Taking the RORO: An Exciting Road Trip from Manila to Bacolod

It was an epic road trip that I have taken ever — a road trip from Manila to Bacolod via RORO, bringing my car with me in this whole adventure. This one took me to four major islands in the Philippines and six ports. More importantly, it was a road trip that led me back to home.

After two decades of spending my life in the capital, I’ve finally decided to be with my family once again. I had to think hard, really discern for it, and prepare for this grand adventure. (Read my post “Preparing for my Road Trip to Home”.)



I’ve traveled for six to ten hours to various parts of Luzon, the largest island in the 7,107-island nation of the Philippines. I’ve ridden overnight buses and trains across Southeast Asia traveling from one country to another. I’ve taken a nine-hour train ride in California, from Los Angeles to San Francisco. But this trip is one for the books.

Through this article, not only do I want to take you with me through the journey I had, but I also want to share with you pertinent information that will be useful for those who want to embark on a similar adventure. I had to do intensive research and make several phone calls.

Also, I had to ask advice from those who have taken the same route from Manila to Bacolod. I needed information on the cost, the time line, and other minute details necessary for the trip. Equipped with those, I was more than ready to take the Strong Republic Nautical Highway through the Roll-On, Roll-Off (RORO) barges.

However, please note that this trip was taken in 2014 and rates, requirements and processes may be a lot different by this time you read this blog.

Road trip
Our route in yellow.




ROAD TRIP STARTS – Manila:
Day 1 – 11:50 am; 62,200 km in my meter

The sun was scorching hot as we loaded my things inside my hatchback car. Good thing that all my stuff fit perfectly at the backseat and the back compartment. I had to seek the help of my uncle who flew all the way from Negros Island to Manila to help me drive through unfamiliar roads.

But first, I had to take the wheel while we were still in Metro Manila as I was more familiar with the streets and highways as well as the traffic rules in the city.

We made a short stopover at a gas station along the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) in Muntinlupa, the last city of the National Capital Region in the south, for lunch and gas. At half past 12 noon, we continued with our sojourn and, this time, my uncle driving the car. We passed through various towns of the province of Laguna.

Road trip
STAR Tollway from Laguna to Batangas.

The drive from SLEX to the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Toll was easy and fast as both highways are now interconnected. There were some parts of the STAR Toll that were being repaired and only a single lane was used at that time. Still, the ride was smooth and swift. By 1:40 pm, we were already at the Batangas port.

Batangas is a province in the southern part of Luzon. Batangas Port, located in Batangas City, is one of the busiest ports in the region.



RORO at the Batangas Port:
Day 1 – 1:40 pm; 62,277 km

As we entered the port, we were told to proceed to Gate II where a guard at a booth handed us a ticket for the Arrastre of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and for the toll gate fee. We drove towards what seemed to be a parking lot and a man signaled for us to proceed through a lane. He asked us of our destination and pointed us to a guard who let us inside the pier.

From there, we proceeded to enter Montenegro Lines’ Reina de las Flores which was bound to leave at 2:00 pm. All these we did without even having to step out of the car or line up at a booth. We paid for the car and extra passenger inside the barge.

The two decks above were full. The lower deck had an air-conditioned area where passengers could dine and watch television. The upper deck had beds and benches where passengers could rest during the trip.

Oil depots at the Batangas port.
Oil depots at the Batangas port.

The ship left at 2:26 pm, 26 minutes delayed, passing through oil depots and the Verde Island Passage. I preferred to stay outdoors where I could see the view and take photos. Yet, halfway through the trip, when no breeze could be felt, I wandered around the ship and stayed at the front deck below the bridge.

Suddenly, the three-island group near Mindoro was already in sight. Baco Chico Island was the largest, followed by Pulong Gitna (middle island), then by Pulong Munti (small island). Further on, Calapan pier was already visible. With more than two hours at sea, we finally docked in Calapan at 4:44 pm.

Calapan is the city in the province of Oriental Mindoro, which is near the famous Puerto Galera beach. Mindoro is a two-province island known for Mt. Halcon, the tamaraw, the Mangyans, and various beaches and waterfalls.

