Last Updated:
11/10/98 08:17:29 AM
(MANILA TIME)
TRAVEL1
[Air] [Land] [Sea] [Travel Agencies]Transportation information
Schedule of air, land and sea transports within and out of the region changes frequently. As such, it is better to check beforehand departure and arrival time schedules from the respective points of departure/destination. Presented here are some useful facts to do just that.Air travel
Note that since the restart of PAL flights to Tacloban on the second week of October, Manila-Tacloban-Manila flights have been daily with frequency ranging from 2 to 4 depending on the day. For flight information on the Philippines, please visit the links section.Take note that is is fairly normal for planes to be late by as much as one to two hours here. Some services even cancel flights without prior notification (and after you have checked in at that!) Do check with the plane ticket offices regularly.
Plane ticket offices (Tacloban-based):
AIRLINE ADDRESS CONTACT NO. Philippine Airlines (PAL) San Jose, Tacloban City (63)(53)321-2212/3 • 325-7832 Cebu Pacific Air Sen. Enage Street, Tacloban City (63)(53)325-7746 to 49 Grand Air 195 P. Burgos Street, Tacloban City ((63)(53)325-7660 TO 61 Land Transportation (Inter-provincial jeeps and buses)
Despite being a geographically fragmeted region, land travel is the most popular form of transportation among Leyteños and Samareños. The following are the routes regularly plied by public transport from the Tacloban City bus terminal to different points in the region. These are the more established routes with frequency ranging from daily to one trip every 30 minutes. Again, the visitor is advised to check schedules beforehand.Fares quoted here were prevailing at the start of the year. Because of the volatility of the peso vis-a-vis the dollar since the Asian economic crisis, the fare is expected to have increased by as much as 25 percent in some routes. Notice that the estimated time of travel does not only consider actual distance but also road conditions such that some points nearer to each other actually might take longer to traverse than two points farther from each other.
DESTINATION DISTANCE (kms) TRAVEL TIME FARE (P) Basey, Samar 26 45 min 7.00 Sta. Rita, Samar 49 55 min 17.00 Pinabacdao, Samar 59 1 hour 24.00 Calbiga, Samar 62 1 hour 15 min 27.25 Hinabangan, Samar 70 1 hour 30 min 32.00 Paranas (Wright), Samar 82 1 hour 40 min 37.75 Motiong, Samar 87 1 hour 50 min 39.50 Jiabong, Samar 95 1 hour 55 min 40.00 Catbalogan, Samar 106 2 hours 43.25 San Jorge, Samar 139 2 hours 30 min 48.00 Gandara, Samar 145 2 hours 40 min 62.00 Sta. Margarita, Samar 168 2 hours 50 min 75.00 Calbayog City, Samar 176 3 hours 79.00 Bagacay, Eastern Samar 115 2 hours 40 min 45.00 Taft, E. Samar 120 3 hours 20 min 63.00 Sulat, E. Samar 160 3 hours 30 min 67.00 Borongan, E. Samar 219 4 hours 30 min 80.00 Maydolong, E. Samar 223 4 hours 45 min 81.00 Balangkayan, E. Samar 227 4 hours, 55 min 82.00 Llorente, E. Samar 235 5 hours 25 min 85.00 Hernani, E. Samar 251 5 hours 25 min 86.00 Gen. MacArthur, E. Samar 266 5 hours 35 min 90.00 Salcedo, E. Samar 290 5 hours 45 min 100.00 Mercedes, E. Samar 298 5 hours 55 min 125.00 Guiuan, E. Samar 323 6 hours 135.00 Dolores, E. Samar 163 3 hours 40 min 75.00 Oras, E. Samar 179 3 hours 50 min 80.00 San Isidro, Northern Samar 232 4 hours 45.00 Victoria, N. Samar 239 4 hours 30 min 47.00 Allen, N. Samar 247 5 huors 111.50 Lavezares, N. Samar 248 5 hours 40 min 115.5 Rosario, N. Samar 249 6 hours 45 min 121.50 San Jose, N. Samar 250 6 hours 50 min 123.00 Bobon, N. Samar 251 6 hours 55 min 128.75 Catarman, N. Samar 252 7 hours 132.50 Mondragon, N. Samar 266 7 hours 40 min 139.25 San Roque, N. Samar 282 7 hours 50 min 146.00 Pambujan, N. Samar 292 8 hours 149.25 Rawis, N. Samar 295 8 hours 30 min 153.25 Laoang, N. Samar 304 9 hours 158.25 Silago, Southern Leyte 224 6 hours 95.00 Hinunangan, S. Leyte 204 5 hours 85.00 San Juan (Cabalian), S. Leyte 172 4 hours 70.00 Anahawan, S. Leyte 184 4 hours 30 min 75.00 St. Bernard (Himatagon), S. Leyte 168 3 hours 75.00 Libagon, S. Leyte 134 2 hours 30 min 72.00 San Francisco, S. Leyte 169 4 hours 15 min 80.00 Pintuyan, S. Leyte 189 6 hours 77.00 Liloan, S. Leyte 157 3 hours 30 min 73.00 Sogod, S. Leyte 124 2 hours 55.00 Bontoc, S. Leyte 153 2 hours 5 min 58.00 Tomas Oppus, S. Leyte 156 2 hours 20 min 60.00 Malitbog, S. Leyte 159 2 hours 30 min 65.00 Padre Burgos, S. Leyte 162 2 hours 45 min 78.00 Macrohon, S. Leyte 173 3 hours 30 min 80.00 Maasin, Southern Leyte 185 4 hours 85.00 Biliran, Biliran (via Naval) 102 2 hours 20 min 50.00 Naval, Biliran 122 3 hours 65.00 Almeria, Biliran (via Naval) 129 3 hours 30 min 70.00 Kawayan, Biliran (via Naval) 138 4 hours 75.00 Bool, Culaba, Biliran (via Naval) 159 4 hours 30 min 77.00 Biliran, Biliran (via Caibiran) 