How Sarao Motors became the biggest name in the PHL jeepney industry

With the administration implementing the PUV modernization program, we may as well say goodbye to jeepneys as we know it — rickety but bling’d out, a purveyor and symbol of Filipino culture.

But in an episode of i-Witness, Ed Sarao of Sarao Motors tells journalist Howie Severino he doesn’t believe jeepneys are going to die just yet.

Apart from a huge need that jeepneys continue to service – especially in the provinces – Sarao believes they have something to offer “sa programa ng government. We’re doing something new, either we go electric or Euro 4,” he said.

Perhaps it is exactly this proactive attitude of Sarao Motors owners that it became the biggest name in the Philippine jeepney industry.

Sarao Motors was started by Ed’s dad, Leonardo and his brothers, sometime in the ‘50s just after the war in an old Zapote garage. The Americans had left behind a lot of military jeeps — Willys was the brand of those army jeeps — that the Sarao brothers started tinkering with, fabricating and customizing.

“They were doing it like everyone else,” the younger Sarao says. “It was out of necessity. Maraming iniwan na jeep, maraming nakinabang sa Willys.”

Though it’s directly connected to the Americans, Sarao credits Spain and Mexico for the jeepney’s colorful appearance — the “fiesta look” as he calls it. 

And from there, Filipino jeepney drivers built from the aesthetic, putting images of their families and children, of their hometowns and tributes to places that helped them get the jeep, of their religion and personal beliefs.

Filipino jeepney drivers made it their own, and soon, jeepneys became our very own, transporting our very culture, thanks to its design. With passengers sitting so close to each other, sitting face-to-face, the human touch is undeniable. “May interactions. Minsan diyan din nagkakaligawan at nagsisipag-asawahan 'yung mga commuters," Sarao said.

From Zapote, Sarao Motors is now located in Las Pinas, where they continue to manufacture jeepneys, this time looking to the future.

But in their garage is the oldest jeep in Sarao’s possession; if we’re going to go with its plate number, the oldest jeep was manufactured in 1955. It is currently in storage, available for rent for special occasions.

Perhaps, the Saraos can use it as a model, moving forward. Transportation Assistant Secretary Mark de Leon after all, has raised a very important point: That the market is open for manufacturers who would make new models favorable for more jeepney operators.

"Yun ang pinaka-objective natin i-open natin yung market dito sa bagong jeepney model na ito para talagang maging favorable doon sa mga jeepney operators na kailangan bumili nung bagong jeepney," he added.

The Saraos have now joined several foreign companies and transport groups venturing into making new jeepney models. — LA, GMA News