This is the main road for travel in Mangaldan. Notice Jolllibee's sign on the right. There are very few cross walks and the vehicles--cars, padyak's or trykes don't necessarily stop at them even if there are people trying to cross.
Here pedestrians have the least amount of right of way. The rule here is the bigger the more power you have on the road. Buses rule and big trucks. Buses don't slow down or move over for ANYONE or ANYTHING period! They also don't have seatbelts and most have no air conditioning in them, if they do they cost more to ride in.
Trykes and padyaks line both sides of the street, this is how a lot of people make their living here. They park their tryke or padyak by a place of business and wait for people to come out and hire them to take them and their purchases home. Many people here don't own a vehicle of any kind or even a tryke. There is a lot of walking done in the Philippines.
It takes some getting use to getting around these passenger carrying vehicles. The bikes and trykes can turn on a dime and will -- right in front of you without any warning. They have a basket attached, we have seen as many as 9 or 10 people riding in or standing on the edge or back of them to get the most for the pesos. Bigger towns won 't allow the padyaks--they are a peddle bike, they go very slow. Baguio doesn't allow trykes (they couldn't make it up the hills in Baguio). Baguio has mainly cars, motorcycles, taxi's and Jeepney's. Taxis in the Philippines are not very expensive, they can't be and stay in business. Baguio is a richer city, a resort for all the Philippines because it is in the mountains and much cooler for vacationing. There are no taxis in Mangaldan. Padyaks are the cheapest means of transportation here because they are the slowest. Trykes (motorcycle with a basket attached for passengers)are faster so they are a little more.
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