Chasing Pavements

By Sergei Reyes, Jewel Rose Torotoro and Maxine Alexandra Villas

Today he is taken. Tomorrow he is not. And suddenly he is taken again. Every now and then, he changes: directions, locations, on and off relationships; no one could predict him except the one who occupies him. Sometimes he chooses whom he likes to be with and he refuses to take a look at other people. However, he dashes to the crowd and pushes himself to catch the attention of the people and assures your security and convenience. He, sometimes, is snobbish and pretends to be busy. He makes other people who run after him wait in vain when he is already taken. Yet, he makes everybody happy. He takes the one inside him on a journey full of commitment and leads you to the right destination. However, you could not foretell whom he likes: men and women of all ages. He always wears a headband and he never takes it off. His headband tells you his identity and inside of it carves his name: TAXI, the taxis of Davao.

They have a life of their own, apart from all the public vehicles in the city. They choose to be different. The fare may be slightly higher than the others’ but it guarantees you a faster way out! But unlike any other city, Davao has two kinds of taxis, one of which is in danger of becoming extinct. The non air-conditioned taxi is required to close its windows very soon, and not too long from now, they will be converted to be just like any other taxi in town! Nothing shall remain of it, maybe not even the warm body driving it.

Despite its awaited death, the non air-conditioned taxis remain to be one of the things today that complete one’s Davao experience. As soon as you open the door, the taxi driver immediately gives you the royal treatment fit for someone who stepped foot in the Kingdom of Royalties. He lets you in to sit on the cushion of the car. The soft padding relaxes your butt and helps release the tension from your body. You then choose to lie back, hoping it could massage your neck, until all that is left for you to do is to let go. The vehicle then takes speed. You feel warm air blowing on your face, and then you realize that the windows are open. Just when you wanted to roll them up, you noticed that the window roller is gone! The driver does not bother to explain why; he just lets the air come inside to caress your face until you fall asleep. But just like any other luxury, the services of the taxi come with a price. The “tax” paid by the “I”, who is more than willing to shell out for the fee of royalty, is a very lucrative compensation to fund the facelift of the taxi. Soon, the driver will have to close the windows of his cab to welcome an air-conditioning system. One that can definitely put a passenger to slumber and he or she would not have to worry about inhaling soot. The driver needs to save up to reinvent the vehicle so as to entice more people in dire need to feel princes and princesses for a day. It is truly a selfish deed, but then people would just refer to it as Davao beginning to improve their standards of living. A portion of purchases going to beautification and improvement!

The taxi is really different from other vehicles because its chain of command as it operates is linear. Taxis are all equipped with meters, which are electronic devices installed in taxicabs that calculate passenger fares based on a combination of distance traveled and waiting time. This controls the journey desired by the passenger, as it serves as a reminder that more than one drop-off point or destination will mean an additional flag-down charge. The passenger, on the other hand, controls the driver. He or she commands the driver to stop, to take him or her in, and to bring him or her to the desired destination. Finally, the driver sits on the cushion to hold onto the taxi’s steering wheel, steps on its accelerator, makes a brake when the car is over speeding, maneuvers its clutch, and grips the shifter lever. He controls the vehicle.

Basically, the first priority of a taxi driver is to bring you to the location of your choice safe and sound. Some would stay true to this ideal, but others would refuse to. In fact, the passengers would not even savor the word “rest” or close their eyes to take a nap because of a very nosy driver. Instead of just bringing you to the place where you want to go, they torment you with penetrating questions, thus, depriving you of relaxation. You bet you want to stop him from talking and wish you have a duct tape with you. It is just so annoying to be with a taxi driver who never stops digging the story of your life. They are most commonly known as “chismoso”.

But there are also some of them whom you have just met, yet you feel like you have known each other for a long time. Maybe because you have things in common, may it be experiences, emotions, or acquaintances. Then and there you become more relaxed and comfortable, and as a bonus you add a new friend to your list!

On the other hand, there are some taxi drivers who are introverts. They are called the “unsociables”. Once you get in, you cannot tell him to stop and to just drop you by somewhere when the only reason is that he doesn’t want to talk to you. That would be the stupidest thing one would ever try to do. You just have no choice but to keep in silence and to contemplate. It may be an advantage if you yourself, are also apprehensive or an introvert! You need not then to be annoyed nor try to utter some words. You’d just have to shut your mouth, sit back, relax, and enjoy the extremity of silence along the way.

Meanwhile, if you are such an extrovert person, who undyingly need to talk and mumble things, well, you better bring with you your mobile phone and talk to somebody to have something worthwhile to do when you’re with a very shy and non- talkative type of taxi driver. Or else, you would suffer from deep agony of preventing your saliva to do its job.

In choosing your taxi driver, one would need to be careful somehow in choosing a driver, because, somewhat, somehow, there are those kinds of taxi drivers in the city. Those who ask for a contract instead of relying on the taxi meter. They would just ask you to pay a given amount in order for you to hop in. The reason is not just because they feel like doing it or so. But it is due to the fact that Davao is such a wide and large city; it is difficult to reach uptowns and suburb areas. Instead of using the taximeter, some would probably ask you a hundred pesos or more. Or they may likely use the meter yet ask for additional ten to thirty pesos.


Taxi drivers cut corners. Thus, it does not go through the busy streets of the city, especially in places like Bajada, San Pedro, and Matina. It goes to the safest and most convenient places in order for you to arrive at the desired time. Although it may seem to be a lot more expensive than the other public transportations, still, it’s worth it. Davao taxi drivers cater to the needs of every individual and serve the public with an equality of zeal, thus, reflecting the distinct traits of Dabawenyos.

Davao boasts of its uniqueness, and taxis are not exempted. Unlike in any other city, the taxis of Davao feel a need to be identified. This makes them completely different from any other public transport in the city because of the major franchises that manage them. The giants of the business are Holiday, Maligaya and Mabuhay, and each of them gives you a distinct journey.

The name Holiday is a contraction of two Middle English terms that have Old English origins, hālig that means holy and d¿g that refers to day. The word stands for a religious observance, but today, people have expanded the definition by associating it with vacation, a day of no classes, and et cetera. In Davao, the term would be associated to the Festival of Festivals – Kadayawan, a weeklong thanksgiving festivity of bountiful harvests. In addition to that, it can be the name of a public vehicle. Riding this taxi that is of yellow and black color combination assures you of the fastest way around Davao, which is perfect when there is massive traffic especially during events.

The taxi known as Maligaya traces the origin of its name to a Tagalog word that means “joyful”. This taxi separates itself from the rest of its kind by not having to paint its body white. Instead, it greets its potential passengers especially tourists visiting Davao for the Kadayawan with yellow and red, which suggests the mood of the festivity. Riding it assures you of a joyful trip around Davao, especially during its biggest festival!

Lastly, Mabuhay Taxi derives its name from the Filipino equivalent of the statement, “long live”. At first, it appears to be a remark of congratulations for the achievements of Dabawenyos. But then, it also serves as an encouragement to the people and the city’s visitors to continue exploring what Davao has to offer. Riding Mabuhay assures you of some sort of optimism, that you will find what you are looking for in the city! It shall promise you a fruitful travel.Having said these, the names of the known local taxi franchise in Davao seem to suggest three moods or experiences that a passenger can choose from. It is up to him or her if she opts to be in a “fast”, “joyful”, or “optimistic” feeling while travelling around the city. Furthermore, the three names also mirror Davao’s characteristics: Fast Development, Joyful Celebrations, and Optimistic People.

Taxi chases pavements as if it has a life of its own. It is different from any other public vehicles. They can reflect DAVAO – Its culture and its people.