Need Advise: Road Trip to and from Mindanao

**SuperQuest** · May 21st, 2015 05:10 AM

Returned from a trip to Matnog 2 weeks ago, via Caramoan, Donsol, Tabaco, and Bulusan. The road from Matnog to Manila is in good shape, except for where reblocking us going on.

Wish you the best in your trip -- im hoping na I can do something like that in the bext 2 years!

Originally Posted by mikelopez

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.

**Walter** · May 21st, 2015 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by chronicle

Wow. Dream ko yang mag road trip nang ganyang kalayo.
Magkano kaya overall expense nyan?

Using diesel pickup, Manila to Mindanao will cost about 17T all in. Fuel, meals, ferry, good hotels.

**Walter** · May 21st, 2015 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by Morz

Wow! This is awesome roadtrip. Ive read in an article some tips about RORO. You need to get your pnp clearance handy and in advance to show its not a carnapped car. Plus private cars are 3rd priority after busses and cargo trucks so the congestion in matnog port I heard in the news yesterday may be a cause of delay. Safe trip,!

You only need car registration, you don't even need to have plate numbers.

**Walter** · May 21st, 2015 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by jut703

That's a fun trip and if I have the time I'd do the same, but only if I have a ladder-frame SUV. The roads in Samar and Bicol alone are enough to wreck the suspension of a fully-laden sedan.

Roads are good enough for sedans. Someone already drove a Hyundai Genesis from Manila to Davao.

**Walter** · May 21st, 2015 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by mikelopez

LOL. Meron din namang 1-3 days stay sa mga lugar so may konting pahinga pero agree ako, tuwing iniisip ko, napapagod na rin ako.

Sana ok pa ang daan sa Tacloban.

It's a fun trip as long as you are not in a hurry. The only hassles are at the ferry ports where there's no proper schedule. Get their contact numbers and call ahead while still on your way to inquire about schedule and if you can reserve a slot.

**jut703** · May 21st, 2015 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by Walter

Roads are good enough for sedans. Someone already drove a Hyundai Genesis from Manila to Davao.

Yes I've seen that thread. But my firsthand experience just last week of driving a sedan with people and luggage through the crap roads of Andaya Highway was very uncomfortable, compared to my trips before with a pickup.

I'm not saying hindi kaya, I'm just saying it's torture for a sedan's soft suspension, and for the backs and bums of your passengers.

**Morz** · May 21st, 2015 11:13 AM

This is link I read about that pnp clearance. Not sure when this written or if its still applicable. Roll-on, Roll-off A traveler’s guide to inter-island driving

**Juan Martinez** · May 21st, 2015 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by mikelopez

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.

**Juan Martinez** · May 21st, 2015 12:08 PM

^ 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).

**ParticleX** · May 21st, 2015 12:19 PM

^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