Journey to Samal » Transportation

Hoping It’s More Fun in the Philippines

Randy C — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:01:16 +0000

It probably hasn’t made it out to the rest of the world yet, but most pilipinos have seen the release of the Department of Tourism’s new ad campaign. They want you to know, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”.

From what I’ve gathered, from my vantage point on the other side of the world from the Philippines, the reaction has been mixed. Considering the last campaign, “Pilipinas kay Ganda”, was universally panned, this has to be an improvement (they hope). No one outside of the Philippines knew what that slogan meant, of course.

It appears that the campaign is getting a lot of press, especially within the social networks (you know who they are). Not only are there numerous take offs of the ads, some of which are quite funny, it seems there is the issue (again) of the originality of the slogan. It has been noted that Switzerland used the same slogan about 60 some years ago.

I’m not personally concerned about the validity of the originality of the slogan. No, I have more concerns about how it’s promoted (the quality and placement of the ads) and even more than that, delivering on the promise of the ads. To me that’s the make or break it.

I’m all for promoting the tourism industry in the Philippines. It’s a great first step. Delivering on that promise is what will matter in the end. If you get the tourists to come over, and they aren’t happy with their experience, not only will they not come back, you can be sure they will tell at least 10 other people of that experience.

I’ve mentioned before my concerns for the traveler or tourist in the Philippines. Almost everyone is aware that Ninoy Aquino International Airport needs attention and upgrading. The first impression left from that airport is not a good one. I was there recently and I will admit that was not as bad as I had remembered, but to a person if you ask about their experience at the airport in Manila, you will get a negative response.

Related to that is the fact that there are so few international flights to and from any other city. Davao only services Singapore at this time. Cebu goes to a few more – Busan, Hong Kong, Seoul-Incheon, Singapore and possibly Tokyo, but almost every tourist is going to pass through Ninoy unless they are from one of those areas. There has been talk of this improving with the Open Skies Policy, but so far international travel outside of Manila remains very limited.

More basic things like the ability to access your money from ATMs in the Philppines and the fact that traveler checks aren’t usually accepted, make it more difficult for the traveler to function there.

Internet access is also expected for travelers now. I do think that has gotten much better in the last 7 years that I’ve been traveling there. My trip last fall was by far the easiest for me in that regard. Internet access was not difficult to find. The quality of the connection varied, but that is improving, too.

There is much that is appealing about the Philippines. The people, the beautiful white beaches, the tropical climate, the history and the culture. The cost of a comparable vacation could be much less in the Philippines, sans the plane ticket. These, and so much more, are all great reasons for a visit. Maybe even a retirement Let’s hope that this campaign is just the start, and delivering on the promise is the commitment.

I Have Square Feet

Randy C — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:16:47 +0000

SpongeBob may have square pants, but I’ve got square feet. No, not the kind you walk with, but the kind you measure with.

There are a lot of adjustments to make when moving to and living in the Philippines. I’ve touched on the differences in electricity, language, currency, cultural and more. Another that can be a bit challenging for some, myself included, is the unit of measure used there (and the rest of the world except of course the United States, Liberia and Myanmar).

Thankfully there has been some introduction to the metric system for those of us that are still in the dark ages. It is prevalent in many parts of life, just not our standard. I can remember a time while I was still in school when we were told that we would be converting to the Metric System. That never took off, much as many things political here tend not to. One administration decides one thing, a following one decides another. One step forward, one step back. But I digress…

The U.S. Metric Study recommended that the United States implement a carefully planned transition to the principal use of the metric system over a decade. Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 “to coordinate and plan the increasing use of the metric system in the United States”. The Act did not stipulate the conversion happen over a decade. Voluntary conversion was initiated, and the U.S. Metric Board (USMB) was established for planning, coordination, and public education. The public education component led to public awareness of the metric system, but the public response included resistance, apathy, and sometimes ridicule.[6] In 1981, the USMB reported to Congress that it lacked the clear Congressional mandate necessary to bring about national conversion. Because of this ineffectiveness and an effort of the Reagan administration to reduce federal spending, the USMB was disbanded in autumn of 1982.

I have trouble converting distance, or area, into metric when I have a need to do so quickly. If someone says a place is so many kilometers away, I have to ask “how long to get there?”. When looking at land, or a house, I need to do the calculation back to square feet for it to register.