We had to visit my mother’s cousin who has migrated to Calapan, where we opted to stay for the night. As they live in Barangay Sapul in Calapan, we had to traverse Roxas Drive and pass by the Calapan City Hall before we got to my aunt’s house.

Calapan port.
Calapan port.



Calapan, Mindoro Oriental:
Day 2 – 6:00 am; 62,286 km

Leaving Brgy. Sapul at 6:00 in the morning, we took the C5 road to the Strong Republic Nautical Highway. Passing through the towns of Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud and Bongabong before we got to Roxas was easy because of the signages erected in strategic areas and distances. Also, the welcome arches for every town were artful and colorful.

Beautiful signages of towns in Mindoro Oriental.
Beautiful signages of towns in Mindoro Oriental.

My uncle was able to drive through Mindoro Oriental to Roxas port in about two and a half hours. But as we got to the port, we encountered the biggest setback in our trip. Although I was warned by those who plied the same route who had to contend with the challenges at the Roxas port.

RORO at the Roxas Port, Mindoro Oriental:
Day 2 – 8:35 am; 62,408 km

We parked and walked to the PPA office only to be told to go to the Montenegro office first, which was a few meters away. Sadly, the person at the Montenegro office told us that we couldn’t take the 8:00 am trip, although it was already 8:35 am at that time, as the ship was still docked at the pier (again delayed) because we never made it to the cut-off.

Montenegro Lines office at Roxas port.
Montenegro Lines office at Roxas port. I was coming from the PPA office and had to walk back and forth through this street on a hot day.

From my research, I thought there was a 10:00am trip only to be told that the next trip was at 12:00 nn. As I asked around the Montenegro office, as well as with other passengers and the vendor at the pier, I discovered that there were only four trips during daytime and all were by the Montenegro Line. There was the 4:00 am, the 8:00 am, the 12:00 nn, and the 4:00 pm. At night, there were more trips as Starlite had two scheduled trips at night.

The window at the Montenegro ticketing office.
The window at the Montenegro ticketing office.

So we were told to come back at 10:30 am for the ticket as no reservations were allowed. We decided to eat breakfast and wait until the office opens again to issue tickets for the next trip. At 10:15 am, there was already a long line outside the office.

As the windows finally opened, we were given by the man at the Montenegro office a booking slip and told us to pay first the dues and Arrastre at the PPA office and come back to pay for the ticket. Since it was approaching high noon, the sun was unbearable but we had to go a few meters away towards the PPA. After settling the fees, we had to go back again to the Montenegro office for the ticket.

Passengers were already impatient especially that the office opened at about 10:40 am. While battling for the first slots at the line, I met Joy and her brother who were on their way to Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte in Mindanao. They, too, were heading to Caticlan and Bacolod and onward to their ultimate destination.

The gate of the Roxas port in Mindoro Oriental.
The gate of the Roxas port in Mindoro Oriental. I was standing near the alley to the Coast Guard area.

There was one guy manning the cashier vis-à-vis the long line of individuals and vehicle owners wanting to purchase tickets. I guess maybe because there were a few trips and only a single shipping line was operating at daytime, the process was a bit of a hassle at Roxas port.

Bear in mind that when you take the RORO, there are no reservations or advanced booking, so all the tickets for the barge were purchased at a first-come-first-serve basis. And when we thought everything was fine, we were stopped at the gate to ask if we already had the approval of the coast guard. I had to walk through a narrow alley to the back of a building to a makeshift office to get the coast guard’s pass.

To the coast guard office.
To the coast guard office.

As we entered the port’s premises, we ate at one of the stalls and waited until we would be allowed to board the car to the barge. Other stalls were also selling local products. My uncle bought garlic, which he was able to haggle at P200 a kilo, which was already P280 to P360 in the markets of Manila and Bacolod, respectively.

Reina Timotea.
Reina Timotea.
Boracay island at the background.
Boracay island at the background.

While we positioned our vehicles at the mouth of the Reina Timotea barge, officials told us that passengers had to board the ship first. Joy asked me and my uncle if they can join us towards Bacolod as they did not know the way.

