By Jessica V. Maron | @jessicavm_TRL | 23 December 2022
As the inflation rate rises and causes a domino effect that makes gas prices even more expensive, Max Anthony Quinto seeks for an alternative mode of transportation, which is biking.
Max Anthony Quinto is a 27 years old, newly licensed and registered architect living in Manila and working in Makati. He has to deal with the exhaustion of riding his bike to work every day.
Due to his low salary, he is driven to take this step in order to save money. He has to match his income to his bills and come up with new ways to cut his expenses.
"Parang ang hirap kasi pag nagtatrabaho ka na tapos dumagdag yung ano… naapektuhan ka as a consumer, as a working na sa… yung mga bilihin ang tataas ng presyo, gasolina and para sakin, pinakamahirap is yung expenses sa pamasahe." Ar. Quinto said.
[It feels like it's hard when you are working then it also adds that… you are being affected as a consumer, as a worker… the prices of goods were so high, gasoline and most difficult for me is the fare expenses.]
Quinto shared how he is impacted by the rising rate of inflation, which raises the cost of gasoline and consequently raises fare prices.
Inflation, gas price hikes, and increasing fare
This year has been one of the worst for the Filipino people because of the catastrophic effects that the inflation problem causes. The graph illustrates how prices have risen throughout the entire year, from the beginning up until present. The rate at which it is rising each month seems to be very disturbing.
According to the Philippines Statistics Authority, the annual inflation rate in the Philippines rose to 8.0% in November 2022 from 7.7% in October, topping market forecasts of 7.8% but within the central bank's target of between 7.4% to 8.2% for the month. It was the highest print since November 2008, with food prices rising the most since March 2009 (10.0% vs 9.4% in October). Additional upward pressures also came from cost of housing (6.9% vs 7.4%), transport (12.3% vs 12.5%), alcoholic beverages (10.6% vs 10.4%), clothing (3.6% vs 3.1%), health (2.8% vs 2.6%), household maintenance (4.5% vs 3.8%), communication (0.7% vs 0.5%), restaurant (6.5% vs 5.7%), recreation (3.3% vs 3.0%), and miscellaneous (4.2% vs 3.7%). Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and fuel items, rose 6.5% yoy, the most since December 2008. On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.9% yoy in November, the same pace in October, remaining at the steepest pace since January 2009 and exceeding forecasts of 0.7%.
People are being greatly impacted by the dramatic rise in gas prices brought on by this sudden surge in price. The price of the fare rises as a consequence of this, which many people feel burdened about.
“Parang habang tumatagal, parang mas lalong lumalala yung mga pamasahe, pagtaas ng pamasahe. Kung maalala natin umabot pa yung pamasahe natin ng 7 pesos lang per ride, ngayon halos dumoble na 12 pesos, what more kung kunwari tumaas pa ang gasolina baka umabot pa ng kinse to hanggang 16, yung isang ride mo eh parang dobleng ride na sa mga nakaraang taon so sobrang… naiimagine ko baka hindi na, hindi na bumaba yung pamasahe kasi mapapansin niyo bumababa yung gasolina pero yung mga public transpo natin hindi naman sila nagbababa ng papamasahe.” says Ar. Quinto
[It seems that as time goes on, the fares seem to be getting worse, the increase in fares. If we can still remember there was time our fare was only 7 pesos per ride, now it has almost doubled to 12 pesos, what's more, if the gas continues to increase, it may go up to 15 to 16 pesos, your one ride is equivalent to a double ride for those last past few years that’s why... I can imagine that maybe it won't, the fare won't go down because you will notice that the gas sometimes rolled back, but our public transports are not lowering the fare.]
When asked if he feels that the fare may be lowered, he responds that it will not, pointing to instances in which the price of gas rolls back but the higher fares do not change. This graph below shows how gas prices have hiked and rolled back, from January to November.
The figure shows how much the cost of gasoline climbed, particularly around the middle of the year when it was extremely high. Even though it has slightly subsided recently, we can still observe that commuters' fares are the same and have not changed. It is still a minimum of 12 pesos.
‘Kaya instead of using public transpo, mas pinili kong mag invest ako sa bike’
It was November 2021 when Quinto purchased his bike worth 10k pesos. He has no regrets about his choice as he still uses his bike for a variety of purposes. He considered this as his primary means of transportation for getting to work.
Max Anthony Quinto worked for 5 days on weekdays. He rides a bike to work every day, rain or shine, till he comes home from work.
His daily travel using his bike usually took 5 km, his back and forth is around 10 km. Quinto didn't care how far it was and even consider that it as very close.
The data shows the distance Quinto had to travel, and the length of time he had to spend riding his bike every day.
