Page updated: 04/17/2009
 


Philippines Bus

Bus Types

For long distance land transportation in the Philippines you will have to use the bus (eg. from Manila to Banaue or Caticlan to Iloilo). There are basically 3 types of buses:
- the new air conditionned official buses with TV
- the older non-aircon official buses
- private buses

The largest bus company in the Philippines is CERES with their CERES Liners. Most of them are painted in bright yellow or yellow and white. On Mindanao we found some older CERES buses in red.

Most comfortable are the new aircon buses. For very long distances, up to 10 hours and more, in the night, they are really the best choice. Put earplugs in your ears and you may even expect to sleep some hours. During the day we do not like them because everybody closes the curtains and you miss the beautiful landscape. Do not forget to have some warm clothes with you, otherwise you get freezed and catch an ugly cold. ( I just caught one on the 2 hours trip from Balingoan to Cagayan de Oro).

The older CERES Liners are amazing. The seats are narrower than in the aircon buses. The windows are usually open to get a bit of fresh air (and dust and smoke). But yes, you will take these ones if you are a smoker. Their engines sometimes stall and their tires get sometimes flat. If the bus should break down during your journey, you are refunded. You get back the exact amount due between the place of breakdown and your destination. You simply have to wait for the next bus. good luck.

The last category are private owned buses. They are much smaller and older than the CERES Liners, but carry the same number of passengers. This is a transportation solution for shorter distances or when there is no large bus available. They are somehow a mix between bus and jeepney. They also are decorated with religious motives and often display a prayer.

Bus Fares

Bus fares are very modest. Currently the fare is about 1km = PHP 1.00
The fare and distance are punched into your bus ticket.

Bus Timetables

All buses run on well defined routes. Buses with no special sign do stop in all major municipalities and often in some barangays. Buses with the sign "direct" or "express" do only stop in towns. We know, there are timetables, but we are afraid, we cannot publish them on this website. They are not available in electronic format and they change very, very often. Ask local people or go to the nearest bus terminal to get the needed information.

Bus Terminals

Buses usually do not go to the city-centers. They stop at peripheral bus terminals. Small cities as Baccolod or Iloilo have only one terminal. Big cities like Manila or Cebu-City do have several terminals. Each of them deserves a particular region. There is no problem to find the right terminal. Tell the taxi driver or the tricycle driver where you want to go and he drives you to the corresponding bus terminal.

Bus Security

The large buses drive as hell (80 kph and more). Everybody knows them (except the tourists). Buses do have absolute priority! During the wet season in northern Luzon, the Cordillera, a bus might get off the slippery mud road. When this happens on a mountain road, it is often fatal.

 

 






A Ceres Liner between Kalibo and Iloilo
A modern, air conditioned CERES Liner.

Engine failure on an older CERES Liner on Negros Island
Engine failure on an older CERES Liner on Negros Island.

Problem, what problem?
Enlarged from above: Neither driver nor controller seem to have a problem.

Private bus
Inside a private bus between Cagayan de Oro and Balingoan (Mindanao).
God did bless our trip!

 

Philippines Islands Bus Companies

 
Vallacar Transit Corporation, the country's most important bus company but it is also the most secretive one. Vallacar Transit Corporation owns or controls the following bus companies: Vallacar Transit, Inc, Ceres Liner, Bachelor Express and Rural Transit. It seems to be impossible to find any official information about Vallacar and their subsidiaries. There are no phone numbers, no e-mail addresses and no websites.
This family owned company from Bacolod City is owned by the Yanson family. The father Ricardo B. Yanson, Sr. is President and his son Ricardo B. Yanson, Jr., is CEO.
This business has grown from a lone 14-seater jeepney plying a single route, to a conglomerate of transportation companies with a combined number of operating units of a little over 2000 transport vehicles as of January 2008,
operating in nearly 80 percent of the bus routes in the Visayas and Mindanao regions as well as some part of Luzon in the Philippines.
The company pioneered inter-modal services between Negros and Cebu, Mindanao and Leyte, and Panay and Luzon. It also pioneered inter-modal transport services utilizing the Strong Republic Nautical Highway from Cubao in Quezon City to Zamboanga City.
   