The 12:00nn schedule was again not followed as the ship left port at 1:05 pm. And instead of just four hours at sea, we arrived the Caticlan port at around 6:00 pm. We passed Tablas Island of the province of Romblon before we entered the Panay Island area.

The ship went slow at the area of Boracay Island, famous for the white sand beach, to wait for another ship to first sail out from the Caticlan seaport. While at the area of Boracay, we watched flying fishes, parasails and colorful boat sails. Resort hotels perched on hills could also be seen from the ship’s deck. Several planes took off from the Caticlan airport.

Caticlan Port, Aklan:
Day 2 – 6:00 pm

Caticlan port must be one of the busiest ports in Western Visayas. This is due to the large influx of tourists going to Boracay. As we arrived, officials asked us to get off the car to step on a large rug with disinfectant. From there, we proceeded towards the Aklan West Road. At first, the view at the coast of Caticlan was breathtaking because of its picturesque mountains and beaches. But quarries and construction projects seemed to be destroying these natural views.

Caticlan port.
Caticlan port.

As there are a lot of national highways in the island of Panay, I had to rely on my phone’s GPS to navigate us to Dumangas. My uncle drove through zigzag roads, uphill and downhill, and through road repairs as we tried to make it to the next port at about 9:30 pm, based on Google Map’s calculations, which was not translated to reality.

The whole route was estimated to take us to about three hours and a half but we were able to finish it at almost six hours. The highway was already dark and we had to navigate carefully through the route. We had to stop several times to check on Joy and her brother who were following us but we lost them along the way. Also, at 9:30 pm, when we realized we couldn’t make it to the schedule, we decided to stopover at Tres Hijos Restaurant in Passi, Iloilo.

The way to Iloilo.
The way to Iloilo.
Spectacular coastal view in Caticlan.
Spectacular coastal view in Caticlan.

Dumangas Port, Iloilo:
Day 2 – 11:30 pm

It was past 11:00 pm when we got to Pototan and Dumangas. We decided not to stop by another aunt’s house because of the lateness of the hour and we already wanted to get to Bacolod at that time. We braved through a narrow dusty road with high grasses on both side. The fish ponds were not visible on the dark night but we knew that we were surrounded by water.

At 11:45 pm, we entered the gates of the Dumangas port and Montenegro’s Maria Teresa was getting ready to leave at midnight. After paying the usual Arrastre at the PPA office, which took us in less than five minutes, officials directed us towards the barge, were we paid for the fees onboard.

Boarded Maria Teresa.
Boarded Maria Teresa.

There were a few passengers but all of them have occupied the benches, lying on them as they took their sleep. Although this was the shortest sea travel in our journey, with just an hour and a half, we fell asleep easily as it was already late at night and we were tired from the long journey. It seemed like we slept through an entire night before the ship signaled that we were docking at BREDCO at the Bacolod port.

Sadly, this is the only port in the entire journey where we had to pay for a fee as we arrive. But all’s well that ends well as we arrived home at past 2:00 am, happy to finally reach our destination.

FINISH – Bacolod BREDCO port:
Day 3 – 2:00 am; 62,627 km




Below are some information that you might find useful:

Expense Cost
Luzon  
SLEX toll fee P 214.00
SLEX toll fee 25.00
STAR toll fee 67.00
Batangas port gate 30.00
Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Arrastre 129.00
Fare – car with driver 1,536.00
Additional passenger 192.00
Mindoro
Roxas port toll 30.00
Marshalling fee 40.00
PPA Arrastre 129.00
Fare – car with driver 2,944.00
Additional passenger 391.00
Terminal fee 15.00
Panay
Vehicle pass 12.00
PPA Arrastre 129.00
Fare – car with driver 960.00
Negros  
Port fee 375.50
TOTAL P 7,218.50
   
Other info:  
Gas consumed 30.83 liters
Arrival at Bacolod port 62,627 km
Total km covered by the car 427 km
Total hours on the road 10 hours 20 mins
Total hours at port (waiting and sea travel) 11 hours 45 mins

Total hours of travel including stopovers and overnight: 38 hours and 10 mins.



