Oftentimes locals forget about the significance of something because well certain things has always been there, unobtrusive in the background, useful but forgotten just like “KM 0” or Kilometer 0, that distance reference marker that can be found in Luneta Park, City of Manila. I wonder how many Filipino knows about “Kilometer 0” or what it means. Do you?

Sometimes it takes a visitor or a traveler to make us all aware again. Or sometimes it takes reading a blog post hehhe. (Pagpasenciahan nyo na lol)

 I have always been fascinated about these road markers that I often see on the road especially when I travel across the provinces. As a child I have also asked my elders what the unbroken white line on the road signify, I am not sure if the answer I received then was the correct one but I was told that it means that if one sees these unbroken white lines on the road, it means that the road one is traveling on is part of the national highway of the province. And if you’re lost, you just try to follow it and eventually you will arrive at the center which is usually the city proper. Whereas the broken white lines signify inner town roads.

And I have always held this knowledge as truth up to this day. If that is wrong, I’d appreciate it if someone will correct me hehhe. I like to travel but I often get lost, literally, so the reference is very handy to me lol.

The other thing that fascinates me about the road is the Philippines road markers, yes it’s those yellow markers that dots the landscape of roadsides in the country.

 I like counting the passing kilometers using these markers especially during countryside tour and travel. And I like to guess the name of the next town by the first letter I see on the road post. It keeps me from getting bored while inside the bus lol and it let me know when I am near my destination.

 So anyhow so I become obsessed with Kilometer 0 and when I finally found myself in Rizal Park, Manila City, I was grinning ear to ear when I saw KM 0.  One entry on my bucketlist – check!

The Philippines Distance Reference Point: KM 0

How to  make use of the information indicated on this reference point – Kilometer 0?

Distances in the Philippine islands are measured against KM 0. The official KM 0 is in Luneta Park, Manila but for practicality’s sake this marker is the “zero” starting point and reference for travels across the mainland Luzon Island.

And the other island provinces like Cebu has its own point zero or KM 0 and usually you can find this marker within the vicinity of the provincial capitol. If you can’t see it because for some strange reason the provincial government did not put up one, your next bet is to look for the statue of the Philippine National Hero Dr Jose Rizal in the capitol complex for KM 0 is where he is at. Yep, he is the big guy of all heroes in the Philippines and at his feet lays the reference point of distances in the islands of the country. Some friends have mentioned it is actually not Jose Rizal statue per se but where the provincial capitol’s flagpole is located. Actually it also make sense, our Philippine Flag is the nation’s symbol of freedom, so it can be the official distance reference point. But then again, usually where you can find the flag is also where you can find a statue of Dr Rizal, so which is which? Hmmm I need one who is expert in Philippine statutes, laws and government to comment and clear out this confusion hehhehe.

Anyhow, the one in Luneta is a few meters across the road from Rizal Shrine, that maybe because so people can focus more on our national hero and not on the marker. (I’m just blabbering, don’t believe me hehe).

Anyhow this distance reference marker is useful to many people, foremost to travelers. And yes our bus system uses the markers too to calculate your bus fares. That’s why your bus tickets show an array of numbers under the column “km” and the rate changes after each marker.  If you want to save and you know that you are getting off in a place just a few meters after a roadside marker, you may want to get off the bus a meter away from the marker para makatipid hehhe. And you can use the excuse of the marker to plead your case in case the konduktor wants you to pay the fare up to the next marker. Clever right? hehehe

How to read the Philippine Road Marker?

Please refer to the picture of the yellow marker below and kindly ignore the grinning idiot beside it

1. The top number indicates how far you are from the main Rizal Statue in the island province (in this case it’s against KM 0 of Cebu Province). The picture shows that marker was 10 kms away from the Cebu Provincial Capitol where the island’s main Rizal statue is located. 

2.  The single letter below it indicates the first letter of the next town or city, so “L” because the next city is Lapu – Lapu City.

3.  The number below the letter indicates the distance in kilometers to the next city proper. The marker shows “1″,     meaning that point is 1 km to the Lapu – Lapu City proper. This distance is often measured against the location of  the town hall or city hall as that is where  you can usually find the statue of the Dr Jose Rizal (again).

Mactan – Mandaue Bridge Road Marker

It’s that simple to read the yellow road post. Cool eh? ^_^

The next time you are on a road trip, look for these road markers, and know that they have a story to tell.