Habal-Habal sa Diangas
Probable Topics
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Motorcycle and Habal-Habal as mode of transportation: Philippines and
Southern Mindanao
Motorcycle as a leisure vehicle
Habal-habal as a necessity for transport
Habal-habal Injuries Philippines and Southern Mindanao
Management of Motorcycle Injuries – DMC Way
Defensive and Safe Habal-habal Riding
Other Probable Topics
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Other Activities
 Photocontest: Theme: Habal-habal
 Video contest
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Habal-Habal
Mula Wikifilipino
Jump to: galugad , hanapin
Ang Habal-Habal ay isang uri ng transportasyon na karaniwang matatagpuan sa mga
bulubundukin at liblib na lugar sa Visayas at Mindanao. Ang salitang "habal" ay nag-ugat sa
salitang Bisaya at Cebuano na nangangahulugang "ang pagtatalik ng mga hayop, kung saan ang
lalaki ay nasa likod ng babae." Sa kasalukuyan, ang habal-habal ay tumutukoy sa isang uri ng
pampasaherong motorsiklo na binago at higit na pinatibay upang makapagkarga ng higit pa sa
limitasyon ng isang ordinaryong motorsiklo. Ito ang karaniwang ginagamit na sasakyan sa mga
lugar na hindi kayang daanan ng mga pampasaherong bus at dyipni dahil sa matarik, lubak-lubak
at maputik na daanan tungo sa liblib at bulubunduking mga barangay.
Ito ay kilala din sa tawag na "Skylab" na ayon sa ilan ay hango sa pangalan ng estasyong
pangkalawakang nasira at bumulusok pabalik sa mundo. Ayon naman sa iba, ito ay galing sa
pinaikling pangungusap na "Sakay na lab!" na malimit sabihin ng mga drayber ng habal-habal sa
mga pasaherong babae.
Mga Uri ng Habal-Habal
Mayroong dalawang anyo ang habal-habal sa Visayas at Mindanao.
Una, ang isang motorsiklo ay dinagdagan ng mga pampatibay sa katawan, nilagyan ng isang
upuan sa ibabaw ng tangke ng gasolina, at pinahaba ang upuan sa likuran upang maaaring sakyan
ng mula dalawa (2) hanggang sa limang (5) pasahero. Karaniwang pinauupo ang pinakapayat at
pinakamaliit na pasahero sa ibabaw ng tangke ng gasolina, sa unahan ng drayber. Ang
pinakamataba naman ay pinauupo sa pinaka-gitna upang mabalanse ang motorsiklo. Ang pangapat, panlima at pang-anim na pasahero ay pinapaupo sa hulian.
Ikalawa, ang isang simpleng motorsiklo ay nilalagyan ng kahoy na pahalang sa likuran ng
sasakyan na magsisilbing upuan ng mga tao. Ang kahoy na ito ay binalutan ng goma at supot
upang hindi masaktan ang pang-upo ng mga pasahero. Sa pamamaraang ito, maaaring magsakay
ng hanggang sa labindalawang (12) pasahero sa motorsiklo. Ang kanilang mga bagahe tulad ng
mga bag, isang sakong bigas, mga pinamili sa palengke, manok at kambing, ay itinatali lamang
sa mga kahoy na nakakabit sa likuran. Kumplikado ang pamamaraang ito dahil kailangang
balansehin ng drayber ang motorsiklo habang umaandar sa matarik at lubak-lubak na daanan.
MANILA, Philippines - Hindi na pamamasada ng habal-habal o motorsiklo ang kabuhayan ng ilang driver
sa General Santos City. Matapos maghigpit laban sa mga habal-habal dahil sa peligro nito, may ibang
serbisyo nang inaalok ang mga namamasada para kumita.
HABAL-HABAL
I'm assuming that you're a citizen of an industrialized country with a perspective that could be
classified under the category of, for want of a better term, Western. If I am correct, then sharing a
dinner of live maggots with Amazonian tribal residents could be considered as a fairly radical
thing to do. Right? OK. Now, perhaps we here in Cebu can't offer you live maggots for dinner,
but we also have experiences that we take for granted in our everyday lives which would
probably considered fairly radical by your standards. Right at the top of the list is riding a habalhabal.