26 Comments

  1. Great blog post, your a great writher

  2. Great article, Claire! I hope to do this one day. Land-and-boat-trip through the various islands from Luzon and Mindanao, just to see the beauty of the countryside. 🙂

  3. Pingback:Vehicles For Road Trips & Land Travels | First-Time Travels

  4. What are the documents needed to travel your car?

    • Basically, the OR and CR are needed. Have several photocopies of this as well as of your driver’s ID. Just bring other papers pertaining to your vehicle.

      • Thanks Claire!

        How about other person will travel my car, do you know if LTO clearance still needed? Or just authorization letter is enough together with all the documents needed.

      • I’m not really sure about that. I think they will ask for more documents for security reasons. The Philippine Port Authority is the one checking the documents for the arrastre. I guess you can check their site and direct your queries to them just to be sure.

  5. ian cuevas

    maam good day po, marami lang akong katanungan regarding sa byahe
    1. pag dating ko ba sa port na loading area nila panu ang process? i mean kailangan ko pa mag book ng ticket dahil may dala din akong sasakyan? or on the spot punta lang dun then dun na aayusin lahat?

    2. pag may dalang sasakyan anung requirements ang kailangan nila both sa sasakyan at sa driver?

    3. for example may karga na mga baggaes ang loob ng sasakyan clothes things etc, pinapatanggal ba nila?

    maraming salamat po..

    • 1. No need for reservation. The ports I went to were on a “first-come-first-serve” basis. You just have to pay the fees.
      2. Be sure to bring your OR/CR with photocopies. Of course, bring your driver’s license as well.
      3. No need to take your cargo out of the car. My vehicle was full when I brought it from Manila to Bacolod.

      • hi maam, with regards po dun sa ARRASTRE ng PPA, para saan po ba yun at kung every port ba magbabayad ng ganun? at anu po yung requirements para dun?

        kung napansin nyo po andami ko ng tanung sa inyo, pasensya na po, gusto ko talagang gawin to para na din ma experience ko. laki pasalamat ko sa blog nyo dahil malaking tulong ito.. naging inspiration ko po kayo at kahit medyo kinakabahan ako eh itutuloy ko po ang byahe with your information given mas lalo akong nabubuhayan ng loob 🙂

      • The arrastre is paid at the port. Every port has a PPA. Just present the OR/CR and bring your driver’s license at all times. Good luck on your trip!

  6. Ma’am, nagawa ko po sya.. maraming salamat sa tulong nyo.. nag sulat din po ako ng konting info kahit papano…

    maraming salamat po sa info. GODBLESS

  7. Mam im here in Bacolod, planning to take my motorcycle to Manila, I will take the same route vice versa, right? Thank Mam

  8. Mam if im going to Manila with my motorcycle, I have to take the same route vice versa, right? And fewer fees on motorcycle?

    • Yes, I think that would be the case. It would be the same route going back and probably fewer fees for a motorcycle.

      • I’m planning to visit Sipalay when this COVID thing ends. Really enjoyed reading your blog. Very informative and will help a lot for those who are planning the same trip. It was a great trip indeed.

  9. Plano ko po na mag travel from Batangas to Bacolod next year at napakalaking tulong ng blog na ito dahil nagkaroon ako ng idea kung ano ba ang mga dapat gawin.

  10. Hi. My family and I will be doing this next year (Dec 2020). Any part of the trip when/where you felt unsafe? For example, a particular stretch of road that seemed too “deserted”, with very few other vehicles passing? We should probably time some sections of our drives to ensure we pass those specific roads at daytime.

    Thanks.

    • There was a part from Capiz to the northern part of Iloilo province that seemed deserted. It was around 10pm at that time but so far our drive was smooth. Also, a family we met on the RORO from Mindoro to Aklan drove behind us, which was helpful at that time.

  11. Jun Vallente

    Very informative article! You’ve given all the ups & downs of your journey! Same as ours when we traveled from Manila to Bohol. Truly, that the infos given by the google map hours of travel is far from reality, but somehow..still helps. To others who are planning, always remember that you can only reach your destination when u bring with u a lot of patience & endurance. Congratz to you, honored & gifted blogger!

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