Tricycles of Antique
Like the jeepney, the tricycle is a ubiquitous moving piece of art found all over the country. If I can’t find an art museum or collective in a province I’m visiting, I look to the streets. From graffiti on the walls, airbrush work on jeepneys, and in this case, the uniquely designed cabs of tricycles – if you’re looking for art you will find it. The province of Antique is no different.
I visited 4 locations in Panay last June to meet different communities for work. When I got to Antique, I was in awe of how some of the tricycle cabs were designed. Very different from the ones I’m used to in Manila or Pangasinan, where the cabs are designed quite small and low to the ground. Tricycles in Antique, and pretty much most of Panay, are larger and can fit more people. They’re like mini-jeeps.
And then there’s the art. Some of which are amazing, some look like they rolled out of the Louvre in France. With the typical spiritual imagery Filipinos know and love, some look like they rolled out of the Vatican in Rome. Others look like they rolled out of a Fast & Furious set.
My favorite kind of tricycle are those that are made large and practical, plus points if it’s beautiful. And there’s a lot of that in the country. I should dig up photos of trikes I saw on Coron, and also the trikes from my mom’s home province of Bohol. Though the latter is now making a move toward “tuk tuks” or “TVS”, which are also nice. But you can find those in most of Southeast Asia – I hope they never phase out the local designs though.
As I rode buses and vans through Antique from south to north and back again, I witnessed some of the most beautiful scenic drives you will find in the country. On one side you can see the tallest mountains of Panay, some of which seem only a kilometer or two away from you. Then on the other side, a vast open ocean lined with beaches and coconut trees. No wonder they call Antique “where the mountains meet the sea”, but you only know of that once you’re there.
Anyway, I find it odd that I don’t see much tricycle art on my feed. What is up with my algo. To have such a flexible and unique form of transportation designed in different ways up and down the country, and emblazoned with some of the most beautiful artwork you can see – I think it’s just one of those things that Filipinos don’t seem to appreciate enough. Like the natural beauty found in our mountains and seas.