Habal-habal (sometimes spelled habal2x or habalhabal) are motorcycles for hire, which routinely
ply routes into the interior highlands. In most cases, a habal-habal is the only form of public
transportation available within and to the hinterland.
Habal2x ply such routes for several reasons. One, due to the nature of the terrain, the area is
difficult to access by four-wheeled traffic, especially in wet weather. Second, helmet laws are not
enforced beyond the inner city. Thus, the habal2x are barred from operating in the city, but act as
feeder arteries to jeepney nodes located on the perimeter of the urban public transportation
network. Third, rural economies do not support capital investment in expensive four-wheeled
vehicles; bikes are cheaper and it is easier to scrape together the money to start a habal2x
business than a jeepney route. This is especially true in the far-flung provinces. Lastly, habal2x
are entirely unregulated; since no LTFRB franchise is required, a habal2x service can be started
relatively easily.
Habal2x stands are easily recognized. Multiple motorcycles will have been neatly parked
alongside each other, usually near an intersection, and their owners will be doing nothing but
waiting, either standing around chatting or seated astride their bikes. If they consider you a
potential customer, they will offer you their services by calling out or a making a quick hand
gesture. Fares start at about 20 pesos (about 50 cents in US money).
Now, riding on the back of a motorcycle may not sound that radical. But consider this: First of
all, habal2x typically carry 2-4 passengers at a time, in addition to the driver (don't call him a
"rider"). One on occasion - in Badian - I counted 8 persons, though that included one infant and
two children.
Second, due to propriety, passengers do not clutch the driver nor each other; balance is
maintained by holding on to the bike seat, one's own knees, or nothing at all. Often passengers
are perched precariously on the bike - in the case of passengers with tight skirts, sidesaddle with
both legs to one side - and miraculously manage to stay on top.
Third, passengers rarely have their hands free. Cash-poor peasants usually need a good reason to
justify the expense of a habal2x ride. They may either be carrying bags of produce - such as
vegetables or live chickens - for sale in the market, or they could be clutching bags of
commodities - such as animal feed, rice or sugar - purchased in town.
Fourth, the roads traversed by the bikes are mostly dirt roads paved with mud and gravel. Even if
they are asphalted, the blacktop is usually paper-thin, narrow, extremely bumpy, and riddled with
potholes.
Fifth, for some reason the habal2x drivers rarely travel at less than full speed. Is it an ego thing
between young men with motorcycles, or because of passenger demand for speedy service? I
don't know, but in any case I can guarantee you that you will never see a habal2x traveling at a
sedate pace.
Sixth, habal2x travel in rain, in which case some passengers sport umbrellas, and at night. The
dirt roads in the mountains are lit sparsely, if at all. The bikes themselves often lack lights.
So if you can picture yourself on the back of a motorcycle with three other passengers clutching
live chickens and sacks of rice, hurtling through the rainy night over muddy dirt roads while the
unlicensed teenager who bought the Chinese-made bike with a $50 down payment last week
races another similarly beladen bike, you'll get an idea of what a habal2x ride is like.
Perhaps it's not surprising that many passengers, particularly women, cross themselves before
getting on the bike. And that is, indeed, the only possible way to ride a habal2x: by placing your
utter total faith in the driver and in whatever deity you believe in. You get on, close your eyes,
and do not deviate one iota from the conviction that the driver knows exactly what he is doing
and that you will arrive at your destination unscathed. And you will be right; accidents are rare,
and the riders, for the most part, do a superb job, smoothly gliding their machines through the
mountain roads, and - as Filipinos so often do - making up for the failures of governmental
infrastructure with immense skill and determination.
Habal-habal
Habal" is a Bisaya term which means “the sexual (act) intercourse of animals” wherein the male
animal enters the female animal by striding at the female’s back. However, in some areas in
Visayas and Mindanao, the term “habal” is not only applicable to animals but to human also. In
other words, “habal” literally means “sex”.
Now, “habal-habal” is the term used to call the motorcycle taxi because the driver and the
passengers are in “habal” (animal) position.