“Isa pa is time consuming yung pagtatranspo. Sa makati palang maraming mga workers na galing sa manila. Pag pumila ka ng ganung oras mga peak hours, 8am, hindi ka makakasakay sobrang haba ng pila so sobrang time consuming. Aaga ka ng gising tapos dadating ka pa sa work mo late na.” Ar. Quinto said
[Another thing is that the transportation is time consuming. There are many workers who come from Manila in Makati. When you stand in line during peak hours, 8am, you will not even ride as the line is so long that it is very time consuming. You wake up early and then you arrive at your work late.]
Public transportation in the Philippines is in a terrible state at present, especially in the Metro Manila area which is among the worst in the world, according to an international study. This is where there are significantly too many commuters, students, and workers using it at once.
Manila ranked 56th out of 60 selected global cities, or fifth worst globally, ahead of Johannesburg (South Africa), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Nairobi (Kenya), and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). The study measured cities on "public transit density, efficiency, and utilization rate and the extent to which they can adapt to address competition from emerging mobility services." Manila only scored 31.9% while the global average was at 51.7%. (Mantaring, 2022)
As a result, it is frequently challenging to even board a ride and public transportation is quite overcrowded. It is also frustrating to consider that even waking very early, you may still be late due to our transportation crisis.
For this reason, former commuter Max Anthony Quinto chose to put in a lot of energy while pedaling his bicycle rather than waiting in line and getting into a crowded public transit vehicle.
“When it comes naman sa finances and expenses ko daily. Sobrang nakatulong siya. Yung dapat nakalaan para sa transpo ko is nalalaan ko siya sa ibang bagay kunware sa pagkain and sa mga pangangailangan ko. Pwede ko siyang itulong sa mga kapatid ko, sa kapamilya ko.” says Ar. Quinto
[When it comes to my finances and expenses daily. It was very helpful. The money that should be reserved for my transpo is so I can save it for other things, like food and my necessities. I can use it to help my siblings, my family members.]
Quinto needs to ride a tricycle and a jeep when he rides public transportation. A single trip on a tricycle costs 40 pesos, whereas a ride in a jeep costs 12 pesos.
“So imagine, 100 pesos, sabihin na 100 pesos daily yung aking expenses sa public transpo so x5 is 500 pesos and halos 2000 pesos nasasave ko sa transpo palang yun, every month yun.” Ar. Quinto added
[So imagine, 100 pesos, let's say my expenses on public transportation is 100 pesos daily, so x5 is 500 pesos and I save almost 2000 pesos on the transportation, every month."
2000 pesos is a huge amount of money today that Max has saved from using the bike to go to work which in turn he is allocating for his food, needs or even for his family.
However, the benefit of cycling to work is not only seen in the financial aspect but it also has a great positive effect when it comes to the physical.
“Siguro yung aking stamina, mas nabibuild-up kasi kunware malalate ka na so syempre dapat mas mabilis ka and yung ano rin, yung awareness mo sa paligid.” says Ar. Quinto
[Maybe my stamina is building up more because like for example I will be late, so of course I must be faster and also, my awareness of my surroundings.]
Cycling is an excellent way to increase physical strength and develop alertness.
In a 2017 study published in the medical journal The BMJ, Gill and colleagues looked at data that followed more than 263,000 people in the U.K. for approximately five years to see how their means of commuting affected their health. They found that people who commuted by bike—including people who bike only part of the way to work, taking an alternative like a train for the other part—had lower risk for various cancers and cardiovascular disease, and were less likely to die during the study period, according to Kevin Loria of Consumer Reports
‘If mag invest ka sa bike, magkano lang yung magagastos mo’
“Siguro mag invest ka sa good quality na bike pero in the long run, makakatipid ka talaga“ Ar. Quinto added.
Today, there are numerous bike shops that anyone who wants to start biking can visit. These days, you can find bikes in a variety of brands and pricing ranges.
The parts and bike business, JSV Toys and Cycle Trading, located in Masantol, Pampanga, is where these images of bicycles were taken.
John Leo, 20 years old, a worker and niece of the bike shop owner gave information on some of the costs of their bikes.
“Iba-iba po, may malaki, may maliit. Yung budget bike po, 5.5 tsaka 5k po.” says Leo
Indeed, there are many bikes commercially available that can be purchased for incredibly cheap rates and that, if kept, can be used for a very long period.
“Pag may nagtatanong sakin, ay nagbibike ka lang pala. Hindi ba mahirap? Ineencourage ko silang magbike tapos pinaparealize ko sakanila na mas matipid, mas masaya tapos hawak mo yung oras mo mas lalo pag work, di ka hassle umuwi, di ka makikipagsiksikan sa mga bus.” Quinto said
[When someone asks me, you're just riding a bike. Isn't it difficult? I encourage them to bike and then I make them realize that it's more money saving, more fun, and you have more time especially at work, you will not hassle going home, you don't have to be in crowded buses.]
Quinto encouraged others to use bicycles as a form of transportation as they offered great benefits. He does not, however, push all because he is aware that not everyone is capable of riding bicycles as a mode of transportation.
