How to go to 3D Academy from Cebu Mactan International Airport? What are Jeepneys?

Good afternoon everyone, it is Edward. I hope that all of you have a nice day. I am going to continue sharing my experiences of studying in 3D Academy. In my previous article, I mentioned lost my two luggage when I arrived at the Cebu airport. The airport staffs told me that “We will send it to 3D academy immediately when we found it”. What happens next? Did I get back my luggage? I will keep you in suspense for now.

Oh yes, I was picked up by the student from 3D Academy below. His name is Aaron He is from Taiwan. Say “Hi’ to him when you come here.

Aaron He, 3D Intern from Taiwan

Talking about taking taxis to the school from the Cebu International airport, here are the tips for you. There are two brands of taxis waiting in line in Mactan, Cebu International Airport, one is a white and the other is yellow.

White Taxi Queue in Cebu Mactan International Airport

Yellow Taxi Queue in Cebu Mactan International Airport

White taxi cabs are the regular taxis in Cebu and you could find anywhere you go in Cebu. Yellow taxi cabs could only be found at the airport. Yellow taxi cabs are the safer yet more expensive option because:

1. Before you board on the yellow taxi, the attendant manning the queue will jot down these details in a card/official receipt such as the time you boarded the taxi, taxi’s plate number, destination and driver’s details (name and driver’s license number). Hence, if there are bags left behind or personal belongings left inside the yellow taxi, you just call up the airport yellow taxi service and report the loss. It will be a lot easier to find the items left.
2. The flag down rate for the yellow taxis is twice the price as that of white taxis. This is because you are paying for a two-way fare. Yellow taxis do not pick up passengers on their way back to the airport.

To get to your destination, just tell the driver the name of the building, street or area which you want to go. Taxis are the faster way to get around Cebu but brace yourself for some heavy traffic during peak hours, which is around 6 am to 9 am, 11 pm to 1 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm. You may give the driver some tips if they are nice or if they help you to unload your luggage. P10 tip is deemed acceptable enough and tell them “Could you reset the meter, please” if they forget it. Remember, only take a taxi that charges by the meter, unless you are super “generous” 😀

Fasten your seat belts please and go straight to 3D. Oh, when I was on my way to 3D, I saw this vehicle. What is this????

Jeepneys in Cebu

Jeepneys in Cebu

This is the “Metro” of Cebu – i.e. the daily transportation bringing commuters to different locations around Cebu. They are called “Jeepneys” or “jeeps” by the locals in Cebu. Jeepneys were originally made for the U.S military during World war II. After the war ended, it was left over and renovated as the daily transport choice for the locals in Cebu. How interesting?! The word Jeepneys may be a portmanteau word – some sources consider it a combination of “Jeep” and “Jitney”, while other sources say “Jeep” and “Knee” because the passengers sit in very close proximity to each other. Most Jeepneys are used as public transportation, while used less often for commercial or institutional use. But some schools have their own Jeepney decorated with their names to fully immersed with the local system. The beautiful decorations and cheerful crowds around Jeepney have since become a unique symbol of the Philippines culture and art. The Jeepney was exhibited in the Philippines pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair as a national image for the Filipinos.

Here I sum up the story of transportation in the Philippines while I was on the way to 3D Academy. What happens next? See you on next writing and thank you for reading.