Habal Habal is a single motorcycle without sidecar carrying two, three, sometimes four
passengers on its pillion seat used as a form of public transportation especially in places that
jeepneys or tricycles cannot reach and where roads are mostly narrow and unpaved.
(http://ztirfps.blogspot.com/2008/09/habal-habal.html)
Ang Habal-Habal ay isang uri ng transportasyon na karaniwang matatagpuan sa mga
bulubundukin at liblib na lugar sa Visayas at Mindanao. Ang salitang "habal" ay nag-ugat sa
salitang Bisaya at Cebuano na nangangahulugang "ang pagtatalik ng mga hayop, kung saan ang
lalaki ay nasa likod ng babae." Sa kasalukuyan, ang habal-habal ay tumutukoy sa isang uri ng
pampasaherong motorsiklo na binago at higit na pinatibay upang makapagkarga ng higit pa sa
limitasyon ng isang ordinaryong motorsiklo. Ito ang karaniwang ginagamit na sasakyan sa mga
lugar na hindi kayang daanan ng mga pampasaherong bus at dyipni dahil sa matarik, lubak-lubak
at maputik na daanan tungo sa liblib at bulubunduking mga barangay.
Comments and faves
Operation of motorcycle-for-hire popularly known as “habal-habal” remains illegal.
Representatives of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) yesterday told the city
council in a public hearing yesterday that the proposed ordinance regulating the operations of habalhabal would run counter with a national law that bans the use of motorcycles as commercial
transportation.
While the LTO-7 understands that habal-habal is a preferred mode of transportation for residents in
mountain barangays, the move to regulate its operations would be illegal, said Aden Belza LTO-7
assistant chief for operations.
He said that Republic Act 4136, also known as Land Transportation and Traffic Code, prohibits the use of
motorcycles or scooters as public transportation.
The RA 4136 provides that “no provincial board, city or municipal board or council shall enact or enforce
any ordinance or resolution in conflict with the provisions of the law.”
The local government units should not also prohibit any deputy or agent of the Land Transportation
Commission from enforcing the law within their respective territorial jurisdiction.
Councilors Augustus Pe Jr., Eugenio Faelnar, Sylvan Jakosalem, and Raul Alcoseba have sponsored a
proposed ordinance that legalizes and regulates the use of motorcycle-for-hires.
They said they notice that these are preferred mode of transportation for people living in the mountain
barangays.
Once the ordinance has been passed, city government will have collect annual fees from habal-habal
operators to legalize its operation.
These include franchise fee of P500, filing fee of P100 per unit and business permit of P200 per unit.
Under the proposed ordinance, the drivers will be required to provide protective gears to passengers
such as helmets and eye protective device and will not be allowed to transport children below seven
years.
According to Belza, more than 1,000 habal-habal operators are plying the interior areas of the city that
are not accessible by public utility jeepneys.
He, however, did not provide figures as to how many have been apprehended by the LTO for violating
the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
Arnel Tancinco, Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) executive director, could not also
provide figures of apprehension, because he said their operation against habal-habal drivers was still
ongoing.
Belza told the city council to pass a resolution addressed to Congress, seeking an amendment to the
code to exempt habal-habal drivers .
Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella, council committee chairman on laws, however, suggested to Belza
that the LTO, as implementor of the law, should ask Congress to amend the code to either exempt
habal-habal operations from the code or allow the local government units to regulate it.
Belza said he would have to study and formulate provisions that habal-habal operators should comply
first before they will be allowed to operate legally.
The LTO will then their recommendation to the congressmen in Central Visayas for consideration.
It will be up the legislators if they will use the LTO recommendation as basis to amend the traffic code.
ome Tips on How to Survive a Habal-Habal Trip
Friday, September 14, 2007
Habal-Habal is the most popular mode of transportation in the mountainous areas and the
hinterlands of Visayas and Mindanao. It is made of just a motorcycle that can go from a single to
as much as 3 to sometimes 5 passenegrs in some areas (with a wooden plank extending away
from the vehicle, also known as "skylab")! Bilib talaga ako kay manong! But numerous news
about accidents relating to riding a habal-habal is quite rampant, so I'll be giving you tips on how
to surivive a habal-habal trip:
1. Pray that you arrive at your destination, whatever religion or belief you have. Trust me, it
works!
