In this land of million-peso four-wheeled cars (and I do mean your typical Toyotas, Hyundais, Nissans, Kias, Suzukis, etc) which is affordability beyond the reach of your average Filipino family, the notion of the family sedan most times taxes and stretches one’s ordinary perception or definition of what it is or should be.
In this country it can be anything with wheels, transport that rolls and moves by its own power. With four wheels or even less, like just two.
In this same busy intersection a most unique type of family sedan is on parade daily, sharing traffic with the bigger and heftier transports like jeepneys and SUVs. They are motorbikes with 2, 3, 4, or even 5 family members sitting astride, machines rated as single cylinder engines of 100cc or 125cc; most passengers riding bare-headed, sans helmet, passenger restraint, or any head protection.
The economic logic behind these choices is quite iron-clad and unquestionable. Bikes of such sizes are within the 40-50,000 peso price range, an outlay many straggling families could well afford if only through an installment plan. Definitely much more below wistful thinking about buying a brand-new four-wheel vehicle.
Here’s a pictorial sampling of the family sedan, local version, seen in busy intersections, and even amidst fast-moving traffic on multi-laned national highways where passenger perils are grossly multiplied and aggravated.
To be continued.
Yah, those "installment plans" end up costing the buyer two times the supposed 40 to 50 K pesos, right? Oh well, the wonders of credit. Can you imagine the average overweight American family 4 or 5 to a bike? Heck, even two would be impossible.
ReplyDeletePhil:
ReplyDeleteYes, installment plsns almost double the original price because of very low down payments. Thus, "repos" abound in these parts.
Hopefully the situation improves with the intro of Chinese-made cycles and their much lower prices.