Land of the Yellow Jeep

Hello Aseanhive friends!
This is my entry for this week's #aseanhivecommunity #challenge #99 which is about #legends/myths.
Before I tell you about the legend of my adoptive city. Why adopted? Well because I wasn't born here. My family moved here after I graduated high school because my father landed a job in the previous US naval base which has now become Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Since then this city has now become my home for it is where I met my husband, this is where he was born and raised. It's also where we built the family of our own.

My adopted city is fondly
called the Land of the yellow jeep because when you visit our city you will see lots of yellow jeepneys driving around the city.
The jeep is the common mode of transport used not only in our city but also the whole country, Philippines.
I guess it was patterned after the American jeeps used during the world war.

But it's not only the yellow jeep you will see when you come and visit. You will also see the blue jeep, red, white, orange, green, brown, brown with white trimming, white with green trimming.

Yap, they are all color coded. Depending on the place you wish to go to. You just have to ride that particular color which is very helpful and easy specially if you're not from around here. The yellow jeep was popularized because it's the jeep you will see driving around the main part of the city. It's main thorough fare route is on the heart of the city. Other colors go on other parts of the city like on the outskirts and on the barangay's that are not nestled near the city.
I've learned the color coding of the the jeeps started during the 80's which was implemented by the then Mayor, Richard Gordon (former Senator as well) to prevent having "colorum" jeeps like the fly by night operators or the ones with no franchise coming from other neighboring towns like Pampanga and Bataan who overcharge American servicemen everytime they have their Liberty from the US Naval Base before.
Hundreds of illegal jeepneys operate around the city so the city became chaotic.

I love that all the jeeps here are color coded because its uniform, for easy transport. You won't get dizzy looking at the signs on the boards of the jeep if it will go to the place you wanted to go.
It's not chaotic. Like in a private school they are all uniform.

Mind you it's not only the Jeep that are color coded even our trikes here are also color coded. Every thorough fare routes have its own color coding scheme.
This blue trike belongs to our area.
They can pick up passengers just around around us. They have a certain limit to where they will drop and pick up passengers. So it's very systematic.

I will showcase our trikes in my future posts, for now, Let me tell you about the legend that goes with my city. For you might be wondering which city am I referring to, for I kept on saying "city" but not mentioning any names.
Well, I don't want to spoil the legend.😆☺️
So here's the legend behind the name of our city, Olongapo.

🌟Unveiling the Legend of Olongapo City: A Tale of Unity and Tragedy 🌟

Step back in time with me to the mystical origins of Olongapo City, where the echoes of a legendary tale still linger in the hearts of its people. It's a story that speaks of bravery, betrayal, and the enduring spirit of unity.

Legend has it that centuries ago, two tribes inhabited the lands that would later become Olongapo City. Despite their proximity, they lived in isolation, separated by ancient rivalries and deep-seated animosities.

But there was one brave chieftain named Apo who dared to dream of a different future. He believed that the two tribes could be united as one, forging a bond stronger than any feud or conflict. With hope in his heart and peace in his words, he set out to seek an alliance with the neighboring tribe.

However, tragedy struck when the chieftain's noble intentions were met with treachery. Instead of extending the hand of friendship, the other tribe betrayed his trust, beheading him in a cruel act of defiance.
When the people of his tribe went in search of their beloved chieftain, they stumbled upon a chilling sight – his severed head impaled on a bamboo pole, a gruesome testament to the violence that had transpired.

Moved by the tragedy and inspired by the chieftain's unwavering belief in unity, the people decided to honor his memory by naming their city "Ulo ng Apo," which translates to "Head of the Chief." Over time, the name evolved into "Olongapo," but the legend remained etched in the city's folklore forevermore.

Today, on the heart of the city is a roundabout. You will see the head of Apo guarded by his tribesmen.
As we walk the bustling streets of Olongapo City, let us not forget the sacrifices of those who came before us and the enduring legacy of unity that they left behind. May we continue to honor their memory by embracing diversity, fostering harmony, and standing together as one community.

Hope you had fun reading the legend behind our city.

Thank you and see you on my next post.