MANILA - Move over, jeepneys. There's a new king of the road on the flooded streets of Pasig City.

More than a week after tropical storm Ondoy (international codename Ketsana) dumped record amounts of rainfall in Metro Manila, light vehicles and the ubiquitous jeepney have yet to make a comeback in Pasig City where floods remain knee-deep or even shin-deep.

Instead, the lowly pedicab and makeshift boats have become the new mode of transportation for many residents here.

Using good old-fashioned ingenuity, some residents lashed together air mattresses to ferry themselves through the floods. Others used empty plastic water containers and car parts as floating devices.

Since this is the only mode of transportation in Pasig right now, a ride on these makeshift boats could cost an arm and a leg.

In an interview, Aling Virginia Timbol said she has been forced to raise prices in her small sari-sari store to cover for the P80-P100 ($1.71-$2.14) cost per boat ride when getting fresh supplies.

Jayrante Mahusay, who uses a pedicab to ferry his passengers, said he has yet to hear a complaint from his passengers. "They understand our situation because this is the only way we can make a living right now," he said.

Traditional modes of transport such as tricycles can also be seen in Pasig but without their engines.

At the Pasig City Jail, officials were forced to cram 859 inmates in the upper floor cells after waist-deep floodwaters inundated the first floor of the 1,920-square-meter facility. Jail warden Hilbert Flor said the flood has worsened congestion in the jail, which was originally planned to hold only 200 inmates.

"We've had to sacrifice because the water is really high. At least the inmates aren't wet," he told ABS-CBN.

To cope with the flood, Flor said he and other jail officials are now busy making their own rafts and stilts. He said it will take some time before they can use the facility's two prison vans and his own car, which were submerged during the flood.

Pasig residents say the flood could stay for another month and a half, but that does not mean that their lives should remain at a standstill. After all, Pinoy creativity and ingenuity is slowly floating to the top in this time of crisis. Atom Araullo, ABS-CBN News