The original jeepneys were built on the extended chassis of American army jeeps, but now Sarao welds its own chassis and fashions the body from galvanised steel and chrome sheets.
The only imported parts are the second-hand Japanese Isuzu diesel engines bought from Chinese traders.
Last but not least comes the decoration. Most Sarao jeepneys come with one or more zinc-alloy horses on the hood, a throwback to the Sarao family's origins as calesa, or horse cart, drivers.
The best Sarao jeepneys also feature a small forest of antennae (not connected to any radio), a few ship-sized horns (in good working order) and many, many lights.
Some FX operators have tried to jazz up their vehicles, but the boxy vans don't lend themselves well to personalization and aircon remains their main attraction.
"If the standard of living in the Philippines improves, maybe one day we can make an air-conditioned jeepney," Sarao said.
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