Episode S8 · Ep 22 August 1, 2026 44 min 2s

INTERVIEW: What was it like to commute in Manila 100 years ago?

Just the thought of commuting around Manila is enough to set one’s teeth on edge. But do our current-day problems of congestion and overcrowding have their roots in decisions and policies made a century ago?

There’s no one better to answer this question than our podcast guest today. For more than ten years, Michael Pante, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, has been researching the history of transportation, mobility, and urbanization in the capital city. He even has a forthcoming book on the topic entitled The Immobile Metropolis: A History of Motorized Transportation in Manila. In this Interview episode, Michael and I talk all about tranvias, bancas, accesorias, carromatas, and more… as well as answer a crucial question affecting the lives of millions: Can anything be done to improve how we get around?

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Thumbnail image from the Maryknoll Mission Archives, University of Southern California, via John Tewell.

The Colonial Dept. Interview is a series where I talk to researchers and authors shining a light on our past.