Need Advise: Road Trip to and from Mindanao

[Suzumiya]

I did this but we slept many nights before we reached surigao. Night driving is the best as theres no traffic. But you'll need good vision and headlights. Better prepare windshield sponge and some glass cleaner for the bugs.

The first port is in matnog. It takes 13hrs according to google. If you leave at 4am. You should be able to reach matnog before the last ferry. We got the 2pm ferry. This is the best time as the waves are calm but not the calmest.

You'll arrive at port Allen.. this is the worst segment..the visayas drive.. this sucks the most. As the roads arent smooth. Some of the poorest towns too.

Two more ports... hirap mag type lol...

Noted Sir.

[Juan Martinez]

So me and my family are going for a road trip really soon. Ang plan is:

• Drive from Bulacan to Batangas
• RORO from Batangas to Calapan, Mindoro
• Drive from Calapan to Bulalacao, Mindoro
• RORO from Bulalacao to Caticlan
• Iwan ang car sa Caticlan at mag-Boracay saglit
• Drive from Caticlan to Iloilo City at mag-enjoy sa Iloilo
• RORO from Iloilo (Dumangas) to Bacolod at sumaglit sa Silay City
• Drive from Bacolod to Dumaguete
• RORO from Dumaguete to Dapitan
• Drive from Dapitan to Iligan at dalawin ang Ma. Cristina Falls
• Drive from Iligan to Malaybalay, Bukidnon and spend time with my dad (yup, taga-dun sya)

Then pauwi...

• Drive from Malaybalay to Lipata, Surigao
• RORO from Lipata to San Ricardo
• Drive from San Ricardo to Tacloban with sunset stopover at San Juanico bridge (OK ba ang sunset dun?). Overnight na rin sa Tacloban kasi malamang pagod na akong mag-drive nun
• Drive from Tacloban to Allen, Samar
• RORO from Allen to Matnog
• Drive from Matnog to Cagsawa, Daraga Albay at pagsawaang tanawin ang Mayon Volcano
• Drive from Cagsawa back home (long drive) to get back in time for my mother-in-law's birthday

So...

Ano po ang payo ninyo? Road condition, safety, roads to avoid?

Thanks in advance.

your road trip is like this: from up North (Luzon) you're going to South (Northwestern Mindanao, that is, Malaybalay, Bukidnon) via the nautical highway of the Western seaboard. And going back home, you'll take the nautical highway of the Eastern seaboard via Lipata, Surigao to Liloan, Southern Leyte and from there to Allen, Leyte to Matnog, Sorsogon.
vice-versa, that is more or less 2,000 kms of overland travel.
the last time I took the western nautical highway going to southern Phils was way back in 2003, and in 2011, the eastern seaboard. so, I couldn't be sure the road condition in the west, but in the east the road is quite good (kakatapos pa lang yung concreting ng road linking Allen, Samar and Tacloban, Leyte). PLEASE don't pass this road at night. Rest somewhere. Dami pa rin yung mga kalaban ni Palparan dyan). Take note that plying the western seaboard is more expensive than the eastern considering that you need to board the RORO three times (1. Batangas Port to Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro 2. Roxas, Oriental Mindoro to Caticlan Aklan 3. Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental to Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte) unlike in the east where you board only twice (1. Lipata, Surigao del Norte to Liloan, Southern Leyte 2. Allen, Samar to Matnog, Sorsogon).
malayolayo din yung biyahe from Dapitan to Malaybalay. peace and order situation sa Dapitan or Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte is stable naman unlike Zamboanga City which is really very far from the former. Malaybalay, Bukidnon is quite peaceful unless you to go to Davao City via BUDA (bukidnon-davao) highway where you will pass by Maguindanao. Pumupunta ako dyan palagi sa Malaybalay, malapit lang yan sa Del Monte Golf Course located Manolo Fortich.

[ParticleX]

^ot: BUDA passes Maguindanao? Twice pa lang ako nakadaan pero I don't think so, checked with maps. Mas safer nga yan kesa via Isulan - Bukidnon/CDO na route

anyway we will do this pag di pa na release yung Mu-X ng uncle ko within a few weeks, antagal mag release ng Isuzu dun sa amin, dito na lang sa Manila kukunin

[Juan Martinez]

^ot: BUDA passes Maguindanao? Twice pa lang ako nakadaan pero I don't think so, checked with maps. Mas safer nga yan kesa via Isulan - Bukidnon/CDO na route

yes. you're right. i stand corrected. i was thinking of pagalungan which was then a part of midsayap. but then the latter is part of north cotabato.

[Juan Martinez]

^ or as an alternate route going back home, you can take: from Malaybalay to Cagayan de Oro City (by land), from CDO to Cebu (Ferry), from Cebu City to Tubigon, Bohol (RORO) then Ubay, Bohol to Maasin, Southern Leyte (RORO) then to Allen, Samar where you take the RORO to Matnog, Sorsogon of the last league of your journey. (from the Philippines' South, taking the central nautical highway is rather expensive).

[kutangbato]

Drove from manila to cotabato last April. Matnog sorsogon ang first roro ride and the 2nd ay sa end part of leyte, san ricardo benit. last trip dito ay 4pm otherwise baka magpalipas ka ng gabi sa port na ang pwedeng matulugan ay koche mo.