I imagine this will come over time, with the benefit of living there and experiencing it on a daily bass. It will become visual as well. I believe this process is very similar to the peso issue, where those that move to the Philippines just start thinking in peso at some point, instead of converting everything in their head. It probably happens unbeknownst to the individual, just a natural progression.

In the meantime I’ll just have to deal with my square feet. SpongeBob would be proud.

Aircon Jeepneys – L300

Randy C — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:58:15 +0000

A couple of my goals during my last visit to the Philippines were to see much more of the Davao region, and to try to experience things as though I were living there, instead of as a tourist. Those two goals may sound as though they are conflicting, and to some degree I suppose that’s true. Regardless, one of the ways I tried to combine the two was to take local transportation, whenever possible, to these various sties and attractions, instead of the taxis that I’ve grown accustomed to in the past.

I did get in my share of trike, jeepney and bus rides. I may not be a pro yet, but I certainly got the flavor of the system. I learned that I need to add a little meat and/or some callouses to my back end. It was often quite sore after a day out.

There are quite a variety of vehicles in all three of those classes – trike, jeepney and bus. Even the lowly trike can be manually powered or motorized, windshield or not (good idea when it’s raining hard), almost completely open or nearly fully enclosed.

The jeepney is where I found my interest being drawn, as that became a very popular ride for me. I did not see nearly as many ornate, older Mercades jeepneys as I had in the past. Maybe they are a dying breed, or maybe they are more prevalent in the Manila area. I never really got an answer to that question. A lot of the jeepneys now are versions of a multi cab.

The one I had not experienced before was the aircon jeepney, which was dubbed the L3 by the company I kept. It was in fact a Mitsubishi L300. They are a lot newer, of course, than the old style jeepney, but the main benefit to a sweating foreigner like me was the aircon. That was diminished a bit buy the fact that they still put at least 4 more people in them than they are designed to hold, but since that’s true with any of the styles of transportation, other than taxi, the aircon was a welcome benefit.

I would have thought that they would charge more for that, but it did not appear to be so. Catching a L300 versus the open style, seemed to be a matter of luck as much as anything else. It was also funny to see the open style jeepneys, that weren’t close to full capacity, cutting off your access to the L300, and even buses, in some areas.

I thought the L300 was an advancement from my point of view. It made me feel that it will be easier, and most definitely more comfortable, to get around the Davao area if I decide not to own my own vehicle. I’m thinking I may start out with the intention of not owning a vehicle and see how things go from there.

Change is Inevitable

Ports of Samal Island

Randy C — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:05:30 +0000

Like most of the tourist visitors to Samal Island I usually take one of the passenger ferries from Davao to get there. I was aware of the two main ferry ports on Samal, and the existence of one further down the island near Kaputian. It wasn’t until just recently that I happened to learn there are quite a few more.

I’m always amazed at how difficult it can be for people to find the RORO wharf in Davao. I’ve had both private drivers and taxis get confused as to where it is. I’m afraid I’ve not been a big help because it seems the landmarks I use only add to the confusion. Part of this confusion comes from the fact that there is separate passenger ferry going to Barangay Villarica, Babak District, than the main RORO (Roll-On Roll-Off) that ends up in Kinawitnon, Barangay Caliclic, Babak District. They both leave Davao from Sasa Wharf, Km. 11 Sasa Public Market and Km. 10 Mae Wess Ferry Terminal respectively.

I consider the Caliclic port the main port as it carries vehicles and passengers, including the Island City Express buses that many take to and from various parts of Davao to their destinations on Samal Island. I don’t have the numbers, but as far as I know the bulk of the traffic coming and going to Samal is through this port, especially because of the number of passengers the buses hold.

Those aren’t the only ports though. I count at least six official ones, if you include Talikud.

Samal Island Ports:

Babak
Caliclic
Kaputian
Limao
Peñaplata
Sta. Cruz (Talikud)

The Philippines Ports Authority (PPO) has a great website with all the statistic, maps, diagrams and details you would want about all of the ports in the Davao region, including all the ones on the Island Garden City of Samal. For those interested in this kind of stuff it’s a great resource and well worth your while to check it out – Davao Sasa Wharf.

