The Philippines’ King of the Road makes an appearance in the Land Down Under
There are many emblems that truly capture the Filipino spirit and among them is the jeepney. Dubbed as the Philippines’ “King of the Road,” this public utility vehicle has been in service for many years, helping Filipinos with their everyday commute. Its legacy has been immortalized in so many ways, from Hot Wheels’ “Road Bandit” to Yeng Constantino and The Hotdogs’ music. Its fame also reached abroad, with a jeepney once hitting the roads of New York City. This time, its wheels have found their way to the Land Down Under.
Mark Fulgueras and Florian Franco, Filipino migrant workers in Gnowangerup, Western Australia, started a creative project for the Horsepower Highway at the Stirling Range National Park, to revitalize the town’s tourism. The two went on and built “Dyipni,” a tractor-jeepney hybrid art installation.
“My wife happens to be the best friend of one of the community project organizers who planned the ‘The Horsepower Highway’ initiative. She said that maybe the Filipinos can be a part of the project by building a jeepney from an old tractor,” Florian tells Philtimes.
“The project had a very slow start. Reasons are who will be interested in helping out, what would be the design of the ‘Dyipni,’ where will we get the funds to make it happen. These are a few of the many challenges I faced during this project,” Mark adds. “But here we are; we have waded through it all. It was one heck of an experience for me, but I was able to accomplish it through the help and effort of these men. I’m so grateful for the outcome. Feeling proud.”
Much like in the Philippines, the spirit of bayanihan was present in creating the “Dyipni.” Mark and Florian worked with other Filipino welders and spray-painters—Ariel Manalo, Romel Manalo, Marvin Carandang, Bernard Contreras, Nicasio Farillon, Garry Marquez, Alumno Guiller, Eugene Bulalacao, Zaldy Lorzano, Eric Jamisola, and Ambrocio Llave—and Australian design engineer Barry Cullen to make it happen.
"There are a lot of Filipinos in our area now, so they wanted Filipino representation in the project,” Florian says to SBS. “The design is inspired by the Filipino flag. The rear fender merges with the Southern Cross. It has two massive air horns, eight horses, and the names of the welders who worked on the project are painted inside the vehicle.
The “Dyipni” was unveiled last November 2021. Get to know more about the newest addition to The Horsepower Highway’s installation here.