A recent survey commissioned by Ford Motor Company in Asia-Pacific paints a dim picture of driving in the Philippines. Compared to our neighbors such as Vietnam, India, and Indonesia, where commuters have reported improvements to their daily commutes compared to last year, Filipinos are having it worse.

42 percent of Filipino respondents reported that their commute was worse than a year ago (the highest dissatisfaction in the 12 markets surveyed) and 3 out of 10 said it was the worst part of their day. An almost equal share, 4 out of 10, simply finds it inconvenient.

For those lamenting the declining quality of their daily commute, respondents cited the following reasons: traffic congestion (36 percent); public transportation is more crowded, uncomfortable, and inconvenient (23 percent); more expensive (12 percent); and more difficult to find a parking space (9 percent).

Filipino commuters are also lamenting the increased cost of commuting with an overwhelming 60 percent saying it has become more expensive. Broken down, respondents said that the increase in public transportation and toll fees account for 42 percent while 28 percent cited gasoline prices. Surprisingly, 16 percent of those surveyed cited lower costs compared to last year. The reason? The use of taxis, taxi-hailing apps, and car-sharing services.