The jeepney, the text and the image : Mapping space and plotting intersections in the linguistic landscape of public transportation in the Philippines

Florendo, Maria Rosario (2026) The jeepney, the text and the image : Mapping space and plotting intersections in the linguistic landscape of public transportation in the Philippines. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Using Baguio City in the Philippines as my research site, multi-sited ethnography as my data collection method, and assemblage and the Global South as theoretical lenses, my research illustrates how the jeepney becomes a space of interconnection—of different people who ride the jeepney and are involved in the jeepney industry. These interconnections highlight the complex web of social, economic, and political relationships that shape the jeepney as a symbol of Filipino culture and identity. Furthermore, my research sheds light on the ways in which these interconnections contribute to both the perpetuation of social inequality and the potential for resistance and social change within the jeepney industry. My project uncovers the multiple levels of assemblages in my research site: Baguio City in the Philippines, which is a city steeped in American colonial history and, at the same time, a cradle for indigenous peoples of the Cordillera region, and the traditional jeepney, which is a product of Filipino ingenuity and artistry and a relic of World War II. The jeepney (and its linguistic landscape) as a cultural icon and a mode of transportation in Filipino society articulates the various experiences of Filipino commuters and illustrates how commuting reflects the multiple ways our lives are interconnected. Adapting Coupland and Garret’s (2010) discursive frames to thematically categorize the jeepney’s linguistic landscapes, my data reveals the following significant frames reflecting the Filipino worldview: (1.) the Christian religious influence that dominates the jeepney’s linguistic landscapes; (2.) a strong and prevailing influence of American Colonial experience as evidenced in the preference for English as the language in the linguistic landscapes; (3.) a personal attachment of the jeepney owners and drivers to the jeepney itself, extending their personal lives and identity on the linguistic landscape; (4.) the assertion of a collective or ethnic identity that shows through the use of local language to convey cultural nuances; (5.) a strong humorous streak in the witty combination of linguistic and semiotic elements; and (6.) a machismo frame demonstrating a prevailing influence of patriarchy. These discursive frames provide insights into the cultural and historical factors that shape the jeepney’s linguistic landscapes.