Summer is fast approaching, and this April would be the best time to unwind for a vacation with your barkada. What's more, is that there's a bunch of holidays this April where you can spend a day-off. If you're wise, though, you can plot your vacation leaves in a day before or after a holiday. Here to show you an infographic below: If it happens that you have no work on weekends, consider plotting your vacation leave on 8 April. Otherwise, you may spend your vacation on Holy Week with 17 April as your vacation leave. Imagine where you and your friends could go on a four-day trip? Additional info: PIA Western Mindanao
Each place here in the country has its local means of transportation. And in the City of Golden Friendship, there's what do they call Motorella. Motorela is a midget type of transport that is almost in the form of a jeepney. It's an indigenous motorized rickshaw that runs with a motorbike and is attached at the center. It can carry 3 to 8 passengers at the same time, and this ride is commonly popular in the Northern and Central Mindanao. Recently, BecomingFilipino who happens to be a foreigner and an online blogger went to the mountains of Cagayan De Oro with the city's Motorela. He then shared his experience on a Facebook Post as he had fun with this ride. In his post, he says that Motorelas in Cagayan de Oro are unique, and can be a lot of fun when you pile in with friends. "I do like how you can just yell at the driver where you want to go. Unlike jeepneys, they don’t have the same set routes. If the driver stops and nods, you just jump in!" the blogger added. Motorela in the city is surprisingly cheap. For as low as PhP 7.00, you can experience to ride with one of these and roam around the city's bustling streets. What's more, you can share this ride with the locals as drivers pick passengers along the way. "For 7 pesos you get to share a laugh, feel the unique slanted motorized putter, and get connected to what is local" The downside though is that Motorela is too small and you might get cramped up with these. But that's the beauty of this ride since it allows you to pile up with your friends and with the locals. It's a unique experience that no other sharing rides could offer. And since you're in the City of Golden Friendship, it would be highly likely that you can mee a friend along the way. By the way, you may follow BecomingFilipino on his Facebook fan page by visiting his fanpage at the link below. Additional inputs: BecomingFilipino
Earlier this month, we feature PARTAS with their new Golden Dragon Navigator. But if you think that was enough for PARTAS, well... Think again since they have another luxury bus from Golden Dragon that is still hiding in their garage. Introducing, PARTAS' Golden Dragon Triumph. The seats are wide and of absolute comfort. Complimented with wooden flooring, the looks inside is total perfection for its passengers. Like PARTAS' Golden Dragon Navigator, the class and style of this bus won't disappoint you. It also has buspads, USB Ports for mobile charging, a foot and leg rests, Wi-Fi on Board, and a restroom. Buckle up! For these seats are equipped with seatbelts. Isn't it great that this bus wants to ensure your safety? Each seat has Portable Tablets, also known as buspad that can provide as an entertainment-on-board. Each one is accompanied by a USB charging port that enables you to charge your mobile devices along the way. On her spec sheet, this bus is powered by a 6-cylinder inline diesel engine, 6 gear manual transmission with an Air Suspension System, and an Anti-lock Break System (ABS). It has a power of 288Hp and has a torque of 1351 N.m, a powerful engine that has adequate speed for a luxury bus. There's no disclosure yet whether where these buses would be assigned for, but PARTAS is serious to dominate the competition. With their presence in the north and now on the south, it is no surprise if this Road Runner bus will soon to take the lead on Philippine transportation. Additional Info: Golden Dragon
Zamboanga City is known for Chavacano Language, Spanish-inspired Architecture, diverse culture, and Curacha with Alavar Sauce. Unfortunately, the city is also known for its awful transportation. And it started with a feud between the city's tricycles and the taxis. Unlike tricycles in most cities where they serve for a particular Barangay or in a zoning area, tricycles here in Zamboanga roam the entire city to take passengers. And to take that into perspective, Zamboanga City is three times the size of Metro Manila. That's how big the scope of these tricycles that they ran into, every day. By the time when the news came in that Taxis in Zamboanga is coming back, it wasn't sounding good news for the tricycle drivers. They hated it for it sparked competition with each other. And although tricycles may gain transportation dominance in terms of numbers, the competition goes stiff due to some factors: Incidents of tricycle drivers, overcharging their passengers. In an article posted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, tricycles in Zamboanga City were tagged as "vultures", creating a bad impression of the city. This, after a passenger, was charged for PhP 1,500 for a ride from Zamboanga Port to Guiwan (that's about 4.2 kilometers or at least 20 minutes ride from a tricycle). Another incident happened just recently when Mara Estrada came from Cebu for a vacation. As she arrived from the airport, she rode a tricycle to KCC Mall De Zamboanga (that's about 1.7 kilometers or at least 10 minutes ride via tricycle). At her surprise, she