 
Company Address Phone Destinations
Aladdin Transit Corporation 1310 Espana Cnr. Galicia Streets, Sampaloc, Manila + 63 2 743 8523
+ 63 2 781 9168
Cagayan Valley in Region in the extreme north of Luzon
Autobus Transport Systems Inc. Dimasalang Street Cnr. Laong Laan Street, Sampaloc, Manila + 63 2 735 8098 Baguio, Laoag, Cagayan Valley, Dagupan, Ifugao, Kalinga & Isabela provinces
Baliwag Transit Inc. 199 Rizal Avenue Extension, Cnr 2nd Avenue, Caloocan City, Manila + 63 2 364 0860
+ 63 2 363 4478
+ 63 2 363 4431
+ 63 2 364 0778
+ 63 2 365 7886
Baliwag, Cababatuan in Nueva Ecija Province, San Jose del Monte in Bulacan Province
Baliwag Transit Inc. 33 Edsa, Cubao, Quezon City + 63 2 912 3343
+ 63 2 912 3349
+ 63 2 912 3361
Baliwag, San Jose del Monte in Bulacan Province and Aparri and Tuguegarao in Cagayan
BLTB – Batangas Laguna Tayabas Bus Company Edsa Pasay City + 63 2 833 5508
+ 63 2 833 5501
+ 63 2 913 1525
Calamba in Laguna province, Nasugbu in Batangas province, Lucena in Quezon province, Legaspi in Albay province, Naga in Camarines Sur province and Sorsogon province. BLTB will also travel into, Leyte & Samar
Dagupan Bus Lines New York Street, Cubao, Quezon City, Manila + 63 2 727 2330
+ 63 2 929 6123
+ 63 2 928 5639
+ 63 2 727 2330
+ 63 2 727 2287
Dagupan, Alaminos, Lingayen in Pangasinan province and further north to Baguio City and Benguet province
Dangwa Tranco Company Inc. 1600 Dimasalang Street, Sampaloc, Manila + 63 2 731 2879
+ 63 2 410 1991
Benguet province and Ifugao province
Dominion Transit New York Street, Cubao, Quezon City + 63 2 741 4146
+ 63 2 731 4180
Provinces of Abra, La Union and Ilocos Sur on the north west coast of Luzon
Farinas Transit Company Laong Laan cnr and M dela Fuente Streets, Sampaloc, Manila + 63 2 731 4507
+ 63 2 731 4375
+ 63 2 743 8580
City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur province and the city of Laoag in Ilocos Norte
Five Star Bus Company Aurora Boulevard, Pasay City, Manila + 63 2 833 8339
+ 63 2 833 3009
Dagupan and Bolinao in Pangasinan province, Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija province
Franco Frederico Lines Sampaloc Manila + 63 2 731 4473
+ 63 2 731 2584
The provinces of Ilocos Sur & Ilocos Norte
Inland Trailways Incorporated Edsa, Pasay City, Manila + 63 2 833 6280 The city of Legaspi in Albay province, Lucena City in Quezon province, Naga City in Camarines Sur province and Sorsogon province
JAM Transit Taft Avenue, Pasay City, Manila
and
New York Street, Cubao, Quezon City
+ 63 2 541 4409
+ 63 2 924 7712
+ 63 2 831 4390
Batangas, Quezon and Laguna provinces
JB Line Bicol Express Aurora Boulevard, Pasay City + 63 2 833 2949 The city of Legaspi in Albay province, Lucena City in Quezon province and Naga City in Camarines Sur province
Maria de Leon Transit 1449 Corner Gelinos and Dapitan Streets
Sampaloc, Manila
+ 63 2 731 4907 City of San Fernando in La Union province, Vigan City in Ilocos Sur province and Laoag City in Ilocos Norte province
Partas Transportation Company Inc 816 Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City + 63 2 725 7303
+ 63 2 724 9820
City of Baguio, Benguet province, Bangued in Abra province, Laoag City in Ilocos Norte province, San Fernando in La Union Province and the city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur province
Philippine Rabbit Business Lines Inc. Edsa, Quezon City + 63 2 734 9836
+ 63 2 734 9838
The city of Bangued in Abra province, Laoag City in Ilocos Norte province, City of San Fernando in La Union Province, Tarlac province and Vigan City in Ilocos Sur province
Philtranco Service Enterprises Inc. Edsa, Pasay City + 63 2 832 2456
+ 63 2 833 1369
+ 63 2 833 5061
South to Daet in Camarines Norte province, Legaspi City in Albay province, Lucena in Quezon province, Naga in Camarines Sur province and Sorsogon province.
RoRo:
Also travels via ferry across to Samar Island and through Leyte and onto Davao City on Mindanao Island. RoRo services also on Panay Island
Tritran Transit Inc. Edsa, Quezon City, Manila + 63 2 925 1758
+ 63 2 925 1759
Batangas and Quezon provinces
Vallacar Transit Inc.
- Ceres Liner
- Rural Transit
- Bachelor Express

Ceres Compound, Mansilingan, Bacolod, Negros

 

+ 63 2 9950192
+ 63 9 177711334
- Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Dipolog, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Iligan
- Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Sultan Kudarat, Davao
- Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, Davao
- Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Mati, Surigao, Agusan, Tacloban, Dipolog, Bacolod, Iloilo, Manila
- Tacloban, Samar, Leyte
- Bacolod, Cebu, Negros, Panay, Manila
- Cebu, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Iloilo, Manila
- Iloilo, Negros, Cebu, Manila
- Pagadian, Cagayan, Ozamiz, Ipil, Zamboanga
- Dipolog, Zamboanga, Pagadian, Ozamiz, Ipil
Victory Liner Inc. Edsa, Pasay City, Manila
and
713 Rizal Avenue Extension, Caloocan City
+ 63 2 833 0293
+ 63 2 833 5019
+ 63 2 361 4665
+ 63 2 361 1506
+ 63 2 361 1510
Olongapo and Iba Cities in Zambales province, Tarlac province, San Fernando in La Union province, Baguio City, Benguet province, Alaminos, Bolinao and Dagupan cities in Pangasinan province and Tuguegarao and Aparri towns in Cagayan province
Viron Transportation Company Inc Corner 1209 Blumentritt and Dapitan Streets, Sampaloc, Manila + 63 2 741 6588 The city of Tarlac, Dagupan City in Pangasinan province, San Fernando in La Union province and Vigan City in Ilocos Sur province