Category Archives: DIY

Commuting 101: Getting to Clark Airport

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There’s always a lesson learned for first time experiences. In my recent trip, I learned how to get to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga. Here’s how I did it.

The Cheaper Way

  1. From Tramo, Pasay City, go to the Five Star Terminal and hail a bus bound for Dagupan. Make sure that the bus has a Dau Terminal signage too.
  2. Tell the conductor you’re alighting at the Dau Terminal. Pay a fare of Php 150. Travel time from Pasay City to Dau Terminal (if you leave around 5am), is around 1 1/2 hour. Thanks to the SCTEx. It was fast.
  3. Alight at the Dau Bus Terminal. Then exit to your left. Walk towards KFC and cross the street.
  4. Hail a jeepney with a signage of Clark Main Gate that would bring you to Bayanihan Terminal . Pay a fare of Php 8.50.
  5. From Bayanihan Terminal, look for the jeepney under the Route 1 signage. Tell the driver that you’re going to Passenger Terminal. Pay a fare of Php 12.00.
  6. The driver will drop you off at a point where you’ll start to walk. It’s around 200 meters to DMIA.
TOTAL FARE (From Manila to DMIA): Php 170.50
TRAVEL NOTES:
  • For Bus Schedules, call FiveStar (Pasay) at (02) 851-6613 / 851-6659. Their earliest bus leaves Pasay at 2:00 am.
  • While walking to DMIA, I saw a tarpaulin saying that Genesis buses also travel to DMIA from Resorts World. This is an option if you’re coming from NAIA Terminal 3 or if you live near that place. (You may contact them first to verify.) Contact: Cubao Terminal: (02) 421-1425 / Clark: 09153200867
  • Another bus option is the Victory Liner Bus.
  • If you want a direct bus from Manila to Clark Airport, then choose a Philtranco bus. However, the fare from Pasay City to Clark would cost you Php 450.00. Their earliest trip is at 6:30 am.
  • For AirAsia passengers, you can avail of free shuttle services from Dau Terminal. However, as of posting time, they don’t have a definite schedule when going to the airport. (I saw this from Lost Boy’s post. I’ll confirm it too with AirAsia.)
  • DMIA Website

Zero Fares for 2012 and 2013

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Travelholics would surely stay late tonight as the two Philippine carriers, Cebu Pacific Air and Airphil Express launch the Zero Fare seat sale at 12 Midnight in celebration of Easter.

Why book on a seat sale? 

  • It’s cheap. It won’t tear your pocket. But gone are the days when one can buy a fare as low as 96 pesos roundtrip for a domestic destination.
  • You can enjoy the beauty of the country without worrying about your bank account.

How to score a cheap flight?

  • Look for flights on Wednesdays, Thursdays. Usually, the weekends are not on sale.
  • Register via their websites for easy and fast booking.

I don’t have a credit card. How would I be able to book?

  • Debit cards with Visa / Mastercards are accepted (Try EON Card of Unionbank or BPI’s special online debit card)
  • Choose over the counter payments but this procedure has a deadline.
As per their fanpages: Airphil Express sale has a travel period of July-Sept. 30, 2012 and February 1-28,2013. Cebu Pacific Air has announced that the travel period of their zero fare would start from November 1-Dec. 15,2012.
Getting a cheap flight has been my key in experiencing the world.

Bear this in mind: Be decisive. Don’t let chance pass. It’s now or never. Go. Travel. Live your life to the fullest.

***P.S. No I’m not an endorser of these airlines but I just want to share the good news to all of you so you can enjoy the best of the Philippines. Explore the unexplored :)

Southeast Asia: The 57-hour Challenge

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57 hours around Southeast Asia? Are you kidding me? Impossible? Crazy?

This may raise your eyebrow but yes, it was possible. It was one of my craziest trips to date. But why 57 hours? Here’s the story.

My trips always begin with seat sales because I want to maximize my budget and make travel affordable.

Around October 2011, I saw the teaser of AirAsia’s zero fare seat sale. I was firm to explore other countries that don’t require visas. Fortunately, being a Filipino has its perks. Southeast Asian countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos) don’t require visas for Filipinos. I did not let the chance passed and booked flights to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It cost me Php 4,000 for the four segment flights.

Originally, my route was Clark to KL then from KL to Yogyakarta and back to KL. Then from KL, I planned to take a bus to Singapore. The trip was scheduled on March 27 until April 1, 2012.

2012 came in. As February approaches, I realized that my youngest brother would be graduating from college in March. I was torn between pursuing the trip or canceling it. Mama won’t allow me to be absent on his graduation. And yes, family’s important.

Thank God for another round of seat sales. I was able to fix my route–Clark>KL>Yogyakarta>SG>Manila. Whew! I believe that it’s better to grab opportunities than regret them later.

So what’s the challenge? To have an enriching experience in 57 hours around Southeast Asia with a Php 15,000 budget.

Let me share what I read recently from my favorite novelist Paulo Coelho in his novel, Aleph: “I started traveling like a mad thing. The great lessons I learned had been precisely those that my journeys had taught me.”

“Travel is never a matter of money but of courage. I spent a large part of my youth traveling the world as a hippie and what money did I have then? None. I barely had enough to pay for my fare but I still consider those to have been the best years of my youth…”

Here’s the map of my Southeast Asian Challenge:

How did I deal with the immigration officers of all countries? This was one of the questions posted by one of my readers. I would share these stories in my succeeding posts. :)

Church in an island: The Holy Rosary Parish of Boracay

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Wherever you are this Lenten Season, never forget the reason of the season. Take time to reflect and repent. If you happen to be in party island Boracay, visit the Holy Rosary Parish Church, which is near Station 1.

It’s not as grandiose as the other churches in Aklan, but it holds its own character. You will be welcomed by the Resurrected Christ’s image in tile mosaic. When you enter the Church, you would notice how simple the altar is. The wall of the Altar is decorated with limestones while the ceiling is made of wood.

Sometimes, we only need to be silent and listen to what HE wants to tell us. If you want to attend the Holy Mass, below is the schedule that I saw on the front door of the church.

Holy Mass Schedule

Monday 6:30 AM
Tuesday 6:30 AM
Wednesday 5:00 PM
Thursday 6:30 AM
Friday 6:30 AM
Saturday 6:30 AM
4:00 PM (Anticipated Mass)
Sunday 8:00 AM (Visayan Mass)
4:00 PM (English Mass)
5:30 PM

You might also want to say a little prayer in front of the Grotto of Our Lady located at the famous Willy’s Rock, which is Boracay’s icon. It’s just a few steps away from the church.

Trip@dora Published: Visita Iglesia on a budget

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photo by izah morales

Palm Sunday marks the start of the Holy Week. It’s a time to reflect and repent for Roman Catholics. For those who want to go on a pilgrimage without hurting the pocket, you don’t need to fly out of the country.

In Iloilo, you can marvel at the architecture wonders and at the same time take a spiritual journey. Starweek features my story today, April 1, 2012:  Visita Iglesia on a budget. Click the photo or the link to read more.

Cover Photo by Izah Morales

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