A kalesa (Philippine Spanish: calesa), is a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage used in the Philippines. It is commonly vividly painted and decorated. It was the primary mode of public and private transport in the Philippines during the Spanish and the American colonial period. Their use declined with the increasing use of motorized vehicles in the 20th century, until the kalesas stopped being viable in the 1980s. In modern times, they largely only survive as tourist attractions, such as in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
A kalesa (Philippine Spanish: calesa), is a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage used in the Philippines. It is commonly vividly painted and decorated. It was the primary mode of public and private transport in the Philippines during the Spanish and the American colonial period. Their use declined with the increasing use of motorized vehicles in the 20th century, until the kalesas stopped being viable in the 1980s. In modern times, they largely only survive as tourist attractions, such as in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Kalesas have other names based on the number of passengers they can seat. Small kalesas which can carry one or two passengers in front-facing seats are known as karomata or karumata. Larger kalesas which carry freight or up to six or more passengers in side-facing seats are known as karitela or karetela (also tartanilla in Cebu). However, these terms have become interchangeable over time. Four-wheeled carriages are differentiated as karwahe.
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