102 2 hours 20 min 50.00 Cabucgayan, Biliran (via Caibiran) 117 3 hours 55.00 Caibiran, Biliran 134 3 hours 40 min 60.00 Culaba, Biliran (via Caibiran) 152 4 hours 70.00 Government Center, Tacloban City 8 15 min 4.00 Palo, Leyte 8 20 min 5.00 Sta. Fe, Leyte 20 40 min 8.00 Alang-alang, Leyte 31 45 min 10.00 Jaro, Leyte 37 50 min 12.00 Tunga, Leyte 45 55 min 15.00 Carigara, Leyte 53 1 hour 25.00 Barugo, Leyte 52 1 hour 30 min 25.00 Capoocan, Leyte 60 1 hour 10 min 30.00 Limon, Leyte 60 1 hour 10 min 30.00 Kananga, Leyte 86 1 hour 40 min 40.00 Ormoc City 108 2 hours 60.00 Palompon, Leyte 124 2 hours 45 min 65.00 Villaba, Leyte 147 3 hours 70.00 Leyte, Leyte 90 1 hour 45 min 40.00 Calubian, Leyte 110 3 hours 61.00 San Isidro, Leyte 111 3 hours 60.00 Tanauan, Leyte 10 25 min 7.00 Tolosa, Leyte 24 30 min 8.00 Dulag, Leyte 30 35 min 10.00 Mayorga, Leyte 43 40 min 11.00 La Paz, Leyte 49 55 min 12.00 MacArthur, Leyte 51 50 min 11.00 Javier, Leyte 58 1 hour 20 min 12.00 Abuyog, Leyte 63 1 hour 5 min 15.00 Julita, Leyte 42 45 min 11.00 Burauen, Leyte 50 1 hour 10.00 Tabon-tabon, Leyte 27 35 min 8.00 Dagami, Leyte 29 40 min 8.00 Pastrana, Leyte 28 1 hour 8.00 Mahaplag, Leyte 83 1 hour 40 min 12.00 Baybay, Leyte 108 2 hours 60.00 Inopacan, Leyte 130 2 hours 30 min 65.00 Hindang, Leyte 157 2 hours 55 min 75.00 Bato, Leyte 159 3 hours 30 min 80.00 Matalom, Leyte 159 3 hours 30 min 80.00 Sea Travel
It would be painfully tedious to update the ever-changing schedules of inter-island ferries plying the ever-changing routes in and out of the region (the compensation for doing so must be attractive enough, don't you think?). It is perhaps most suitable (and the only choice expediency permits) to just highlight some of the more salient facts about sea travel in the region. Here are some of them:
- The more regular sea routes to Cebu and Manila are frequent and more or less well-established. Perhaps the most frequency of boat trips out of the region is that going to Cebu City. Major ports used by Cebu-bound ferries are Ormoc City (the most popular and most convenient), Baybay (Leyte), Maasin (S. Leyte) and Tacloban City. There are also boats coming from Sogod (S. Leyte), San Juan (S. Leyte), Catbalogan (Samar - infrequent), Naval (Biliran) and Bato (S. Leyte) although the frequency is lesser and the schedules unreliable.
- For sea trips to other points of the region from Tacloban City, the choices are very limited. The Guiuan (E. Samar) - Tacloban route is serviced regularly by at least one vessel daily. Although there may be some other vessels plying sea routes of points within the region. the author has not yet been aware of any other. Leyteños and Samareños generally prefer land transport over sea vessels.
- Of course one can rent a motorized banca (don't know what a banca is? go to the links section for a briefing on the Philippines) to hop from one coast to the next. But this can be a pretty expensive venture (and risky too!). Chances are, if you rent one, you'll get a fishing vessel with an owner deciding that giving you a ride around is more profitable than catching fish for the day.
Travel Agencies
For jaded tourists, hiring the services of a travel agency in an area one scarcely knows is perhaps the most convenient way to go around and explore almost hassle-free. However, it may not be the best and is, of course, more expensive than choosing more informal options such as a friend's recommendation, tour brochures or even this website. The following travel agencies were operating in the city of Tacloban at the time of this publication (mid-October, 1998). However, it has been the experience here that these kind of outfits have the tendency to close shop overnight with nary an explanation. It would thus be prudent to check first.
Agency Address Contact Person Number North Star International Travel, Inc. FCC Bldg., J. Romualdez St., Tacloban City 6500 Nilo J. Balagatas (Manager) (64)(53)325-5237 • 325-5239 • 325-6236 • Fax: 325-5239 MacArthur Landing Tours and Travel 122 Lopez Jaena St., Tacloban City 6500 Elenita "Pinky" B. Cruz (Manager) (63)(53)321-5685 • 321-2539 Pisces Travel & Tours Golden Key Bldg., cor. P. Burgos & Salazar Sts, Tacloban City 6500 Raymundo S. Padilla (Manager) (63)(53)321-4774 • 321-4775 • 321-3566 Unimaster Tours and Travel Leyte Park Resort Hotel, Magsaysay Blvd., Tacloban City 6500 Wilson L. Chan (Manager) (63)(53)325-6000 • 325-5585 • 325-5586 • Fax: 325-5587 Sto. Niño Travel and Tours J. Romualdez St., Tacloban City 6500 Fidelia C. Ruiz (Manager) (63)(53)321-2645
1 The information presented here is based on data from the Department of Tourism, Regional Office VIII (Eastern Visayas). Most have been verified by the author and some have been changed to reflect the latest information.
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