Posts

Showing posts with the label 03

My P2P Bus Ride from Clark to Quezon City

Image
If the previous topic ( Tacloban to Clark direct flight on Air Asia ) was a first for me, here is another first: My Point-to-Point (P2P) Bus Ride from Clark International Airport to Trinoma Mall at North EDSA in Quezon City. I did this just to try how it really is :) How did I prepare for this trip? Yes, nag-prepare talaga! Well, some bit of analysis had to be summoned of my lowly brain. First, did I have time? The answer was 'siguro naman'! With my flight from Tacloban expected to arrive Clark at 1010H and my event at UP Diliman scheduled to start at 1730H, that would have been a very unfortunate miracle if I still didn't make it on time, right? Plenty of time to spare, so I dared! Second, I have read and reread the many web stories and blogs that describe this kind of bus service. Plus, I had my driver on standby to pick me anywhere on the entire NLEX route - if ever something untoward happened. First time eh, hehe. Not that this was a first time for me to travel bet...

Tacloban to Clark Direct. My first time!

Image
This air route has been on for a time now. It started as a regular route via a hype-up (or command?) of the president (Duterte) to decongest MNL by moving some flights to CRK. Was that 2016? I guess so. Hmm, before I proceed, let us do some 'tsismis'.., I heard, many stakeholders in/at/of Region VIII were vehemently opposed to the Department of Transportation picking TAC as one of the cities with flights to/from NAIA that would be transferred to Clark. How vehement? Ah, many of them (such as business chambers) trooped to their lawmakers or leaders that be, for the needed intercession to Malacañang! Lo and behold.., by the end of 2016August, the Regional Development Council VIII (RDC8) submitted a resolution to the DOTr declaring opposition to making MNL-TAC-MNL flights become CRK-TAC-CRK. I remember there was even an online (hashtag) campaign for this - the #NoToClarkForTaclobanFlights. So what happened? Interesting! At first, all 3 airlines (PAL, Cebu Pacific and Air Asi...

Clark To Panglao Flight

Image
Last leg of my 3-legged flight today. And I was ready to enter Clark's departure area but saw this... I had to stop and watch. This was what I've been advocating all along - let all public transport vehicles deliver/pick-up passengers as near to the airport terminal as can be, just like how private vehicles do . Clark 'partly' does it! THAT, is one of the regular buses that comes from Metro Manila. It can be done! Yes it can be done, for I know it had been done, AND being done by many countries around the world except the Philippines - mga utak tungaw kasi ang mga nasa transport department. "Colonial" brains. Actually not "colonial mentality" as if they're the colonists. To be precise, they have "slave mentality"! Ang unang iniisip "dapat me espesyal na dadaanan ang mga boss, ang mga mayayaman". Ganoon sila! Mga utak alila, isip alipin (na sipsip sa mas nakayayaman)! Sinanay kasi tayo ni Padre Damaso! Haay naku! ...

Clark to Caticlan, Going Boracay

Image
Let's continue my story from the previous article... Oy, I didn't forget I had a connecting flight to Caticlan hahaha! Pasok ang iyong Dear Pinoy Traveler! I just looked around those check-in counters (for whatever it is worth), since I was already holding my boarding pass to Caticlan, issued at Mactan. Yes, I left Cebu with boarding passes of my two flights na. Airline people call it "through-check-in" or "check-through" - but we already discussed that topic long ago, right? Where upon checkin at your origin, you get 2 boarding passes for your 2 connecting flights. Then I made my way to the pre-departure area... I know those colorful walls are also temporary! But nice that they hung old pictures of Clark Airbase, to adorn this inclining claustrophobic hallway! I must tell you though, the ugliest part of this whole Clark Airport Experience was that 'security check' (xray) area just before this hallway. It is a bottleneck, a conglomerati...