Biyaheng Langit (The Road Trip to Heaven)

Buses. You know what is the first thing that comes to my mind when I see them? Travel. Suddenly, I get thrilled until I think about adventure.

Here in the Philippines, buses are one of most common transportation that we utilize. If you feel so lucky enough that since birth you had no chance of riding even just one of these buses maybe because (1) you used to own a car and have a driver or (2) you classify yourself as one of the rich and famous, you might have been missing some beautiful experiences and uncommon encounters through bus rides.

You know what? When I ride a bus, usually I think of stories. I sometimes try to read people’s mind (though I know it’s impossible). A bus for me is like a room filled with people of different gender, ages, and even social status. Mixed in one place…united as one. It’s a place that’s jam-packed with rich stories. A place loaded with people with different ideas and goals but heading toward one direction. That is really true; in fact, you can observe this in bus terminals too.

I understand. (Michael nodding his head.) You might not be thinking the same way as I think about buses. We have different perspective and ideas on this, and I respect that.

But this time, let me show you one great example why I think this way.

__________________________________________________

My usual way home from work is Cubao. A place known to be busy--shopping centers are side by side, condominiums and restaurants are everywhere, sidewalk vendors are scattered, hostels and motels that guarantee lower rates are widespread that commonly resulting to apparent prostitution on the area.

But these are not the things that catch my attention daily, it’s the Araneta Center Bus Station.

May sounds not so interesting right? I know. Just a bus terminal and what about it, what’s big deal? –you might be asking.

But have you ever tried asking where these buses go?

When I first saw these signboards in front of these buses, I didn't realize that I was already jamming two contradicting expressions:

“Oh my gosh”—because how does it feels to travel this far and how this may be possible?

“Awesome!”—because I admire the people who chose to try this mode of transportation yet there is an easier and faster way.

Sometimes, I was astonished by thinking how it feels to travel this far by bus. Until I suddenly felt like I am already putting my feet in their shoes!

I tried googling the distance between Manila and Tacloban and I found out that it's surprisingly 924 kilometers. It’s like doing a two Manila to Baguio round trips by bus plus a one-way Manila to Vigan, Ilocos Sur, bus trip. While thinking about this, my knees were like starting to get weak. OMG. This would be so exhausting!

Then why this terminal stays this crowded? What same thing that runs through the minds of these passengers?

Lets hear them.

Interviews (Transcribed and Translated in English)

Emcie, 23—The Occasional Traveler

Michael: How often do you travel to Tacloban via these buses?

Emcie: I have been on and off travelling for 2 years now.

Michael: On your experience travelling, how many hours or maybe days do you usually spend on the road?

Emcie: It depends. If I catch the bus today at 10AM, I might be there 10AM the next day too. Commonly, trips are almost or more than 24 hours. It also take a little time when we have Bus-to-Roro (Roll-on-Roll-off) transfers. This is when buses are being carried by the Roro to bridge the gap of the islands being separated by sea.The worst case I could remember was when I reached Tacloban after 2 days!

Michael: Oh, so that was really a long journey! So it means that you’ll be on the bus for long hours. So could you tell me about your breaks then?

Emcie: For meal times—breakfast, lunch, dinner—we usually stop by at some bus terminals along the road. There you could find a carinderia or a cheap restaurant. 

Michael: Have you ever thought about riding an airplane instead of buses? They are much faster, more convenient than having a long road trip like this.

Emcie: Oh. I have not tried riding a plane yet. (She laughed sheepishly). But if given a chance? Why not! One of the good things I like about these buses is, you can carry more loads. It’s much cheaper here also.

Mang Dodong, 62— The Frequent Traveler

Michael: So Mang Dodong, what are the common challenges that you encountered along the way to Tacloban?

Mang Dodong: Fortunately, I haven’t experienced any serious vehicular accidents yet. Sometimes, the bus just gets really cranky along the way. The buses tires blow up sometimes that we don’t have a choice but to wait until it is repaired or replaced. The frustrating thing, this is sometimes the cause of prolonged trips. I had an awful experience few years ago that I was on the road for three days!

Michael: That was really bad. So what are some things that you do to prepare for this kind of unpredictable road encounters?

Mang Dodong: We always bring food--we cook eggs, rice. We bring water. We even bring canned goods. We make sure that we have something to eat good enough for two days.

 Romil, 26—The First Timer

Michael: Since this would be your first time travelling to Capiz, what are your expectations? What do you feel about this long trip?

Romil: For me, this would be pure adventure.

Michael: That’s nice to know. So what are your preparations for this trip? For sure, you already know how long this bus ride would be.

Romil: Well, I just prayed. (Then he just smiled after his short answer)

Michael: So what did you bring with you today that you think it could keep boredom away?

Romil: I just brought my MP3 player with me. Hope this would keep me alive and awake until I reach Capiz.

James – The Bus Ticketing Officer

Michael: Sir, what would be the farthest destination that your bus can reach?

James: The farthest I know is Oton, Iloilo.

Michael: So how many hours of travel this might take?

James: It might take more or less 24 hours.

Michael: So how much the fare cost to Oton without a huge baggage?

James: The regular fare to Oton is P1300.00.

Michael: How many times your buses travel to Oton daily?

James: There is just one bus that travels per destination daily. Commonly, they depart at 11am. You must catch the bus today or else wait for the next bus that will arrive the next day. 

Conclusion:

The Philippines has 7,107 islands. When I have just learned how to count as a kid, I found it hard to believe that. As I grow older, this has become much true to me.

Long before, the Philippines' geographical characteristic became one of the major concerns when it comes to travelling the country.  We really have a huge number of islands compared to some other countries. You might be thinking like me before that this maybe just an exaggeration of numbers or might be an over-count. But somehow this factor had contributed diversity to our culture, language and traditions. And because of these islands, the Philippines is so beautiful—we have a lot of white sandy beaches, rocky shores, and beautiful sunsets. Because of this too, we really deserve to claim this famous catchy tagline: It's more fun in the Philippines!

In this short research I conducted, I realized that we, Filipinos, are undeniably creative. Creative in a way that we always find ways—that reaching even the farthest, smallest island in the country is not impossible. We almost have all the means to travel now.

We are people with great perseverance. During my short talks with the people in this terminal, I realized that they just have one thing in mind—that there is no such thing as long travel. We used to think about what’s ‘on the other side of the mountain’ instead of being bothered on how we can get there. We are patient and we are always ready to endure the challenges that we might face along the way.

Unfortunately, I have not tried travelling this far by bus yet. But I am not closing my door for this challenge (or opportunity) anyway. We don’t know, maybe someday, you might just meet me there on that same terminal with my backpack on while writing my next story at the back of this map:

Bound to General Santos