was charged by the tricycle driver for PhP 300.00. She refused to pay the driver, and so the driver did not let her go and continued running despite they arrived at the destination. To make things worse, the driver asks for another PhP 100.00 for her refusal. She then had no choice but to pay the driver and to settle things over. But she posted this on Facebook with a photo of the tricycle involved. Tricycles are given a fare matrix by the city's Tricycle Adjudication Board (TAB). Accordingly, passengers have a flag down fare of PhP 20.00 and will add PhP 8.00 for each succeeding kilometer. Unfortunately, said matrix was failed to follow by the tricycle drivers. Now that taxis came around, they became a new alternative from these hefty tricycle drivers. Fares in taxis are monitored by its meter. Tricycles don't. Following the overcharging issue, Zamboangeños loses confidence to ride with tricycle drivers. So when the taxis came around to serve the city, Zamboangeños found a new alternative for their transport. One thing with these taxicabs is that each has its own taxi meter that regulates and dictates their fares for each ride. It is an old tech that has been used in taxicabs across the globe for generations. And this is what tricycles don't have in comparison. Tricycle fares in Zamboanga are dictated with an estimate by its drivers. This in spite of the presence of the fare matrix for tricycles, as prescribed and mandated by the TAB. Taxis in Zamboanga have a flag down rate of PhP 40.00, with an additional PhP 13.50 for each succeeding kilometer. Although this is more expensive in comparison with the city's tricycle, as mentioned earlier the suggested fare for tricycles coming from TAB seemed to be neglected by the tricycle drivers. This gives Zamboangeños a better choice to take a taxicab instead. There are times that taxis here are cheaper than tricycles. No joke! In a Facebook post from Jio Salvador, he shared his mother's experience when she was going home from the city's bus terminal. His mom tries to call for a tricycle, but the tricycle immediately asks her PhP 150.00. She refused and had thought to take a taxicab instead. She later realized that she made a better decision as she found out that it only took her PhP 120.00 and not PhP 150.00. Once again, this is because fares in taxicabs are regulated with a taximeter, unlike the tricycles that doesn't. Since tricycle drivers are the ones who dictate the fares, they can manipulate it depending on their discretion. Tricycles are aging, most are from the 70s, 90s. Tricycles in Zamboanga are aging, most of these tricycles are utilizing Yamaha L2 and the Yamaha L2 Super, a motorbike that was introduced in 1972, and has become popular as tricycle in the following years. Imagine these tricycles are now 47 years old, that's even older than of the drivers themselves. Other tricycles on the running are of Kawasaki HD III, Kawasaki HDX, Honda TMX 125 Classic, Yamaha YB 100, and Yamaha 100cc. These bikes are manufactured in the late 90s to early 2000s and are now 15 to 20 years old. This is not likely in taxicabs where the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) mandates that any public transportation under their jurisdiction must be at age 15 years and below. But let's be clear here, TAB is not under LTFRB, and so the tricycles in Zamboanga City is not under the jurisdiction of the LTFRB. Tricycles are not barkada friendly. The more you are inside the tricycle, the higher the fare would be. It's a rule of thumb by all tricycle drivers here, for more passengers means more load to carry. So it is that you go with your barkada or with a friend, might be that tricycles aren't a ride for you. Take a taxi instead, where the fares won't increase regardless of how many passengers there are. The more luggages you have, the more you pay as well. Likewise, it's a rule of thumb by all tricycles here that the more you load, the higher the fare would be. So if it then happens that you've been having a lot of carriages, expect that you'll pay an extra for that. Besides, carrying luggage at the back of the tricycle takes an effort for the driver to secure that with a rope. Such an effort makes a tricycle driver think that it is an extra service and serves as an additional charge. Stupid reasons from these drivers, just to make the fare higher. These drivers will give you a lot of reasons to make their increased fare valid. Some will say "It's too far", or "The road is too steep". Whenever it is raining, they will say "There are fewer passengers for me to pick when it is raining". Others would reason out their living saying "It's harder to pick passengers today, unlike yesterday", or they would blame the gas and taxes like "There's an oil price hike today". Most of these reasons are of stupid ones, especially these drivers are given a suggested fare matrix by TAB, and it is labeled on each tricycle. Indeed, it's depressing to become a daily commuter in Zamboanga City. But it's good to note that Zamboangeños are given more options for their daily transport. Otherwise, if this won't be fixed by the tricycles themselves, then there's more reason for Zamboangeños to ignore these tricycle drivers. Although we don't say that all tricycle drivers are terrible, to admit, most of them are. And if they won't change their ways, then neither their livelihood would be affected. Additional info: Philippine Daily Inquirer. Mindanao Economic Boom
