 a kalesa (also caritela/karitela) is a horse drawn calash used in the philippines. it was one mode of transportation introduced to the islands in the 18th century by spanish colonisers, and was initially reserved for only nobles and high-ranking civic officials.kalesa, the 18th centuries rolls royce. philippines travel guide for the explorer in you. these are today rarely used in the streets except in the tourist areas of old cities and some rural areas. composer ambrosio del rosario composed the original music and national artist of the philippines levi celÃ©rio wrote the lyrics for a song entitled kalesa, in honour of the vehicle.kalesa - video watch, watch youtube video, download youtube video. == etymology == the word, also spelt calesa as in the original spanish, is related to the terms calÃ¨che and was already in spain prior to its colonisation of the islands. the term ultimately descends from an old church slavonic word meaning "wheels." == physical description == thumb|a kalesa in a modern-day sepia photograph. a kalesa looks like an inclined cart, and is drawn by a single horse. it has two round wheels on each side and two rows of seats that can accommodate four persons. the driver sits on a block of wood located at the front of the cart near the horse. == uses for transportation == thumb|right|calesas parked in front of vigan cathedral. when the kalesa was introduced in the 18th century, it grew into a significant mode of transportation in the islands. rich, educated filipinos known as the ilustrados used the kalesa for personal travel as well as for the transport of goods to nearby areas.kalesa. vigan city philippines - unesco world heritage city. during the american occupation, the city of manila was teeming with kalesas, but these declined in popularity after the devastation of the second world war. the kalesa driver is commonly called as kutsero (tagalised from cochero, "car driver"). when a kutsero wants the horse to turn right, he says "manoâ while he says "sillaâ to make the horse turn left.riding the philippine 'calesa' and business  ===popularity=== although the kalesa has become a rarity, century-old examples are still preserved in areas of the philippines, such as in vigan and laoag. kalesas can also be found in intramuros, where they cater to tourists and [[binondo]
Philippine_culture Tagalog_words_and_phrases Transportation_in_Manila