It's embarrassing how little I knew about the rules of driving before I enrolled as a student of…read moreHonda Safety Driving Center (HSDC). I used to think there was nothing to driving--you just zigzag your way across the street, try to out-honk the cars cutting in front of you, and do everything in your power to get to the other side, all the while preventing near-death accidents with lurking motorcycles. But in the Philippines, a country that once placed as the world's 3rd worst city for drivers, proper driving is a skill that can spell the difference between life and death. This is where HSDC comes in, saving my life more times than I can count. The driving track inside HSDC is designed to simulate real life road situations so that you can apply your knowledge of signs and safety regulations within a controlled environment. With smooth roads and polished curbs, HSDC even has their own mini station inside the center where Honda training vehicles and motorcycles can pump gas. How legit is that! Each session tackles a different subject. By the end of your sessions you will have conquered slopes, hills, pesky intersections, tight spaces that specifically require you to parallel park, and even a path hosed with water to train you how to brake without skidding. After you graduate from being a student driver, HSDC gives you a certificate and a driver's manual that you can consult anytime when you need to be reminded of the rules. I'm going to be honest. All of this can be very tedious when you're learning how to drive for the first time. But to this day, I'm eternally grateful to HSDC for showing me how to park smoothly without looking over my shoulder, for correcting my hasty braking, and for teaching me that even if everybody around me have no idea how to follow protocol, I can at least ensure MY own safety and that of the passengers in my car by being an alert and responsible driver.

Let me tell you an embarrassing secret. I learned how to drive a car late in life. I've always been…read morescared of the way people drive in Metro Manila. For a time, my wife and I relied on a family driver, but the cost of hiring one had increasingly become burdensome. I needed all the courage I could muster to finally learn how to drive on my own. My first step was to enroll in a 5-hour automatic vehicle driving class at A-1 Driving School. This package included almost eight hours of classroom instruction on driving orientation and road safety. It cost me around PHP 7,000.00. I chose their branch in SM Mall of Asia because I thought, at that time, the complex could provide a big area for practice driving. On the first half day, students learned the basics of defensive driving. What I really appreciated about the lectures was the fact that the instructor was a former drag racer who finally wanted to do right by imparting valuable lessons about road safety. He was an automotive mechanic by trade and he was very generous on giving important tips and concepts about the inner workings of vehicles. I had my actual driving with another instructor the following afternoon. A new Toyota Innova was assigned to me. Without a fuss, my instructor told me to drive to Manila, then to Makati, and finally to their company headquarters in Mandaluyong where parking and backing techniques were taught. It was already nighttime when we got back to SM MOA. The following day, I attended the final hours of classroom lectures. A certificate of completion was also given to each student who finished the course. I also availed of A-1's books on defensive driving. Up to this day, I still use the road lessons I learned from this driving school.

Was still 16 at that time and I had just received my learner's permit from the LTO. I knew how to…read moreturn on a car's engine and I knew how to release the parking brake. Aside from that, I had no other driving experience. I tried to learn with our car but I was afraid that I didn't have enough experience and knowledge to drive it and I might get into an accident. That's when my mom told me to enroll myself into a driving school, maybe just for a few days; just so I get the hang of it. The people at their office was very friendly. Their prices were also okay, given that it was a driving school. I first had to attend a pre-driving orientation. It was okay, the room was air-conditioned and the speaker was somehow entertaining. The lessons were great. The instructor really knew about teaching people how to drive. And for added safety, he had his own brake in the passenger's seat. He guided me through every corner and every turn. He taught me the basics like parking, u-turns, reversing, turning, driving in highways and all the other things you'd need to know before driving. After about three or four sessions, I was already a confident driver. I still had to wait for a few months thought but the lessons really helped.

I first tried to learn how to drive using our own car at home with my mother. And if you've ever…read moreexperienced learning how to drive with any family member teaching you at the passenger's side you're in for quite the struggle. The screaming approach and giving of directions with curse words attached to it isn't the ideal driving experience I hoped for. And finally my mom realized it wasn't the best idea either and finally enrolled me at SMART Driving. The lessons here are great because they provide both practical and theoretical lessons. SMART Driving provides an orientation, lecture, and the main driving lesson. The instructors at SMART are super nice and friendly, making everything feel very casual and will not have you panicking the entire lesson. They also assure safety because the instructors have a brake available in their side of the car so if you panic they've got your back.

After her first few years living in the US, my mom took a vacation here and stayed in my apartment…read more She told me that she realized she couldn't go around Palmdale at her own as she was a sucky driver. She decided to take refresher courses at the nearest and cheapest driving school we could find, so we ended up in Smart Driving School in Philcoa. PROS: The attendant was one of the most pleasant customer service providers I've ever met. She may just be the lone member of the staff in their office but she was extremely helpful, bright, and cheerful. She answers our questions concisely and clearly, and we left the office feeling well-informed and ready for driving school; For around P5,000, they would provide you with five hours of driving lessons and license assistance (they have a kiosk in LTO). CONS: Their office on the second floor of Philcoa's Citimall is a bit difficult to find. Citimall itself has dark corridors and a lot of empty stalls that are a bit creepy; Their office isn't really air conditioned but the fan provides enough cooling. TL;DR: There are a lot of more high-end driving schools around the metro, but if you're just looking for a refresher course or a quick way to get a driver's license, you can opt for Smart Driving School.

Learning how to drive is one of the best forms of freedom any individual can experience in their…read morelifetime, next of course is living on your own. I've been driving close to around 15 years now and I still remember the first time I went behind the wheel. Initially my parents only taught me how to back up the car in the garage until they officially enrolled me to a driving school. There were only a handful of driving schools around and the best one was A-1 Driving School. They had a branch close to my house so my mom enrolled me in their 5 day 2 hour driving session. I remember always being absent so I had to finish the course in 2 weeks. The coach was very helpful and taught me the basics of driving but later on I found my groove on my own. I'm glad that I was able to learn how to drive at a young age and that A-1 was my driving school.

At the moment, I understand that there are driving companies left and right that are competing for…read morethe attention of potential customers but seeing as this is the company that taught ME how to drive, I have no qualms about vouching for them. 100 percent. A-1 was very helpful and professional in seeing me through the process of driving lessons from start to end. They even got a TIN number for me as it is a requirement for obtaining a driver's license. Their drivers were always very professional and courteous towards me. I've never been in a car accident whilst driving. In part I credit A-1 for that!