The northern runner, Viron Transit is now offering special discounts to women, to celebrate Women's Month. On their Facebook page, Viron Transit announces that all women passengers shall be given 10% discounts from 15 to 31 March 2019, in celebration of this year's Women's Month. Women passengers must depart from their terminal. The discount won't be added on top of any existing discount such as Senior Citizen's discount or Student Discount, and only minimum fare shall apply. For more information about this discount, kindly click this link below: Info source: Viron Transit
Mindanao is blessed this year with new luxury buses from the Yanson Group of Bus Companies. And of course, it's not just Rural Transit of Mindanao that has these Kinglong XMQ6128AYWs. Their other affiliate, Bachelor Express has these luxury buses too. The Butuan-based affiliate, Bachelor Tours has these buses since January, the same time when Rural Tours of Mindanao launched these buses. Likewise, it still has Buspads, Luxurious Leather seats with leg and foot rests, Portable trays, Free Wi-Fi on board, USB Ports for mobile charging, and a Restroom. Likewise, the seats are perfectly comfortable. The feels inside is like you're in an airplane. These seats are made with leather, and the floor has a touch of wood. The overhead compartments can be closed, just like in an airplane. This feature is to secure your belongings, especially once the bus is running on a long-and-winding road. The portable tray and cup holder are surely come in handy. Here, you can lap your snacks and drinks along the way. Of course, there's the buspads for your wholesome entertainment. Just set-up your headphones with that and you're good to go. Speaking of buspads, it has movies and music that may suit your interests. There's also a USB Port in each buspad for your mobile charging. A non-stop ride between Davao and Butuan from these buses would cost you PhP 739.00, with 20% discount for Students, Senior Citizens, and PWDs. It's a perfect ride for you to visit Surigao, in case you're from Davao. Speaking of Surigao, you might check The Vyoo Point with her blog to see the beauty of Surigao. Link to her Facebook page is provided below: Additional info: The Vyoo Point
As part of their fleet upgrade, Joanna Jesh Transport unveils brand-new Volvo B7R Citybuses for their FTI-Navotas route. Although this is a Volvo bus, the manufacturing of the coachbody and its interiors was made by our very own AutoDelta Coach Builders in Subic, Zambales. The bus is powered by Volvo's D7E diesel-powered engine, at Euro 5 standards with a power of 290hp. The air suspension is electronically controlled with front and rear stabilizers, so you can assure a smooth ride from this one. The brakes are powered by Volvo's Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with a twin circuit system and Volvo's disc brakes that is combined with EBS 5-controlled Anti-lock Breaking System. Interiors of this bus look great and are better than of other city buses where seats are made of plastic. Here, the seats are at least made with fabric and cloth. The floors are wooden, and everything inside it looks decent and clean. The isle is wide, and is designed as well for standing commuters, just like in a train. As for the impression, we would say "18 stars" for this one. The current rise of these low-entry buses is now noticeable on our roads, thanks to the government's effort to implementing transport modernization, and to our private companies like Joanna Jesh Transport to upgrade their fleet. We hope that there will be more of these buses in the future. Additional info: Volvo
In a report from The Philippine Star, bus drivers and conductors shall receive a fixed salary starting this coming Saturday. According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), they want to end the 'boundary' system for bus drivers and employees and would lessen themselves to drive recklessly. In an announcement by the Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, he said that bus drivers and conductors will be given their salary at a fixed rate, just like regular employees do. "When drivers are on a commission basis, they drive recklessly. They get as many passengers, so they can get big commissions. That is dangerous.", Bello added. DOLE believes that with the fixed salary of our bus drivers and conductors, reckless bus drivers would be lesser as our bus driver's salary is given on a fixed rate. Buses will be also discouraged to overload since the drivers are expected to receive a fixed salary, and would not be based on their boundary. There would be a lesser chance for our bus to be overloaded as the boundary system is eliminated. Although there are some instances that overloading and standing passengers cannot be avoided, especially during rush hours when the demand on these buses are at its peak, at least these won't happen at all times. Bus drivers would also prefer organized schedules and queuing rather than to get their buses full. And since their salary is fixed, there is no need for the driver to please as many passengers as they could for their salary won't affect even if they only had enough passengers. And since the standard of their salary will be the same of those regular employees, bus drivers and conductors would encourage themselves to get at work by night for higher pay would be given to them because of the night differentials. Thus, there will be no shortage of buses by night. Sadly, this would be a bit costly for some bus operators, especially for small players. But with the new salary system for the bus drivers and conductors, this would improve their performance and self-esteem at work. The boundary system will be eliminated, so there's no reason for the drivers to get pressured on getting enough quota. At the end, who will benefit the most here is the riding public. And it would be nice if everyone would get a win-win solution in improving our daily transport. Additional sources: The Philippine Star, Yugatech
