The Loop

Brief stop in San Carlos, Negros

At the city center of San Carlos City, Negros

san carlos map This is the 9th installment of the Luzon – Visayas – Luzon Loop series. Click the image on the right to check out the rest of the posts.

“San Carlos is not as progressive. But what I like about it is its old charm.”After three weeks vacation at my home province in Cebu, I was again on the road for the trip back to Makati. I’ve been looking forward to make this trip not only because I will finally be able to visit the provinces beyond Iloilo as well as pass by Mindoro but also to come back, albeit briefly, San Carlos City in Negros.

San Carlos City is just across Toledo in Cebu. I have very vague recollections of this former town when I passed by here over a decade ago during my trips to and from Bacolod. But what I cannot forget, when naively, at a distance during the approach of the roro what I thought were golf courses (!) were in fact sugarcane fields. Ha!

A hawker at the Cebu South Terminal

Nearing home, Ormoc at last!

Early morning at Ormoc, the jeep terminal is already alive with commuters.

ormoc map This is the 8th installment of the Luzon – Visayas – Luzon Loop series. Click the image on the right to check out the rest of the posts.

Ormoc at last! Despite not having made it to the midnight boat for Cebu, I was just glad that I finally reached this city at around 0400H from Tacloban. Its been a year since I’ve last visited this place while I was in transit to Guiuan in Eastern Samar to shoot the church there for the book. But back when I was still based in Cebu, Eastern Visayas was part of my area of responsibility and have constantly been here for work as well as leisure.

Its a small city and the domain of a few rich families who dominate local politics as well as businesses that were offshoots of the sugar industry. It was also here a little more than two decades ago when the tragic Ormoc flood happened and wiped out thousands of its inhabitants. But now, walking through the quiet streets, its a distant memory and no trace can be found of the event unless one visits the memorial near the city center.

Read More »Nearing home, Ormoc at last!

Across the National Sunka Highway

A crowded van (or vhire) from Allen in Northern Samar to Tacloban City in Leyte.

samar - leyte This is the 7th installment of the Luzon – Visayas – Luzon Loop series. Click the image on the right to check out the rest of the posts.

See the photo above? That’s me at the extreme left with only my left ear visible still taking this shot. If you noticed, thank you, the row I’m at is already full while I was given the kiddie seat just beside the sliding door of the van. It was small for my 5’10” frame. Really. To give me a semblance of comfort and spare me less of a sore butt, they had these wooden stool, around 4 inches in width propped up beside the kiddie seat that is removed whenever the door is opened as it might fall. I was seated there and used my 5 year old North Face jacket as a cushion. For 8 hours.

Now just think of how the Samar road network looks like. From San Isidro near Allen in Northern Samar to Calbiga in Western Samar, around 5 – 6 hours of countless potholes and craters, probably the worst national road system in the country. It might even be called as the National Sunka* Highway. With apologies to this once popular game.

That’s what you get when you don’t buy your tickets earlier than the usual. When you get to decide, come hell or high waters, you need to be in Ormoc City in time for the last boat bound for Cebu at 0000H that night.

The historic San Bernardino Strait

The San Bernardino Strait or better known during the Spanish colonial era as the Embocadero de San Bernardino is a narrow waterway separating the islands of Luzon and Samar.

Eons ago: worldwide waterlevels were so low that the islands of Luzon and Samar were connected by a land bridge that made it possible for species to cross and disperse both ways.

The roro in Matnog, Sorsogon

Travelers ready to board the Santa Clara roro ferry in Matnog, Sorsogon.

1300H and I was just at the nick of time that I arrived at the pier after a long journey. I was still able to catch the roro ferry in Matnog, Sorsogon bound for Allen, Samar and was thankful enough since I was spared of waiting another two hours for the next trip.

What I like about the Matnog – Allen route is that its just short: one hour and a half compared to longer roro trips (about 4 hours and more) that I had before like the Palompon (Leyte) – Danao City (Cebu), the Argao (Cebu) – Loon (Bohol) or even later, if you’re lucky to clock in at 4 hours the Caticlan (Aklan) – Roxas (Mindoro Oriental) routes. Here, you just sit, or watch the seascape or ruminate on the historic San Bernardino Strait, eat some snack and, BANG, your already at your destination!

Read More »The roro in Matnog, Sorsogon

From wet Legazpi to catching the ferry in Matnog

A lady of the cloth, taking her comfy front seat at a van terminal bound for Bulan, Sorsogon.

I was already tired and sleepless when I arrived in Daraga, Albay at around 0700H. And God, it was a rather drab morning and wet with the slow but constant drizzle. Nevertheless, I dragged myself to a waiting tricycle before catching a jeepney to Legazpi City where I had a quick breakfast.

This was not the first time that I have been in the city in this kind of weather. But when it’s like this, not seeing Mt. Mayon is depressing. I mean, come on, the only thing that a visitor expects to see here is the majestic cone. But unexpectedly, just before my ride left for Bulan in Sorsogon, the mountain beauty peeked through the clouds, faintly. Its almost indiscernible outline rising into the sky like a bride looking through her veil. For a brief few seconds I was mesmerized before she hid again. Maybe she knew my predicament and consoled me with her appearance? It was enough for me though to see her and have her image cloaked with clouds etched in my mind.

The Philtranco bus terminal in Pasay

philtranco bus terminal.jpg — The lounge area of the bus terminal filled with passengers.

theLOOP It was CHAOS as I excitedly wound my way to the lounge area of the Philtranco bus terminal in Pasay City on the evening of my trip. But what greeted me was the throng of people in various states and disposition as they were awaiting for their bus to arrive. Unfortunately, because it was 30 December and the height of the passenger season, all buses were late for as much as 2 hours.

Philtranco services southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao routes with their main terminal in Pasay City along EDSA.
Tel. No.:
+63 2 832 2456
+63 2 833 1369
+63 2 833 5061
(These are their posted numbers and I can’t always assure that they answer)
With all the things going around, I can’t help but observe:

all available seats were filled not only with people but with baggages as well
children running and playing around
leftover food like Jollibee hamburger wrappers and plastics with some soda spilled on the floor
people watching TV patiently trying to make out the sounds above the din while others were animatedly gesticulating, conversing with their companions
many were standing, at the sides, while others, seated silently clutching their bags or texting at their cellphones or impatiently checking the time
the guard doubling as bus announcer complaining to the people not to blame him for the delay but raise it with the dispatcher
various tongues: Bicol, Waray, Tagalog, Cebuano mixed with the laughter, TV, vehicle’s horns and buses’ brakes
a bored female passenger amusing herself with self portraits using her cellphone’s camera