Change is Inevitable

Randy C — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:06:53 +0000

Change is inevitable, or is it?

If referring to life changes, I think it goes without saying. Change is constant.

If you are looking to get money back from your Philippine Peso, it isn’t a given.

It is remarkable to me how difficult it can be to get change at times in the Philippines. It doesn’t seem to matter the cost of the item or service, or necessarily the amount you provide to pay. Unless you have exact change, there is a good chance you are going to receive a response ranging from dismay to disgust. Particularly if the amount you are trying to pay with exceeds the cost by a good amount. I have not been able to come up with that magic ratio yet, but there appears to be one.

When in the Philippines I find myself exchanging every bill over 20 pesos at every conceivable opportunity. If possible I carry a bulging pocket full of coins to cover all possible encounters. Those silly portions of a peso (centavo) really mess me up though. Unfortunately only a few transactions, and it’s likely I’ll be stressing about having enough change for the trike or jeepney again. Paying 500 pesos for a trike ride is really painful to me.

I find it difficult to adapt my thinking in this area, as at home I do just the opposite. I get rid of change every chance I get. More often than not I don’t even have any money on me whatsoever, as I use a debit card for practically all my transactions. It’s simpler for me and I have a record of it all, too.

I doubt in my lifetime that the trikes, jeepneys, palengke vendors, local bread shops, or virtually any other small businesses will be accepting debit cards in the Philippines. It’s a cash society and will stay that way for the foreseeable future.

At times I find myself tipping more, so I can keep my change. Other times, I don’t tip at all because they don’t have change or I need to keep what I have for the next transaction. It all takes a lot more thought than I’m used to giving to these matters.

What it means is I’ll be carrying a bulging pocket full of coins and a wallet of bills much thicker than would make reasonable sense on most excursions. That is at least until I can come up with a better strategy than I have thus far.

Is Mindanao Safe

Randy C — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:29:39 +0000

Do you feel safe traveling to Mindanao? Are you worried about terrorists? Believe it or not, those are questions I often get before I travel to southern Philippines. Surprisingly, that question does not usually come from my American friends, but instead from Pilipinos.

My first trip to Mindanao was just a short visit to Davao. In and out in a couple of days. It was a side trip from Manila, and I really did not know where I was going, and where I had been when I got back. That was also my first exposure to Samal Island, but at the time I had little idea what it was and what that might mean to me later.

By my second trip to Mindanao, I had not only become more familiar with the Davao area, but I also ventured out into North Cotabato. This, I learned, is an area that has gotten a bit of a bad reputation, primarily among those that have lived in the Philippines. But it also doesn’t help that the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Bureau of Consular Affairs has a travel warning regarding the region:

The State Department warns U.S. citizens of the risks of terrorist activity in the Philippines, particularly in the southern Philippine islands of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Terrorist attacks could be indiscriminate and could occur not only in the southern islands but also in other areas, to include Manila. Targeted sites may be public gathering places that are frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers, including American citizens. Such sites could include, but are not limited to, airports, shopping malls, conference centers and other public venues. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated April 2, 2010, to reflect continuing threats due to terrorist and insurgent activities.

Travelers should exercise extreme caution if traveling in the central and western portions of the island of Mindanao, as well as in the islands of the Sulu Archipelago. Regional terrorist groups have carried out bombings resulting in injuries and death. An October 10 bus bombing in Mindanao claimed 10 lives; an investigation is underway to determine whether this was a terrorist act. Since August 2008, sporadic clashes have occurred between lawless groups and the Philippine Armed Forces in the Mindanao provinces of North Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, and Maguindanao, as well as the Sulu Archipelago.

Before I traveled to North Cotabato I had a chance to tell many friends and acquaintances about my upcoming trip, especially my first opportunity to go to the province. It became clear, very quickly, that the Pilipinos that I shared this with were worried whether I had fully researched the area. To a person they questioned whether or not I thought I would be safe there. A few of them stated they would not go there themselves. Honestly, I had not looked into it previously, but as the concerns added up I decided I better. Not surprisingly, my Americans friends had no idea of the area, many not even really being familiar with the Philippines in general. Certainly not knowing if this was anywhere near Manila, as they only Philippines city they had heard of.

