Sarao Jeepney Factory

The Sarao Motors factory in Las Piñas is the most famous producer of the classic Filipino jeepney, the chrome-and-chromatic public transport vehicle that has been a symbol of the Philippines for over 70 years. Visitors can tour the factory floor and see jeepneys in various stages of construction — the handbuilt process involves bodywork fabrication, painting in bright colours and decorative motifs, and installation of the mechanical components.

The factory also functions as a showroom, with completed jeepneys on display that can be examined and photographed. Tours are informal and can usually be arranged by arriving during business hours on weekdays. The jeepney industry faces pressure from the Philippine government's modernisation programme, which is phasing out older vehicles in favour of Euro 4-compliant engines — making a visit to Sarao increasingly poignant as a record of traditional craft manufacturing.

things to do sight
A story
Sarao Motors was founded in 1953 by Leonardo Sarao and became the dominant manufacturer of the jeepney — the elongated, chrome-decorated, vibrantly painted jeeps that evolved from the American military Jeeps left in the Philippines after World War II. At its peak in the 1970s and 1980s, Sarao was producing hundreds of jeepneys per year and its vehicles had become synonymous with Filipino identity. The rise of the modern PUV (Public Utility Vehicle) modernisation programme has since displaced the classic jeepney from many Metro Manila routes, making the Sarao factory a document of a transitional moment in Philippine culture.