Philippine Travel Notes

This connects to our air travels... I saw them two weeks ago, I saw one this afternoon! Yes friends, they’re already on! Are you happy? Well, am I happy? Truth is, I don’t give a hoot hehe! What are they really? If you have not been a frequent user of the three Air Terminals in Metro Manila, then you are probably not very much aware on what those are. To summarize, those yellow cabs are just the very same kind of service – taxi. Only, they are more expensive at P70 flag down and something like four pesos or so every time the meter clicks – ah that click is purportedly every two hundred meters, say the authorities. The body colors, meters and flag rates are the same from any of the NAIA terminals to anywhere in Metro Manila as it is now from MCIA to anywhere in Metro Cebu. In general (if not specifically) it is the same taxi service but twice the rates of the regular taxi cabs. Why the presence of another “class” of cabs on city streets from and/or to the airport? Beats my confused brai...

Okay now. Because of the “Taxi From The Airport” series, many of you have been asking about the “going to the airport”! So here’s my take on that: From almost anywhere in the country, going to the airport by cab, bus, jeep, tricycle or any other means is pretty straightforward. Meaning you just hop into the airport at least an hour before departure. In fact, at times (at smaller airports) it can even be as tight as 30 minutes before the published departure time and you’ll still catch that flight! But let us cover the Metro Manila Airports as they are the most complicated – aside from chaotic! So where are you coming from? Caloocan? Makati? Pasig? Las Pinas? Bulacan? There are a lot of options depending on where you might be coming from. However, what many passengers do not realize or consider is the time of their flight’s departure as against the departure of other flights. And this is the single most important consideration. Let’s discuss that! My flight, their flight! In deciding as ...

Like in Manila, you can’t hail a cab at the arrivals area. Why? Still like in Manila, taxis are not allowed to go there! Why? Ah go ask any of your bright government authorities who are all politicians – meaning “public servants” during the election campaign, but quickly turn into self-appointed monarchs the day after they’re elected! Anyway, here are the options: 1) From the international luggage claim area, you should see a hallway to your right that connects to the domestic arrivals hall. Head there instead of going out to the international arrivals foyer. You will see an elevator on the right and hop in with your baggage cart. You are supposed to take this route if from your international flight you are connecting to a domestic flight that departs from this airport on the same day. Since arrivals is ground level, of course your elevator brings you up to the ‘next and only’ level which is the departure area. Upon emerging from the elevator (you are at departure level) going left is ...

Arriving in Manila and you want to take a cab? Depending on which airport you arrive at, there will be things peculiar or even mind-boggling! Let’s qualify that. The “taxis” or “cabs” in this topic are the metered taxis that ply about all the streets of Metro Manila. They are the common taxicabs that are mostly colored white or yellow or “white-and-green” or “white-and-yellow” while some are red and so on! These are not those “airport taxis” which are from car rental companies or limousine services or coupon taxis that have their own counters at the airports. Here goes: From NAIA 1 Most notable of a headache is when you arrive at the NAIA 1 – the old international terminal that houses all international flights except those of PAL. You won’t find metered taxis at any of the upper (original) nor the lower (extension) arrival driveways. To find one, you veer walking to the right immediately upon emerging from the arrivals lobby. And that is some 30 or so meters to the “MIA Road” at the si...

The title of this article is a verbatim excerpt from a non-Filipino friend's email that I opted to quote since it is very representative of the state (of management and/or handling) at which our airports are in, right now! Oops, okay, let us qualify that… as far as we the passengers are concerned! My response to that email: "I agree to the nth degree! The reply: "Can't you the taxpayers bring this up to the government authorities?" My next response: "Of course we can. This is a free country! But there is a BIG twist! Instead of trying to address the concern pronto, the airport authorities - even the president of this archipelago - will spend the people's money researching and trying to find who I am, then get even busier trying to discredit me on media or elsewhere and try all they can to invalidate my concern or isolate me from saying anything else anymore! Perhaps they will even run a senate or congressional investigation and imprison me! Meanwhile,...