Sweden is well-known for a lot of things. From ABBA as the most iconic pop group to PewDiePie as the most subscribed YouTuber, Sweden takes the lead in the global stage. And so when it comes to machines, there's Scania that is well-known for trucks and buses. Just last January, P&O Transportation introduces Marcopolo Audace 1050 that is powered by Scania K360 engine. According to its specification sheet, Scania K360 is powered by EURO III engine with a maximum power of 265kW (360hp). It has a cruise control and a speed limiter that assures a smooth ride on this bus, with a state-of-the-art cooling system and hydraulics. The interiors of this bus look neat and simple. Seating configurations are on 2 x 2, giving you bigger seats and a wider aisle. These seats do have legrests for a better-relaxed seating, and a cupholder, for your drinks. Unfortunately, it does not have Portable Tablets inside, but 5 Flat Screen TV is there for your entertainment needs. In addition, the bus has USB Ports inside that enables you to charge your smartphone or your gadgets inside. The engine may be Swedish, but Marcopolo Audace 1050 is a design that comes from Brazil. Most of its kits and interiors are coming from Marcopolo, but the engine and the chassis are from Scania. Back to the engine, Scania is one of the most reputable manufacturers when it comes to trucks and buses in the world. Its durability has been attested in the world's roughest roads and on the severe climate. So by that name itself, you can say that Scania by the name itself is a brand that you can trust. As of today, there are only two of its kind here in the Philippines, and P&O Transportation is the only bus operator of this bus. We do hope that there would be more buses of this kind in the country, and this may take a matter of time before it would become as popular as those of Japanese and Chinese brand buses. Sources: Scania Malaysia, Scania, Marcopolo China
At long last, the terminal building and its major upgrade for Ipil Airport are now almost complete. In a recent Facebook update courtesy of Zamboanga Sibugay Congresswoman Ann K. Hofer, she shows pictures of the airport's final touches as the construction is now almost complete. In her post, the Zamboanga Sibugay Solon announces that a startup airline company is proposing to operate rural air services from Ipil to Davao and from Ipil to Cebu as early as April 2019. She didn't disclose what airline it might be, but this may be announced in the near future. The airport is currently serves as a community airport. Before the upgrade, it used to be an airfield, that caters light aircraft for cargoes and small parcels. The airport's runway is quite short, but it can surely handle light aircraft and regional airliners like of Bombardier Q400, ATR 72-600, or Dornier 328-100. The airport is also something to look forward to planespotters for the area is currently wide open and the runway is located near the National Highway. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Hoffer has requested additional funding for the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in this year's national budget to cover the minor improvements needed for the airport to become fully operational this year. Once operational for commercial flights, it will become a reliever airport for Zamboanga International Airport in Zamboanga City. Additional sources: Congresswoman Ann K. Hoffer FB, Manila Bulletin, Wikipedia
PARTAS, a bus company led by Luis Chavit Singson had purchased new buses from Golden Dragon, the Golden Dragon XML6129J18. Also known as Golden Dragon Navigator, it is currently the flagship model of the Golden Dragon and is one of their latest product. According to Golden Dragon, the bus is equipped with an OM457 diesel engine and has a maximum power of 295 kW. The engine is also featured with an eight-speed AMT transmission gearbox, and introduces the whole set of Powertrain from Mercedes Benz that has met all requirements for working at speeds ranging between 80 to 100 km/h. Being the flagship model, this bus is truly impressive. The futuristic looks of this bus, that is designed with ergonomics, luxury and comfort have given a huge impression. Golden Dragon wants to give a whole new experience for its passengers. According to their website, they design this bus with the ultimate entertainment experience. Each seat is equipped with Portable Tablets, also known as BusPads. It also has USB Ports for mobile charging. The isle is guided with LED lights. This is just one of the bus' features aside from having a portable restroom, free Wi-Fi on board, and each seat has its own footrest. The seats are also made of premium leather and the flooring has a touch of wood. The Golden Dragon Navigator was first introduced in December 2017 at a Busworld Exhibition in Kortrijk, Belgium. The bus became the head-turner and is no wonder why PARTAS chooses these bus model as an addition to their ever-expanding fleet. According to our sources, she will be assigned for Sampaloc - Laoag route. As for PARTAS, they shall be one of the launch customers of these units in the Philippines, along with Cagsawa Bus Line. Additional sources: Golden Dragon
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