‘Pero depende, kasi kung ikaw naman ay hindi ganun kafit or fit yung katawan mo para magbike, siguro by choice nalang din’
Even so, not everyone is physically capable of using a bike as a mode of transportation. There is another unique mode of transportation that is popular with the masses today and that is the e-bike.
Arnelio Maron, 65 years old, from Masantol, Pampanga is one of those people who uses the e-bike for work.
“Bago ako mag e-bike ang nakikita ko convenient siya, hindi na kailangan ng masyadong malaking maintenance, walang usok dahil ako paminsan-minsan inuubo pag nakakaamoy ng usok, yun ang inano ko. Hindi na ako pwedeng pumadyak eh. Sa edad ko kailangang siya nalang ang gamitin kong pang hanapbuhay” says Sir Maron
[Before I bought an e-bike, I found it convenient, it doesn't need too much maintenance, there is no smoke as I occasionally cough when I smell smoke, that's what I like. I can't pedal anymore. At my age, it is my only occupation.]
Despite his old age and condition, Sir Maron is still able to ride an e-bike since it requires little effort to operate—all he needs to do is press a button. The vehicle also emits no smoke.
“Hindi polluted yung ano ng mga tao, hindi sila nakaamoy ng usok. Yung noise pollution ganun din, pwede silang magkwentuhan na nagkakaintindihan. Halimbawa, sakay mo siya may phone call siya o may tumawag sa kanya sa telepono, magkakaintindihan sila dahil walang ano eh, walang ingay na galing sa tambutso ng mga motor kasi siya [referring to e-bike] electric siya.” Sir Maron said.
[Not polluted, people don't smell smoke. Same as in noise pollution, they can talk and understand each other. For example, when you ride with a passenger and he has a phone call or someone calls him on the phone, they can understand each other because there is nothing, there is no noise from the exhaust of motorcycles because e-bike is electric.]
Arnel stated that the e-bike has many perks for both him as the driver and his passengers. Given the absence of smoke in the vehicle, none of them will smell air pollution. Comparatively speaking to noisy motorcycles and crowded jeepney terminals, passengers can understand one another.
Additionally, he said that his fare is low, particularly for students, as he only uses his own electricity, of which he claimed the consumption is not excessive.
Currently, people also prefer riding e-bikes because they are affordable, have a modern look, and offer a variety of benefits.
Returning to biking as a cost-saving and leisure activity
Quinto has a very admirable love for cycling, as evidenced by the fact that he rides his bike every day, rain or shine to work. He is able to save money every month by choosing not to use the public transit that nevertheless charges a fare. His decision to switch from commuting to biking has been very beneficial to him financially, physically, and perhaps even mentally.
Surprisingly, he also utilizes it to give himself enjoyment in addition to saving money.
“Last february 2022, nitong taon lang. Naglongride ako, ako lang mag isa mula Manila hanggang Marinduque, which is my province. Almost 180km+ yung binike ko. Since nagkabike ako parangarap ko na magbike ng sobrang layo, ganyan, kasi I find it so enjoyable kasi hindi lang dahil gusto kong magbike, parang mas naeenjoy ko rin yung moment na nasa kalsada ako tapos ang ganda ng tanawin tapos hawak mo pa yung oras mo anytime hindi ka mepepresure na that time dapat andito ka na, parang mas nakakaenjoy na magpunta ka sa isang lugar na alam mo na nagbike ka lang, parang once in a lifetime rin kasi hindi naman tayo forever malakas.”
[Last February 2022, just this year. I took a long ride, alone, from Manila to Marinduque, which is my province. I rode almost 180 km+. Since I've been riding a bike, I've dreamed of riding a bike very far, like that, as I find it so enjoyable, not just because I want to ride a bike, I also seem to enjoy the moment when I'm on the road and then the view is beautiful and then you still have your time anytime. You don't feel pressured that time you should be here. It seems more enjoyable to go to a place where you know you just rode a bike, it's like once in a lifetime because we are not strong forever.]
References:
TRADING ECONOMICS. (n.d.). Philippines Inflation Rate - November 2022 Data - 1958-2021 Historical. https://tradingeconomics.com/philippines/inflation-cpi
TRADING ECONOMICS. (n.d.-a). Philippines Gasoline Prices - November 2022 Data - 1990-2021 Historical. https://tradingeconomics.com/philippines/gasoline-prices
Mantaring, J. R. (2022, November 25). Manila’s public transit fifth worst globally — study. CNN Philippines. Retrieved December 23, 2022, from https://www.cnnphilippines.com/transportation/2022/11/25/manila-public-transit-fifth-worst-globally-study.html
Loria, B. K. (2019, May 13). The Health Benefits of Biking to Work. Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/exercise-fitness/the-health-benefits-of-biking-to-work-a1090481879/
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