Philippines Distinctive Trikes

A common form of transportation throughout the Philippines is the tricycle (or trike), which is a motorcycle with an attached sidecar. This commoness is unique to the Philippines. Because trikes are usually manufactured locally, styles vary regionally and even between different cities, so they can be quite useful for regionguessing.

We look here at some of the more distinctive styles of trikes in the Philippines.

Trikes are similar to tuk tuks. An example of a tuk tuk is shown below. Tuk tuks can be found in many places around the world and appear in many places in the Philippines (especially in Mindanao), but tuk tuks are usually manufactured in China or India and don't exhibit as much variability in style, so they will be ignored here. Also, in the Philippines there are trikes which use bicycles instead of motorcyles, and these will also be ignored here.

Regional features

To begin, we first look at some features which appear among trikes in certain provinces or regions of the Philippines. (Here is a map of provinces and regions.) Keep in mind that trikes do travel, and for this reason and others, you may find trikes in unexpected places and, in fact, most places will have more than one style of trike.

Generally the roof of the sidecar and the roof of the driver are farther apart in height in the north and closer together around the center of the Philippines. And flat roofs are more common in the south. But there are exceptions to this rule.

There are more examples from each of these regions in this training map:

https://www.geoguessr.com/maps/68f9887f3a23828c46b117b4

We move north to south.

In northwest Luzon, the sidecar usually has a roof which is half metal with a black tarp that starts halfway along the roof and runs down the back. You find these in Ilocos Norte (example), the northern parts of Ilocos Sur (example), and Cagayan, near Ilocos Norte (example).

Trikes where the driver roof and/or sidecar roof have two-piece (usually metallic) "crowns" can be found in the provinces Apayao (example) and Cagayan (example). Not to be confused with single-piece crowns, which can be found elsewhere (example).

In Central Luzon the driver's roof is usually thick, looking like a mattress.

In Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) you can find trikes where the frame bends forward in front of the handlebars and (in la, ba, on) at the back of the sidecar the bottom sidebars come to a point at the end (like an arrow). Similar trikes can be found in Mindoro.

In the Bicol region there are trikes with a lot of windows, and especially a window in a panel that runs from the front of driver diagonally to the front of the sidecar. This diagonal panel be found in other places in the east (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao).

In Leyte and especially Samar, the most common trike has a single or double window that runs along the front. The panel in front of the driver ends above the handlebars.

In northwest Panay the vertical bars at the back of the sidecar are fairly narrow.

In southwest Panay the driver's window is on a small panel which slopes far forward as it goes down. The front sidecar window also slopes forward.

Palawan trikes are wide and have a large window in front of driver and passenger. They have double headlights.

In Negros Occidental the most common trike has a "duck bill" that protrudes from the front bottom of the sidecar.

In the southern half of Cebu the trikes usually have a long and narrow window (or adjacent pair of long narrow windows) at the front of the sidecar.

In some parts of Lanao del Norte you can find trikes with big square roofs held up by poles. A somewhat similar roof can be found in Sipalay City in southern Negros Occidental.

City-specific styles

Many cities in the Philippines have a mixture of different styles of trikes. But some cities are dominated by a fairly consistent style. We look at some of these.

There are more examples from each of these cities in this training map:

https://www.geoguessr.com/maps/68f98af55c5b62025214be25

We list these in alphabetical order, with the name of their province in parentheses.

Yellow. Framed by rods with no panels. White numbers on green placards at back on top of driver and sidecar roofs.

Lime green. Many windows (Bicol style). Bar at back of sidecar running from side, over top, down other side. Black on white numbers on metal flap behind driver.

Yellow. Big flat roof. Red on white numbers at back of sidecar on each side of frame. Often says "Bislig City" on front visor.

Orange. Large black on white numbers on driver's side and side of sidecar. Pair of lime green rectangles at front and another pair at back. Often says "Butuan City" on visor.

The full sidecar roof is like a black tarp and often has a plastic window on its side, toward the back.

