here are 5 commuting tips (that are actually helpful) that will change your Metro Manila commuting game:
01
Research Beforehand
Familiarizing yourself with practical routes and modes of transpo can make your commuting game easier. Try asking yourself beforehand if it will be more convenient and efficient to ride the trains (LRT, MRT, etc.), buses, or jeepneys when going to your place of destination. Make sure to also utilize your phone’s notes app, screenshot features, and maps when you’re commuting to foreign places, so better be prepared!
02
Get yourself a beep card
Purchasing a beep card can be a life-changer when you’re living in Metro Manila. Beep card is a smart card that is reloadable, and primarily used as a payment method when using public transportation, such as LRT, MRT, and buses. Using beep cards as your payment method will save you time, energy, and even money because discounts may be applied when using this as your mode of payment! You can buy beep cards at select train stations and P2P terminals and have them loaded pretty much at all train stations.
03
Download Sakay.ph
Sakay.ph is a mobile application that lets you search for a place or location, and in-depth directions for going there will be provided to you. This app is underrated for its cool features, which include providing directions, alternative routes, estimated time of arrival or ETA, and suggestions of what type of PUV you should ride. They also have a website and they publish blogs about the ins and outs of commuting in Metro Manila. All commuters should have this app downloaded on their phones!
04
Bring plenty of coins and small bills
Going out of your house with big paper bills can sometimes become a problem when commuting. Most of the time, jeepney drivers and bus conductors want passengers to pay smaller bills or barya when paying fares. The busy and fast-paced commuting culture makes it difficult for them to stress about the change to our thousand-peso bill, so let us make it a habit to give barya when paying our transpo fares! At the same time, as passengers, we won’t get worried if the drivers forget to give us our change, we’re accomplishing two things at once here!
05
Join Commute Buddies on Facebook
Did you know that there is an online community where you can ask for commuting advice? Commute Buddies FB Community is a Facebook group with over 12, 000 members, and it is an online community for commuters! You can ask for commuting directions and suggestions by posting, commenting, or searching for similar posts. Everyone is welcoming and they give the best and easy-to-follow directions!
