Story and photos by Henry Empeño

TEN units of the iconic Philippine jeepney rumbled out of the popular Camayan Beach Resort/Ocean Adventure theme park here on August 20, heading out for hitherto parts unknown.

It was a perfect day for a tour: the sun was out after weeks of intermittent rain, and Subic was crawling with visitors anew. But the jeepney passengers here — some in military fatigues, some in corporate colors, and others in sporty beach attire — were no ordinary tourists out for a weekend ride. They were, instead, on a mission to outrace, outthink and outlast each other to earn the bragging rights for being race champions.

Welcome to the fifth edition of the Amazing Jeepney Race, an inspired spinoff of the hit reality TV game show, which put the uniquely Filipino means of mass transport into the center of the competition. Launched in March 2013 by the Philippines-New Zealand Business Council (PNZBC) in part to support its chosen charity “Operation Restore Hope”, the jeepney race has taken competitors to historical landmarks in Manila and Makati in 2013 and 2014, to a Batangas fiesta in 2015, and to a wet and wild adventure in Bulacan last year.

In Subic, however, it was a little bit of everything for the racers. With the cooperation of the SBMA Tourism Department, organizers gave them a taste of eco-adventure among forest trails, hunting among historical sites, and a fiesta of traditional Pinoy fun among theme parks.

The race pitted 10 teams of 10 persons each, with groups coming from as far as Makati and Laguna. There was a team of teachers from the International School in Manila, a family team with grade-school kids, and, of course, a team composed of office staff from the Embassy of New Zealand.

The competing teams were assigned one jeepney each, which they dressed up in team colors and decors. Two jeepneys wore camouflage twigs, some donned balloons and paper masks and flowers, and at least one sported toy guns on its visor.

Getting Fired Up

The Amazing Jeepney Race kicked-off early in the morning at the Camayan Beach Resort where, after last-minute briefing by organizers, some members of the indigenous Ayta tribe taught competitors the serious survival skill of fire-making and the raucous steps of the native courtship dance.

A deep hush fell among the racers as they watched a native jungle-survival expert coached fire from nothing but bamboo sticks and shavings. But they soon erupted into wild cheering as they followed the monkey-dance steps from Ayta instructors.

With the dancing done, the teams were on for the first challenge: fire-making!  Each team was given a set of bamboo splints, one with a notch where the other bamboo stick fitted. Rubbing these together, as the jungle expert demonstrated earlier, was supposed to create a spark that would in turn set the bamboo shavings below on fire. But no one among the teams successfully created fire within the time limit, so off they went to the next challenge.

From Camayan, the racers rushed on foot to the Ocean Adventure marine park next door, where they had to look for the park mascot and get a key that will take them to the next pit stop.

Race Fast!

Now aboard their dressed-up jeepneys, the racers had to go to the Pamulaklakin Forest Reserve, a good thirty-minute drive from Camayan Beach. Once on their vehicles, the racers, most of whom were first-time navigators in the forested areas of Subic, had to rely on the good sense of direction of the drivers. As it would turn out, precious minutes could be lost in wrong turns and missed side streets — or even from a misreading of the map provided at the start of the race.

At Pamulaklakin, the racers used the key they got from Ocean Adventure to unlock the appropriate suitcase (there were ten suitcases, and you had to simply guess which key fitted) containing the next clue.

The third clue directed the racers to the Volunteers Shrine, which contained the names of some 8,000 volunteers who secured Subic Bay from looting and damages after the US Navy left in 1992. Here the participants had to find eight names of volunteers under time pressure, stencil the names on paper and submit the same to the Amazing Jeepney Race staff for their next clue.

Subic Landmarks

The next challenge took the teams to the flagstaff in front of Building 229, the head office of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Here they were asked to look for flag stations, given a set of art materials and asked to create a miniature Philippine flag. They then submit the completed flag to the race staff, who checked if the design was accurate, and posed with it for a photo before receiving the next clue.

From there, racers moved on to the next challenge that asked them to go to Hell Ship Memorial. But because they were on a one-way street, the teams who immediately boarded their jeepneys had to go around the block only to realize they had come back right next to where they left off. Those with the presence of mind to check the map first simply walked the few steps to the next challenge.

The Hell Ship Memorial paid tribute to 270 prisoners of war aboard the Japanese cargo ship Oryoku Maru, which was bombed and sunk in Subic Bay on Dec. 15, 1944. Here, two members from each team must look for the plates honoring the allied countries in World War II, take pictures of the ones for Philippines and New Zealand, and show the photos to the race staff for the next clue.

Forest Attractions

From the hunt among memorials at Subic’s central business district, the Amazing Jeepney Race went to Tree Top Adventure at the Cubi area. Known for its cable rides, Tree Top Adventure provided the next challenge where two members of the team were asked to either “fly” or “surf”—a choice that only spells the difference between being in a prone or upright position in riding the zipline.

This done, the racers found themselves at another Subic theme park, the Funtastic Park, where they were challenged to find their way out of a maze by answering questions posted along the way. Wrong answers led racers to dead ends, while correct ones brought them out to the exit where one team member must complete another challenge: ride the grass slide down to where an event staff would issue the next clue in the race.

Beach Fun

From the maze, the teams went back to Camayan Beach where more challenges awaited: “Barya sa Palanggana” and a mini-triathlon with a twist. In the first task, team members must uncover ten coins from a basin full of flour by just blowing (or licking or sucking) off the white powder. The coins, too, must be transferred from the basin to the table without the players using their hands.

Next, the competing teams must finish a mini-race in three stages. The “swim” leg of the mini- triathlon required them to form a line to reach the clue tied to a rope hanging over the water. Then, instead of the “bike” leg, the teams had to complete a sack relay race, with four members of a team hopping inside one huge sack. The “run” part of the contest called for all team members to crawl on the beach under a net set just a foot above the ground.

Amazing Winners

Just before 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon, the last team straggled back into Camayan Beach where the awarding will be held. Most of the teams arrived just after noontime, but this one group reported having engine trouble, thus causing their delay.

All told, the fastest team award went to Converga, an outsourcing solutions firm based in Makati. However, in terms of overall points gained in the race, the first place went to Team New Zealand. Second place went to Team Yellow Submarine, the group of International School teachers from the United States and United Kingdom; while third place was won by Team Junglist Massive.

Meanwhile, the best in jeepney design went to Team Raco, a group of international trade consultants in Makati; while best in costume award went to Team Yellow Submarine. Special prizes comprising of round-trip tickets from Hong Kong to Auckland, New Zealand were also given away to Matthew Dewitt of Team New Zealand, Helen Dela Cruz of Team Converga, and Maria Nenita Jarlego of Team Raco.