One of the greatest difficulties affecting visitors of Manila is covering large distances within the city. There are several public transport options in Manila, none of them ideal.
Manila jeepneys
Jeepneys are probably most frequent and most widely used means of public transport in Manila. The streets of Manila are flooded with jeepneys taking passengers to various destinations across Manila. Looking at the jeepneys and people jumping on and off virtually anywhere, the situation might seem chaotic, but there are certain rules, at least regarding jeepney routes. The routes are written somewhere on the jeepney so people know where it is going. Jeepney rides are cheap (7 pesos in March 2009) and fun, especially if you happen to meet some friendly locals. The downside is that jeepneys get stuck in traffic jams and that, sitting in a jeepney, you will breath in all the car engine fumes. You will be hot too, not to mention that some jeepneys are absolutely packed and that there is a danger of being pick-pocketed. Jeepneys are by all means the cheapest Manila public transport option, but only appropriate for slightly more adventurous travellers.
Manila taxis
If you value comfort over rock-bottom prices, do yourself a favour and take a taxi. There are plenty of taxis in Manila. You will not even need to look for one as in most of cases taxis will find you. Of course Manila taxis are more expensive than jeepneys (in March 2009, the starting fee was set at 35 pesos), but still way cheaper than in Europe. A ride in central Manila never cost us more than 180 pesos, which is about 3 €. The advantage of Manila taxis is that they are air-conditioned, so you can sit back, relax and cool yourself down while the taxi is stuck in a traffic jam. The downside of Manila taxis is that some of the drivers would not turn on the meter. In this case it is best to turn down the ride. You should not have any problems getting another taxi, except on Friday and Saturday evenings, when everyone in Manila seems to be trying to get a taxi. If you are lucky to find a free Manila taxi at that time and the driver wouldn't turn on the meter, you are better off negotiating for the price rather than trying to get another taxi.
City Rail (LRT and MRT)
Manila city rail mostly runs above busy Manila streets. It is by far the fastest means of transport in Manila – once you manage to get on board of a train. Unfortunately you need to go through a lengthy procedure before boarding.
There are security controls at the entrances to Manila city rail stations. Security staff checks every single piece of luggage. Security checks are normally fast, but there are some delays during peak hours. Once in the station, you need to buy a ticket. Lines to buy tickets can be very long. Sometimes we waited as long as 45 minutes to buy a ticket. Another downside is that you cannot buy a ticket which would be valid both on MRT and LRT trains. That means that if you are changing lines from MRT to LRT, you need to queue again to buy another ticket. This can be avoided by buying a prepaid ticket with stored value, which is valid for both lines. Make a rough calculation and decide how much value you need to put in.
Manila city rail is a good way to get around Manila. Unfortunately there are only a few lines covering very limited areas of Manila. You will still need to take taxis or jeepneys, unless you are brave enough to walk. However, walking in Manila is hard and dangerous, thus it is best avoided.