The History of Habal-habal in the Philippines

You know you are in Tagum City when sentinels of towering full-grown royal palm trees are standing on both sides of the highway and those crisscrossing habal-habals are cutting your way.

You must watch your speed limit to avoid hitting those habal-habal rides along the highway and streets in this City of Palms. They are considered illegal by the national law and rules and regulations of the LTO and LTFRB, but permitted by the local government of Tagum City and nearby towns and other cities in Mindanao.

Historically, habal-habal was first practiced in this country with the other design called "skylab" in the northern side of the erstwhile One Davao, now the provinces of Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte. It was first popularized by the workers of small mining industries and traders of Mt. Diwalwal of Compostela Valley. If disallowed, that would make the lives of the locals difficult to move around to and from and within the locality. It became popular in places where there's no regular mode of transport by 4-wheel or 3-wheel vehicles. Later on copied by other towns, cities, provinces, and regions, and phenomenally spread to the Visayas and even to the northern tip-most of Luzon and remote places of Palawan in the west and Bicolandia in the east. 

In the last 3 decades, it invaded the streets of Metro Manila as the fastest way to beat traffic jams for those who are in a hurry. Like me, I more often took a habal-habal ride whenever I catch my flight at the airport during rush hour.


What are habal-habal and skylab

From my unpublished book about Philippine places and transportation, habal-habal and skylab are defined as:

habal-habal – (ha-bàl há-bal; [Mindanao and Visayas mode of transportation] dw Ceb. habal [copulate]) *(n.) motorcycle-for-hire \motorcycle ride for commuters; A motorcycle that is modified to transport more passengers and loads than its intended usual capacity or what is originally allowed by its manufacturer. So called because of the sitting position of riders somewhat simulating the copulation or the mating position of animals. A description of fully modified habal-habal has the following: It has a makeshift seat extended at the rear to accommodate at least five passengers seated in a row, and a small rack before the driver seat for one or two more passengers. An extended wide steel footrest is also installed around the lower side for holding cargoes. A steel carrier support are sometime installed on both sides near the muffler to accommodate two children, but only if they can hold to stand up throughout the trip. An improvised canopy is often installed using wooden or bamboo beams and plywood or trapal (tarpaulin) or luna (oil-cloth) to protect the driver and passengers from rain. The aforementioned design is a popular mode of transport in  the rural areas of northeastern Mindanao and the Visayan rural areas. A smaller version of habal-habal uses a scooter and has no canopy. It can accommodate only up to three or four passengers and can be found mostly in the cities, like in Metro Manila.

A group of habal-habals waiting for passengers in Javier, Leyte.

Habal-habal of Kananga, Leyte.

A variation of habal-habal in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley is installed with modern sound-system for  listening your kind of music and make your trip not boring.

The informal station of habal-habal (for-hire-motorcycle ride) at the foot of the stairs on the eastern side of Ayala/Edsa MRT station.

The habal-habal ride along Ayala Avenue extension road  to McKinley road going to BGC.

   

iskaylab – (is-káy-lab; [Mindanao mode of transportation] dw Eng. skylab satellite) (n.) a contraption of modified two-tired motorcycle with long planks of passenger seats extending sideways like wings from the side of the driver seat towards the back seat, and sometimes installed with improvised canopy using wooden or bamboo beams and plywood or trapal (tarpaulin) or luna (oil-cloth) to protect the driver and passengers from rain. It carries cargo and can accommodate a total of least eight passengers seated like that of habal-habal with two or four more seated on the extended planks with their feet dangling on the side. A simpler variation of iskaylab only has beams extending sideways behind the driver seat, designed to hold big baskets or boxes on both sides for transporting goods. This mode of transport is popular in the rural areas particularly in the northeastern Mindanao. So called because the extending planks resemble that of the radar wings of the 'Skylab' which was a NASA satellite that fell back to earth in early 70`s, close to when iskaylab motorcycles started to appear in Mindanao.

A skylab ride of Nabunturan, Compostela Valley. You don't need energy drink to keep you awake. The thrill and nerve will do it for you for sure.

Due to restrictions imposed by traffic laws, only two passengers, including the driver,  are allowed to ride all kinds of motorcycles in Metro Manila, including habal-habal.

Point-to-Point bus ride between Ortigas and Ayala, Makati

How to get to Makati from Ortigas

Here, we spotted this point-to-p0int bus schedule from Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas Center, Q.C. going to Ayala Center of Makati City.  It's a non-stop air-conditioned bus ride between Ortigas and Ayala.