Centered driver with large back seating. Black numbers on center front roof placard.

Orange. Often a panel with window behind driver and a rack on sidecar roof.

Green. White numbers on green sign appear twice at front of sidecar and once at back. Often a flap behind driver.

In the general area around Cotabato City you can find trikes with single color umbrella roofs and sidecars without panels (just a framework).

One or two small windows or grills at center below main front window. Placard on roof at front center.

Yellow. Passenger seat over back wheel of motorcycle.

Big number (usually white with a red outline), front and back of sidecar. Rounded roof.

Red (sometimes yellow). Wide cover over the outer wheel of the sidecar.

Often blue. One window in front of driver and passenger with two small oval windows below it. Roof slopes down from back to front.

Generally very colorful, including these colorful rounded umbrella roofs.

Blue. Usually a rack juts out from the back of the sidecar.

White. Wide. At front usually says "Kidapawan" on visor and some words under window, both in red. White placard with red numbers at front center of roof. Says "Kidapawan" on left side of the back of the sidecar and some number on the right side, both in red.

Usually yellow or green. Driver's roof is higher than sidecar and has a black roof, while sidecar roof is colored. Back of sidecar has two "tailfins".

Green numbers on white plate (looks like green plate in blur) on front and back of sidecar.

Sidecar has tilted diamond window on side and thin in height window on front with sign above it. Back of sidecar possibly has a covered trunk.

Bent roof with a rack and white numbers on roof at back. Metal flap at bottom front of sidecar can be open or closed.

Centered driver. Wide vertical sign at front top. Red number on white sign at front center. Rim around front above motorcyle. Red text (operator) and red number on two white signs on sides of backcar.

Driver's window slopes forward from driver's roof with a narrow frame around it. May have "antennae" sticking up from sidecar.

Driver has no windows or panels. Sidecar is yellow and has black number on white signs at top front and back center and a rack on top. Usually the sidecar has a quite small window at back.

Big number in white on driver's roof. Black number on white sign on front and back of sidecar.

Red numbers on white signs on front and back of sidecar and also on vertical placard at front of driver roof.

Yellow. Green sign on sides of sidecar and often smaller ones on front and back. Usually there are flaps coming down from the middle of the roof on each side.

Often yellow. Long "duck bill" (sometimes just the frame of a "duck bill") at front of sidecar. Sidecar usually has a rack.

Sidecar has a number (often red) and the words "Quezon City" on front, back, and top.

Sidecar has a large front window that slopes forward as it goes down and a back window near the roof that slightly wraps around to the sides. Generally the sidecar is quite open, lacking panels on the sides and it has a platform at the bottom of its back.

The most common trike is white with a sidecar that has "I ♥" and the city seal at its front and a pair of blue, white, and red stripes (like flags) on its back.

At driver's left side at the front there is a small window. Usually there is a cloth flap behind the driver. The sidecar has a rack in the back that juts out.

Often yellow. There is a panel behind the driver. Sidecar has a rack on top that runs down the back of the sidecar. Red number at front and back of sidecar.

There is a flat panel in front of driver and passenger with a hole cut out for the headlamp. Usually there is a curtain on the driver's side.

Often blue or red. Driver's side has a cutout for handlebar. Black on white number at front of sidecar and on placard at front center of the roof. From the back, the driver and sidecar roofs join at a V shape.

Big white number on roof. Panel at back behind driver and passenger has four oval windows.

Lime green. Double headlights. Usually has large rear view side mirrors attached to U-shaped rods.

Yellow. Double headlights. Red number on front, back, and side of sidecar and on panel at front side of driver. Sign at front top says "Tandag City" in red.

Yellow. Some (but not all) trikes have single-piece "crowns" at front top of sidecar and/or driver roof.

Often a placard on sidecar roof says "VGN" (or "CYN" or "BTY") and a number in yellow. Most trikes have single-piece "crowns" at front top of sidecar and driver roof.

Flat roofs. Multicolored stripes or other colorful decorations on front and back.

OldGeoProf, 2025