How to Distinguish
- The domain is .ph
- Cars drive on the right
- Official languages are English and Filipino
- Roofs often look like corrugated metal(by Geotips )
- You can spot Jollibee, the major fast-food chain
- Tricycles (motorbike + sidecar) are used as taxis
- Jeepneys, colorful buses, are common
- Public transport plates are often yellow, private cars often green
- In Asia, red-and-white chevrons likely mean the Philippines or Sri Lanka
- Royal Crown Cola is sold
- Vehicles with no rear door are almost always the Philippines
Signs you can find
In Asia, concrete roads are common in the Philippines and Thailand. They also appear in Taiwan, rarely in Indonesia , Sri Lanka , and Malaysia .
Tricycles (motorbike + sidecar) are common taxis, and there are also pedicabs. Colorful jeepneys are a major transport mode . Public transport plates are yellow. Below: tricycle (right) and jeepney (left).
By Christian Razukas from Honolulu, Hawaii - Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link(Wikimedia commons)
Private cars are often white or pale green . Right-side driving, distinctive vehicles, and yellow/white/pale green plates point to the Philippines.
CC0 image edited
You may see signs for Jollibee, the major fast-food chain (参考文献 Jollibee Foods Corporation Group of Companies) (参考文献 Jollibee aims to double sales in 5 years (Nikkei Asia)).
In Asia, red-and-white chevrons are mostly seen in the Philippines and Sri Lanka (not certain) .
Reddish poles and fasteners seem common.
Red-and-white chevrons in Asia may be only the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Jeepneys, flashy-color buses, are a main transport mode. They often lack a rear door.
Royal Crown Cola is popular and sold widely. It is said to be popular in the Philippines and Georgia, USA.
Stray dogs are common in rural areas, and there are water buffalo too.
Narrow down state/region
- Tagalog is common in southern Luzon and around Manila (参考文献 Tagalog)
- Area codes can narrow the region(by Geotips )
- Newer motorcycle plate colors can hint at region
- In northern Luzon mountains, Chilean-style poles appear
For a precise map, see this.
By Howard the Duck - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
This plate style is only visible in 2020+ coverage, so it is not very important. See the reference for color-region mapping (参考文献 Motorcycle Classification by Color Strip and Position).
In my experience, about 80% are in the mountains around Baguio. Rarely seen outside Luzon.
Tricycles
- Designs differ by local transport office, so tricycles vary by region
(参考文献 Letter from Cebu: Why tricycle designs differ)
- Stepped roofs suggest the north (参考文献 Most common tuk-tuk roofs by AeroGelo#5412)
- Flat roofs suggest the south (参考文献 Most common tuk-tuk roofs by AeroGelo#5412)
- Motorela is common in northern Mindanao (参考文献 Motorized tricycle)
- If a flat roof is slightly rounded with car-like rear lights, consider Palawan
- In Muslim-majority northwest Mindanao, covers hide women’s legs . Clothing can also be distinctive.
Stepped roofs.
Seats in the back carry more passengers than regular tricycles (参考文献 Motorized tricycle). Wikipedia says Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon are common.
.jpg#/media/File:Puerto_Princesa_City_proper,_Malvar_Road_market_(Puerto_Princesa,_Palawan;_08-03-2023).jpg)
By Patrickroque01 - Taken using my own camera, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
- Agriculture varies by region
- Oil palms are common in southern islands
- Sugarcane is concentrated around Negros
- Data source: U.S. Philippines Production Country Summary (USDA)
Narrow down city/town
- Learning regions and province names helps (参考文献 Map of the Philippines showing the location of all the regions and provinces)
- Construction signs often show city names
- ATM signs of major banks often show the town/region
By HueMan1 - Own work, based on seav's Ph regions and provinces.png and Felipe Aira's File:PhlMapCit.svg, GFDL, Link
City names are often written directly on the sign.
- Stone houses appear around Sabtang Island (参考文献 Sabtang)
- Corregidor Island has WWII ruins such as barracks and tunnels (参考文献 Corregidor Island). The Google car is visible.
- There are roads to Mount Pinatubo, which erupted in 1991 (参考文献 Mount Pinatubo)
By Jeremy.alinea - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
