Sukli

Sukli (sook-LEE) - Davao City, Philippines 2020
Premium 260gsm Photo Paper Luster Finish - 20"x28"


The tagalog word for "change" or the money returned to you after making a purchase. This photo of a jeepney driver holding cash, while driving, was taken in the southern region of Davao, Philippines, through the window of a moving taxi.

A 'Jeepney' is the most popular and iconic form of transportation in the Philippines—made from old U.S Military Jeeps from WW2. With a top-to-bottom chrome body, custom graphics, names, accessories and wide-open side and rear doorless entry: a jeepney is hard to miss, and what intrigued me was how the drivers place cash interlocked in the gaps between their fingers while they're driving—always ready. It looks like they have a lot of money, but in reality, it's probably less than $10 CAD—which is what they might make in a long day's work.

It's January 2020, I'd been in the Philippines for less than a week and I just arrived in Davao with my parents and extended family; we're probably on our way to the wet market. I had my camera in my hand and seated by the back window, clicking away.

Everything is so fast-paced in the city. And driving looks like absolute chaos when you compare it to the West.

Jeepney drivers are doing so many things at the same time:
-They're looking for possible passengers on the side of the road
-Then pulling over and waiting long enough for them to safely get in
-Keeping track of everyone who comes in
-Driving with their left hand and using their right hand to grab money from passengers
-Then making change from the money in their left hand and also looking for coins on the dashboard
-They're listening for people to request a stop

ALL OF THIS, while driving in the wild streets of a Philippine metropolis and without crashing into other cars or jeepneys—it's organized chaos.

I'd been wanting to take a nice shot of a jeepney driver for a few days.