McKinley Hill, BGC - How to get there

A night view of Tuscany along Upper McKinley Road of McKinley Hill, Taguig City

McKinley Hill is a 50-hectare development project of the Megaworld Corporation. It is situated just beside the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, between the C5 Road and Lawton Avenue. It is the part of Metro Manila where you can find the embassies of Britain, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, and several upscale residential project that include The Venice, McKinley Hill Village, McKinley Garden Villas, Stamford Executive Residences, Tuscany, Woodridge Residences, and Morgan Suites Executive Residences.   McKinley Hill is also home to three international schools: the Chinese International School Manila, the Enderun Colleges,  and the Korean International School Philippines.

McKinley Hill (Google map)

1. Take the Citylink buses 

a.) C5 Route – Citylink bus operates C5 Road with route linking Eastwood City in Quezon City, McKinley Hill in Taguig City, and Newport City in Pasay City

b.) Magallanes/MRT Route – Citylink bus has pick-up and Drop-off points for employees at the Magallanes MRT Station in San Lorenzo Place (Mantrade EDSA) to and from McKinley Hill. Schedule is customized based on demand of current locators.

2. Internal Shuttle

Internal shuttle services provide point to pint shuttling service within McKinley Hill.

The BGC shuttle bus and the e-trike. The latter is nowhere to be found now.

3. Jeepneys and buses

Take commuter jeepneys or buses with route going to Tulay of Guadalupe Nuevo in Makati City where you can take another jeepney with route from Guadalupe to Tenement or FTI or those plying the ikot route of C5 Road.

Typical jeepneys you can find in Metro Manila

Tell the driver to stop at the entrance gate of McKinley Hill. Tuscany is about a hundred meters away from the gate that you can simply walk your way to get there from C5 Road side entrance gate.

There is also a jeepney terminal behind the Shell Gas Station at the EDSA-Ayala Avenue intersection in Makati City. You take MRT ride and disembark at the Ayala MRT Station, then walk your way to the jeepney station nearby. Ride the Market-Market bound jeepney.  Then in Market-Market, proceed to the jeepney station near the Market-Market center fountain and take the C5 (Tenement or FTI) bound jeepneys and tell the driver to stop at the entrance gate of McKinley Hill (and proceed with the previous paragraph, above). 

These are the Ayala Avenue bound jeepneys (those behind) and Market-Market bound jeepneys (those at front) at the jeepney terminal behind the EDSA-Ayala Shell gas station.

The intersection of Ayala Avenue and EDSA in Makati where you can find the jeepney station and BGC shuttle bus station (hidden, just few meters to the right side of this picture).

4. Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV)

Customized transportation service for clients within McKinley Hill. Service vehicles are stationed at the McKinely Hill transportation terminal. It provides access to strategic transportation hubs within Metro Manila

5. Taxis

From McKinley, you can take a cab at the Taxi Bay near Two World Square and at the SM Aura grounds and at the Market! Market! From any point in Metro Manila, local taxis will bring you to McKinley Hill. 

Taxis in BGC

Taxi drivers know well the intricacies of Metro Manila web-like streets. They also know where those route with shorter distance, or find other ways to detour at times when streets are choked with bad traffic flow.

6. Habal-habal (Motorcycles)

Though considered illegal by the LTO and the LTFRB, the fastest mode of transport to get to McKinley Hill is by means of "habal-habal" motorcycles. They are anywhere around the perimeter of BGC.

Enterprising drivers of habal-habal (single motorcycle ride) have established their informal station at the foot of the stairs of the eastern side Ayala/Edsa MRT station.

The informal station of habal-habal (for-hire-motorcycle ride) at the foot of the stairs on the eastern side of Ayala/Edsa MRT station. 

Single ride is from P40.00 to P50.00 one way from EDSA to McKilley Hill. The driver will lend you extra helmet for your protection and in compliance with the LTO Ordinance of strictly requiring the motorcycle driver and its passengers to always wear helmet when riding motorcycle.

The habal-habal ride along Ayala Avenue extension road  to McKinley road going to BGC.

Actually, you can find habal-habal anywhere around the perimeter of BGC and nearby districts or barangays. You need, however, to ask a local to tell how to spot them. Try asking at the tricycle station or jeepney station, chances are people there will help you find one or point you to where to possibly find a habal-habal.

Just in case you're stranded due to stalled traffic, look for habal-habal and my advise again is to make sure that the driver has an extra helmet for you to put on to keep you safe and tell the driver to drive not too fast to make sure you'll arrive in one piece. - Ingat!

See McKinley Hill Google map here

Check these restos in McKinley Hill. They are worth visiting:

• Planet Grapes

• Tratorria Poggio Antico

• B&T Mexican Kitchen

• L.E.S. (Lower East Side) Bagels

• Sauceria

• Marciano’s

• Main Street

• Sophie’s Mom Bakery Cafe