It didn’t help that my wife, being from the area, started asking if I was concerned about going there. At times she would say it was fine, and other times she indicated that I needed to be very careful. I started to ask questions, and I did some research online.

What I found was a wide variety of opinion, to a large degree based upon rumor and isolated incidents over the years. The concern relates to the more remote areas, where in the past (and to a lesser degree to date) there has been rebel and terrorist activity. The larger cities, particularly Davao, have been mainly trouble free. At the least there have been no more problems than any other large city in the world.

As people are want to say, “trouble can happen anywhere”, and that’s the point. Who can say if you may encounter problems traveling to Mindanao, but for the most part you are no more likely than anywhere else. As the Philippines goes, Davao City has been one of the safest for many years now. Previous mayor of many years, Rodrigo Duterte, was largely responsible for reducing crime and establishing Davao as a city that was safe for all.

Under Duterte’s leadership, Davao City experienced relative peace and stability, ushering an unprecedented economic boom. The city’s crime rate dropped dramatically that tourism organizations in the city claim that Davao is “the most peaceful city in Southeast Asia”.

I’m not here to advise you whether traveling to North Cotabato, or other areas in Mindanao, is safe for you. All I can say is that I went I did not feel threatened in any way. It was an experience that I’m glad I was able to have. Personally, I don’t know that I would go back there just by myself. I would feel more comfortable with someone that knows the area and the people. Some people are more adventurous than others, though.

I feel it’s unfortunate that many Pilipinos, some who have not even visited the area, continue to voice concerns regarding Mindanao. It is an uphill battle in many ways for tourism, and to begin I think there needs to be a feeling within the Philippines that this area not only safe, but a welcomed and significant part of the Republic of the Philippines. Internal promotion could end up being the best external promotion.

Time to Make Davao Airport Truly International

Randy C — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:27:44 +0000

Have you flown into Davao City from outside of the country? Did you go through Manila? Chances are very good that you did. Why? Because there are very few international flights that fly in and out of Davao Airport.

Francisco Bangoy International Airport is an “international” airport, as it’s official name states. There are a couple of flights that fly to and from Singapore, but as far as I know that is all there is at this point. When I’ve looked into trying to hook up with one of those, not only was the timing incredibly difficult to accommodate but the cost was also prohibitive.

The main issue to date has been the lack of an “open sky” policy within the Philippines. Airlines such as Philippine Airlines, are opposed to such a policy, as the feeling is they would be adversely affected by outside competition. Even still, from what I’ve read, an Executive Order has been signed to allow secondary airports such as Davao, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro City to start accepting selective international flights. What airlines, and when they might start, is unknown. Again, there is a lot of opposition to this EO. There have been attempts to implement open skies in previously, and they failed.

My reasons for wanting Davao to get more international flight are admittedly selfish. I REALLY dislike flying into Manila to get to Davao. Ninoy Aquino International Airport, as most of you know, is extremely busy, crowded and to to a large degree run down. It is always the least favorite part of my trip, trying to maneuver to and through the airport in Manila. Even finding the correct terminal can be an adventure, but it’s an evil that must be navigated. Flying into and out of Davao would not only save me from the stressful plight at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, but also add days to my trip there.

I really like the airport in Davao. It is much smaller, as would be expected, but appears much cleaner and friendlier, too. Access is fairly easy. It’s not difficult to find your terminal there. Lines can get long, but nothing like the multiple long lines you will encounter in Manila. I can’t even remember how many different lines I need to go through in Manila, but every time I think I’m done, there is another.

I don’t know how much tourism Davao loses because of the lack of international flights. If an individual is going to meet family or friends, obviously they are going to make the neccesary connections to get to Davao. But what about business, conventions, meetings, etc., wouldn’t it be much easier just to have stay right in Manila? Why add the extra cost, travel time, and hassle of continuing on to Davao? I wonder if there has been any studies done in this regard, because it seems it could significantly impact tourism.

There are always pluses and minuses to a situation. “Careful what you wish for” could be applicable here. If Davao Airpot did suddenly start accepting more international flights, could the airport support a large increase in traffic? Would it turn into the sea of bodies seen at customs and counters at Ninoy Aquino International Airport? Not if done with foresight and planning, but that is certainly one of the detriments of increasing international traffic.