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[anonemus]

New ferry schedule and rates, Lipata to Liloan

FastCat Boat Trip Schedule Liloan to Lipata

[YaNCHoY]

What about in Benit, San Ricardo? Does anyone know? TIA

[anonemus]

What about in Benit, San Ricardo? Does anyone know? TIA

Its much faster route to take the Lipata - Benit way. Yun nga lang, you have to have a relatively well maintained vehicle when going through the curvy and steep Benit road from the pier

[travajante]

Are you planning going thru Leyte down Surigao?
Lipata and San Ricardo Ports: 22 Ferry Schedule and Fare Rates

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[Suzumiya]

Are you planning going thru Leyte down Surigao?
Lipata and San Ricardo Ports: 22 Ferry Schedule and Fare Rates

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I'm actually targeting ports where fastcat vessels are available.

[travajante]

I'm actually targeting ports where fastcat vessels are available.

So, Samar-Leyte-Surigao, then.
Since it's a Civic, check tides against Fast Cat Scheds on every port. Low tide will favor low car loading & unloading. Fast Cat ramp angles can be pretty steep on peak highs... unlike barge docks which normally are concrete ramps.....friendly to vehicles w/ lower ground clearance.

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[Suzumiya]

So, Samar-Leyte-Surigao, then.
Since it's a Civic, check tides against Fast Cat Scheds on every port. Low tide will favor low car loading & unloading. Fast Cat ramp angles can be pretty steep on peak highs... unlike barge docks which normally are concrete ramps.....friendly to vehicles w/ lower ground clearance.

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Noted Sir, thanks for the tip.

[yubby24]

Galing kami ng Misamis Occidental August last year.

Longest drive is going to Matnog. May fastcat sa Matnog port pero ang daong mo is either San Isidro o Dapdap.

Pagdating namin ng San Isidro ng 7:30PM, dumirecho kami ng Calbayog at doon nagpalipas ng gabi.

Yung daan sa Samar siguro maayos na ngayon dahil nung pauwi kami ng September, halos tapos na lahat ng reblocking doon.

Puro day trip kami kasi habol namin yung sight-seeing. From Calbayog, direcho kami hanggang San Ricardo pero Montenegro lang ang RoRo doon.

Kung FastCat ang habol mo, sa Liloan ka sasakay ng FastCat papuntang Lipata port.

Nasa 6k pala inabot ng gas ko back and forth so baka mas konti lang sayo since Surigao ka lang. Mobilio pala dala namin noon. 5 pax plus bags tapos pauwi dumagdag ang mga prutas.

Also, prepare a photocopy of your OR/CR para sa RoRo. Get enough sleep prior to your trip.

Safe trip po.

[carwish]

So me and my family are going for a road trip really soon. Ang plan is:

• Drive from Bulacan to Batangas
• RORO from Batangas to Calapan, Mindoro
• Drive from Calapan to Bulalacao, Mindoro
• RORO from Bulalacao to Caticlan
• Iwan ang car sa Caticlan at mag-Boracay saglit
• Drive from Caticlan to Iloilo City at mag-enjoy sa Iloilo
• RORO from Iloilo (Dumangas) to Bacolod at sumaglit sa Silay City
• Drive from Bacolod to Dumaguete
• RORO from Dumaguete to Dapitan
• Drive from Dapitan to Iligan at dalawin ang Ma. Cristina Falls
• Drive from Iligan to Malaybalay, Bukidnon and spend time with my dad (yup, taga-dun sya)

Then pauwi...

• Drive from Malaybalay to Lipata, Surigao
• RORO from Lipata to San Ricardo
• Drive from San Ricardo to Tacloban with sunset stopover at San Juanico bridge (OK ba ang sunset dun?). Overnight na rin sa Tacloban kasi malamang pagod na akong mag-drive nun
• Drive from Tacloban to Allen, Samar
• RORO from Allen to Matnog
• Drive from Matnog to Cagsawa, Daraga Albay at pagsawaang tanawin ang Mayon Volcano
• Drive from Cagsawa back home (long drive) to get back in time for my mother-in-law's birthday

So...

Ano po ang payo ninyo? Road condition, safety, roads to avoid?

Thanks in advance.

Hi guys! Has anyone here tried this kind of road trip (Manila to Mindanao) recently with the quarantine measures/policies in place?

[sirkosero]

Hi guys! Has anyone here tried this kind of road trip (Manila to Mindanao) recently with the quarantine measures/policies in place?

Sounds like you plan to go on a trip forr a few months... Pag minalas ka, each province you go to required 14 day quarantine.

Yung mga helpers namin dapat uuwi sa province nung march. Buti di sila natuloy. Yung mga kasama nila na tumuloy, puro quarantine inabot nila. Di pa nakakuwi sa province nila sa burias.

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[carwish]

Sounds like you plan to go on a trip forr a few months... Pag minalas ka, each province you go to required 14 day quarantine.

Yung mga helpers namin dapat uuwi sa province nung march. Buti di sila natuloy. Yung mga kasama nila na tumuloy, puro quarantine inabot nila. Di pa nakakuwi sa province nila sa burias.

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I'm actually planning of staying there for at least a year. I've heard people driving their cars and motorists have done them recently during the lockdowns kaso hindi ko sila personally kilala para matanong. Just curious kung me nakatry na ba dito at anong experiences nila

[x.mayor]

Hi guys! Has anyone here tried this kind of road trip (Manila to Mindanao) recently with the quarantine measures/policies in place?

Haven't tried yet, but now working on the plan/route to take. According to several contacts hindi pa talaga advisable.

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[carwish]

Haven't tried yet, but now working on the plan/route to take. According to several contacts hindi pa talaga advisable.

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I would love to hear your experience po Sir if matuloy plan mo.

[JohnM]

This trip is also on our bucket list. Best way it could happen is if someone back home bought one of our cars so we drive it there then fly back.

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