Philippine locals ride high and dry as taxis find ingenious flood solution

The modification can raise seats up to a metre higher, helping commuters to stay clear of floodwater that can reach up to 2 metres in height during monsoon typhoons.

Located 37 kilometres north of Manila, Hagonoy is frequently besieged by floods due to high tides in Manila Bay that leave streets unpassable to small vehicles.

"The floods do affect us. For us motorbike taxi drivers, our vehicles are not made to cross floodwaters, so what we did was we modified them in order to make a living despite having year-long floods," said Russel Lopez, who has been a motorcycle taxi driver for the past 10 years.

Lopez says they charge 40 pesos (26 baht) per person for a ride, typically following set routes around flooded sections of Hagonoy, and earn an average of up to 500 pesos a day.

Earnings are slightly more than compared to those operating unmodified taxis, but due to maintenance costs to limit saltwater corrosion and the investment required, any profit margins are levelled out.

Village leader Avelino San Juan says the floods have regularly swamped their neighbourhood for decades but have become worse due to improper garbage disposal and development that reduced the river’s drainage capacity.

The local government of Bulacan did not respond to a request for comment, but its website said it was working on a river dredging project to combat flooding.

Until things change, many residents in Hagonoy say the modified motorbikes are a godsend enabling them to get on with their daily lives.

“They are very important to us, especially to those who have to work when floodwaters do not subside until the afternoon. We need these types of transport," said Hagonoy local Lilibeth Alvaro.

Reuters