In the mountainous regions of the Philippines, these buses support the lives of people who do not own cars
By the side of the road in Bontoc, an old, well-worn bus stood waiting. This, it seemed, was the stop. Along its side, the words Bontoc Bus Line were painted, and in smaller letters I could just make out its route—from Tabuk, heading onward to Besao. In the mountain regions of the Philippines, it is buses like this that sustain the lives of people without private cars. Timetables exist only nominally; what matters is that passengers and their bundles get loaded on, and the vehicle lurches its way through winding mountain roads.
Most of the seats were already occupied, and every single window was flung open. Air-conditioning was, of course, a luxury absent here—the mountain breeze was the only form of ventilation. From the gaps in the windows, faces leaned out, curious or weary. Adults and children alike bore skin browned by the sun, telling of long journeys endured. The classic frame of the bus—already vanished from the streets of Japan—seemed to condense in itself the entire story of Philippine transport.
Among the passengers was a small boy. Perched on his parent’s lap, he gazed out through the open window. When I raised my camera, his eyes locked directly with mine. Whether it was curiosity or simple distraction, he followed me with an unwavering stare. For him, the road from Bontoc to Besao was not the dullness of travel, but something closer to an adventure.
| Mar 2014 PHILIPPINES VEHICLE | |
| BONTOC BUS CAR WINDOW |
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PHOTO DATA
No
8418
Shooting Date
Sep 2008
Posted On
March 21, 2014
Modified On
August 26, 2025
Place
Bontoc, Philippines
Genre
Street Photography
Camera
CANON EOS 1V
Lens
EF85MM F1.2L II USM