2. Kung medyo wala kang hiya, better smell manong habal-habal driver if he's reeking with
alcohol. If he does, there's a possibility you'll go either to the gutter, to the hospital, to
heaven or hell. Better check other habal-habal drivers.
3. For girls, if you're quite conscious about riding with manong driver and you have no
choice, then better get someone whom you can be trusted (especially night trips!)
4. Better request manong driver to please slow down his speed. You don't want to fly don't
you?
5. Better bring an umbrella to either protect yourself being roasted tan or getting a second
shower.
6. You should ask manong driver how much does he charge if it'll be a special trip or a
destination quite far before you embark on your trip. You might get overcharged upon
arriving at the destinantion.
7. Don't bring balikbayan boxes and everything, except when manong driver agrees to have
your baggage tied up behind you.
8. If your somewhere in an abortion road or in for a rocky ride, you'll be expecting some
stops.
9. Kung maarte ka and you don't have any other choice of going to your destination except
habal-habal, then better wait for a car to pass by. It might take decades though in some
remote areas!
10. You should hold on the motorcycle's back handles for safety.
11. Ask manong driver if he has an extra helmet for safety. If he doesn't, then pray for your
safe journey.
Filipinos, in their creative way, will make a way in order to survive. Given lack of transportation
in the countryside, Juan de la Cruz doesn't fail to pave the way for his ingenuity.
One of the common transportation in the Philippines is the Habal-habal. It translates to
motorcycle-for-rent-including-the-driver-and-you-the-passenger.
Etymology, Epistemology, and other Ologies
The etymology of the word comes from the local dialect term for animals mating: habal. It must
be the position of the people on the motorcycle that is why it is called so. Interestingly, the word
is repeated and it signifies in the local dialect that it is actually a pseudo mating. Usually, a standalone word that is repeated would mean that it is not the real thing. Enough of the
epistemological dimension of the word.
How it Works, or How to Hire One, or How it Works
To the uninitiated, this is how a habal-habal works. You approach the driver, or most of the time
drivers of habal-habals mob you, you tell them where to go, you mount onto the motorcycle, off
you go to the destination, you get off, pay the driver, and go your way. Well, sometimes a driver
would pick up other passengers if you did not pay the driver to be the only passenger. But it is
more likely even if you paid more that you will be with other passengers if you are in a remote
place where there are only a few transportation available. It becomes a duty for drivers to pick
those passengers.
In the Cities
Habal-habals are abundant in cities. They serve as the bridge between inland housing of cities
and the main roads where the route of the jeepneys are. In short, they supplement the limitations
of the jeepney within the city, as the jeepney has only a specific route to follow. You would
literally see them swarming a jeepney that halts at their stop to get the passengers, or them
carrying the passengers to the jeepney stops.
In the Provinces
In the islands, like Camotes, Siargao, Guimaras, to name a few, it is the common if not the only
mode of transportation. It also swarms in far-flung places like mountainous or cordillera-type
places. This is because roads are small and precarious for four wheeled vehicles to pass, or if
there are actual passable roads existing.
Types of Habal-habal According to Lakbaydiva.com
There are different types and shapes of habal-habal. This one at the
left is a provincial-type habal-habal. It is a four-stroke motorcycle
that is dependable for long distance travel. The one at the picture has
an addendum: a make-shift roof. That indicates the travel is far, and
the sun beats the road as there are no trees covering it.
Its city counterpart is usually two-stroked, and I would call it city-type habal-habal for obvious
reasons. (Sorry I do not have much imagination). They are setup to be fast and sleek, (some even
with stripped down bodies, and even fancy mufflers) to maneuver through the traffic during the
day. It is not surprising to know that some habal-habal drivers involve in illegal racing games
during the wee hours of dawn with their ride they use for a living.
So, if you travel around the Philippines, be prepared to meet this curious sight, and perhaps an
adventure for foreigners who get used to safety.
Skylab Habal-habal (appearing on top of the post) is named so perhaps because of it’s extensions
from the main body, resembling the first US space station. Picture courtesy of jigs from
pagtuki.blogspot.com.