Duterte wants to clear the air, and the iconic Philippine jeepney could be a major casualty

Smoke-belching jeepneys are as iconic to Manila as the cable cars of San Francisco, the gondolas on Venice’s canals and the black cabs in London. The most popular public transport in the Philippines is now being targeted for the scrap heap as President Rodrigo Duterte tries to modernise the nation and clean up its air.

It’s a threat Hilario Osmena vows to fight even though his beloved jeepney - modelled around US military jeeps left over from the second world war - is peeling green and yellow paint to reveal its rusting hulk. A headlamp is kept in place by makeshift wire while worn seats sag from having ferried passengers around the presidential palace in Manila for 17 years.

For Osmena, 54, it’s the source of 600-700 pesos ($12-$14) in daily wages that help treat his cancer-stricken father, who used savings and retirement pay after years of government service to buy the automobile in 2000. But the Philippine government wants to replace scores of ageing jeepneys with environment-friendly electric vehicles that cost over 1 million pesos each. Drivers say they can’t afford the switch, and staged a nationwide strike in February, prompting schools to cancel classes and disrupting commuters.

“Jeepney drivers like us will really suffer if the government’s plan pushes through,” said Osmena. “There are so many people who will lose their jobs, and I don’t think the government will be able to give all of them alternative sources of income.”

The standoff highlights the challenge the country faces as it tries to cut emissions 70 per cent by 2030 as part of a global push to move away from fossil fuels. It’s trying to balance the need to protect the environment against the cost to the public, which views the jeepneys through nostalgia-tinged lenses as an enduring symbol. In Asia’s emerging economies, with limited government funds and lower incomes, analysts say progress from raising electric vehicle use to cutting fuel emissions could take a decade.