Longterm, I think that there will need to be flights to Japan, Korea, Tawain, Malaysia or similar destinations from Davao. A well thought out and carefully implemented plan is my hope.

Tagpopongan Roro Port Photos

Randy C — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:02:41 +0000

In a previous article I noted that the Tagpopongan Roro Port was half completed. It seems that a reader visited the area recently and notes that the Samal side of the ferry port is already complete now. There is no ferry running there as of yet, and I’m not sure as to the status of the port on the Pantukan side, but here are photos of the completed Tagpopongan Roro Port on Samal Island:

He points out that even though one may live on the east side of Samal, if you were to take the Tagpopongan ferry you’ll end up in Pantakun with not much to do but sightsee, whereas the the current west side ferry takes you to Davao. Quite a difference for the average person.

Photos courtesy Anton Vos – thanks!

SEAIR Grounded

Randy C — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 01:12:41 +0000

Before they even take off with their new Manila – Davao route, SEAIR has been told to cancel all reservations and scheduled flights. Yes, they’ve been grounded.

According to the email I received from Tiger Airways for SEAIR, their competition objected to the new flights, thus resulting in the cancellation of the scheduled routes.

I don’t know how these things work, but it does seem to me that they would have prior approval for any routes, as air space would need to be reserved. Assuming that was done, how can the flights be pulled from them after the fact?

I was looking forward to trying Seair as they had some good promos and their flight schedule was appealing to me.

Dear Customer,

We regret to inform you that we have been forced to temporarily suspend the domestic route on which you booked a flight operated by SEAIR.

The decision to suspend the route is unfortunately out of SEAIR’s and Tiger Airways’ control and has in part come about after competitors protested our flights.

We do apologise to the disruption of your travel plans. Please kindly inform the other passengers who are booked under the same reservation.

Please be informed that international routes operated by both Tiger Airways and SEAIR are not affected by this cancellation and are operating as normal. This includes Clark* to Singapore, Hong Kong & Macau. Look out for additional frequencies on these routes soon.

As a result of this suspension, we will in due course be processing a refund to your original source of payment. In accordance with our policy, we will be processing the refund in order of flight date priority. Your patience in this regard is appreciated.

Please click on the link below to acknowledge this notification.
CLICK HERE TO ACKNOWLEDGE

We thank you for your support and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Yours faithfully,
Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd

*Flights to/from Manila-Clark (DMIA) are operated by SEAIR*

It is yet to be determined what “due course” means in regards to the processing of my refund. I will note that the charge went through immediately upon the placing of the reservation.

SEAIR – we hardly knew ye.

SEAIR Launches Manila to Davao Flights

Randy C — Thu, 26 May 2011 02:01:34 +0000

Everyone has their favorite, and least favorite, airline to get to the Davao region. Until the “Open Skies” policy is adapted it is pretty likely you’ll be coming through Manila to get to Davao, and on to Samal Island. As of July 2nd of this year you’ll have another option at least.

South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) recently announced that it will launch its first domestic jet services from Manila to Davao on July 2 as part of the SEAIR-Tiger Airways Partner Airline Programme.

The largest city in the country and the premier city and hub of Mindanao, Davao is also home to some of the country’s top beach and mountain resorts, most notably the Pearl Farm in the secluded island of Samal, just 45 minutes off the coast of the city. Adventure-seekers can sign up for a two-day climb at Mount Apo, Philippines’ tallest mountain at 9,692 ft located just 40 km northeast of Davao, or sample “the king of fruits”, durian, which, due to its unusual flavor and odor, have aroused intense passion in some and dislike in others. The annual week-long Kadayawan Festival in August, the biggest of its kind in Mindanao, is celebrated during the peak season of durian and mangosteen (another fruit) as a thanksgiving celebration for the bountiful harvest of flowers and fruits that Davao is known for.

The Cebu and Davao flights are the first domestic flights under the SEAIR-Tiger Airways Partner Airline Programme, which allows SEAIR to distribute its seats through Tiger Airways’ established internet booking system, www.tigerairways.com.

Being the adventurous (read cheap) type that I am, I’m going to give them a try on my next visit. They are offering some very good promotional deals, and their regular prices look to be near the best, too. I’ll let you know how they do. Competition should be a good thing for us travelers.

via SEAIR Now Offers the Lowest Fares to Cebu and Davao