THIS column is a week late. My apologies to the people I quoted here. I had promised to publish it last week.
Fast Times is, well, fast. I simply wasn’t able to catch up. The delay, however, gave me a chance to validate my experiences in Cebu against what I encounter in Manila and Laguna. This is an observational, experiential column rather than one based on empirical data. Still, it illustrates how culture can shape behavior.
One of the pleasures of traveling is discovering the little things that guidebooks never mention. If you say Cebu, I think of lechon, dried mangoes, whale sharks, beaches, diving spots, and a booming economy. In my mind, that’s the order.
But during a recent visit, I found myself paying attention to something far less glamorous: pedestrian lanes.
I was headed to the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino from Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown, where I was staying. It was only about a seven-minute walk. The following day, The Manila Times team would host the Cebu Business and Tourism Forum at Radisson Blu Cebu.
As I approached a pedestrian crossing, I slowed down and, out of habit, waited for vehicles to pass before stepping onto the painted stripes. Years of living and driving in Metro Manila have conditioned me to assume that a pedestrian lane isn’t necessarily a guarantee that traffic will stop.
Not so in Mactan.
An approaching motorcycle slowed down. Then an SUV. Then, most surprisingly, a jeepney. Not abruptly. Not reluctantly. The drivers simply recognized that someone was waiting to cross and yielded.
A little later, it happened again. And again.
Over the next two days, I noticed the same behavior in different parts of Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue. Drivers appeared far more willing to stop for pedestrians waiting at designated crossings than what I’m accustomed to seeing in many parts of Metro Manila.
What caught my attention next was what happened away from those crossings. While motorists readily yielded at pedestrian lanes, they seemed far less inclined to accommodate people crossing wherever they pleased. If there was a marked crossing just a few meters away, drivers appeared to expect pedestrians to use it.
That struck me because it suggested something beyond courtesy.
Curious whether I was imagining things, I asked a few Cebuanos.
One of them was Connie Barcenas, a retired banker turned business consultant and a friend of real estate executive Sheila Lobien, one of the speakers at The Manila Times forum. Barcenas suggested that what I observed was less about politeness than a shared understanding.
“Cebuanos don’t read your mind, but they can see your actions,” she explained. “This doesn’t happen only at pedestrian lanes. It’s the same in elevators, on escalators, and even while queuing at Starbucks.”
Another friend, Moira Manuel of FINN PR, shared a similar observation. She told me the behavior wasn’t forced or formally taught. “Giving way just seems to happen naturally,” she said.
Regan Rex T. King, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who was the opening speaker at the forum, offered another perspective. He said the local driving culture generally leans more toward courtesy than the aggressive, territorial style often seen in denser metropolitan areas.
In his words, “We’re chill.”
The same sentiment was echoed by Kernan Motoomull, president of TechSupport.ph, a Cebu-based technology company. After demonstrating a real-time tracking platform developed by his team, he told me that when he moved from Manila to Cebu, he immediately noticed the more relaxed pace of life. That mindset, he believes, naturally extends to the road, where drivers are generally more willing to give way.
Of course, two days in Cebu do not make a scientific study. There are undoubtedly courteous drivers in Metro Manila and impatient ones in Cebu. But first impressions often reveal patterns worth paying attention to.
As motorists, we often blame traffic congestion on poor enforcement, inadequate infrastructure, and undisciplined road users. There is truth in all of those arguments.
Yet, road behavior is also shaped by expectations.
Drivers behave according to what they expect pedestrians to do. Pedestrians behave according to what they expect drivers to do.
In many parts of Metro Manila, those expectations can become blurry. Pedestrian lanes exist, but people often cross elsewhere. Drivers know this and remain cautious. Pedestrians know drivers may not stop, so they improvise. Every crossing becomes a negotiation. The system works in places like Bonifacio Global City and parts of Quezon City, but not always.
Subic and Clark, of course, are in a league of their own.
What I observed in Cebu felt different. There appeared to be an unwritten agreement. Pedestrians use the crossing. Drivers stop at the crossing.
There is one caveat.
A driver told me that when pedestrians choose not to use the crosswalk, “They don’t respect the law, and the road doesn’t respect them.”
Simple.
Perhaps that predictability is what stood out most.
After decades behind the wheel, I’ve come to believe that every city develops its own driving personality. Some places are fast and aggressive. Others are relaxed but chaotic. Some operate on strict adherence to rules, while others rely heavily on improvisation and patience.
Mactan and Mandaue gave me the impression of places where road users generally know what is expected of them.
That doesn’t mean the roads are perfect. Traffic remains a challenge. Sidewalks can still be improved. Motorcycles behave like motorcycles no matter what city they’re in.
And then there are the Route 13C jeepneys.
My experience with them suggested that not everyone follows the same script. One driver, speaking in Cebuano-laced Tagalog, referred to jaywalkers as “kuto” (lice), implying they deserved to be flicked aside. The 13C route, however, is a story for another day.
In Cebu, I found myself appreciating the consistency.
The experience also reminded me that every driver eventually becomes a pedestrian. We park our vehicles, step out, and suddenly become the vulnerable road user trying to get safely across the street.
Perhaps that’s why I found myself noticing pedestrian lanes more than usual during this trip.
For all the conversations we have about new vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems, smart mobility, and the future of transportation, one of the most important interactions on any road remains the simplest one: a driver seeing a pedestrian and deciding to stop.
For a visitor accustomed to Metro Manila traffic, it became one of the most memorable parts of my afternoon and evening walks in Cebu.