Metro Manila ranks third worst in Southeast Asia traffic poll

Metro Manila residents probably feel like we have the worst traffic in the world.

But the good news (I guess?) is that we’re only the THIRD worst in the region, after Bangkok and Jakarta.

According to a new study by the Boston Consulting Group, Manileños spend at least one hour and six minutes each day, or 16 full days a year in traffic. And that’s costing us money. Each person stuck in traffic, the study says, loses PHP100,000 (US$2,000) in income opportunities every year.

According to the report, three in four Filipinos have missed or been late to an event because they couldn’t find parking on time, with the most commonly missed events due to traffic are doctors’ appointments, job interviews (yikes) and weddings.

General manager of Uber Philippines, who commissioned the study, cited an Asian Development Bank report saying that traffic costs Asian economies an estimated 2 to 5 percent of gross domestic product each year due to lost time and higher transport costs.

According to the study, this is how long each person spends in traffic per day in some of the largest Southeast Asian and East Asian cities:

1. Bangkok: 72 minutes
2. Jakarta: 68 minutes
3. Manila: 66 minutes
4. Hanoi: 58 minutes
5. Kuala Lumpur: 53 minutes
6. Ho Chi Minh: 51 minutes
7. Hong Kong: 35 minutes
8. Singapore: 30 minutes

Congrats if you’re lucky enough to live in Singapore or Hong Kong.

The MRT system in Manila, which in principle should get people off the roads, has been under intense scrutiny lately for frequent glitches and dangerous accidents, this is in addition to the fact that the trains pack commuters like sardines at rush hour.

There are ways to beat the traffic though. Bills have been filed in congress to allow Metro Manila residents to work at home in an effort to get people off the roads. When you’re able to do that, or if your employer already allows you to work at home, here a list of co-working spaces and coffee shops in your neighborhood.

Also, here‘s an article we did last year on four useful Metro Manila traffic hacks.