Cagayan de Oro City to PITX bus guide

Yohance Express Inc runs Cagayan de Oro City to PITX on one ticket, on Daewoo coaches, with no change of bus anywhere along the way. It is the eastern nautical highway route: up the Misamis Oriental coast to Butuan and Surigao, across the Surigao Strait to Southern Leyte, over the San Juanico Bridge into Samar, across the San Bernardino Strait to Bicol, and down the highway to Paranaque.

Route overview and terminal information

Buses board at the Agora Bus Terminal in Cagayan de Oro and finish at the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange in Metro Manila. Departures are 4:00 AM daily from both ends.

• Average travel time: 48 to 54 hours end to end - two nights on the bus, plus whatever the two ferry queues add.
• Departures: One trip a day in each direction, leaving at 4:00 AM.
• Fares: P4,671.00 for the air-conditioned through ticket. No Student, Senior, or PWD rate has been posted for this corridor yet.

The route, island by island

The corridor is easier to hold in your head as five legs than as a list of ninety-odd stops.

• 1. Northern Mindanao to Caraga: Out of Agora along the coast through Tagoloan, Jasaan, Balingasag, Gingoog City, and Carmen into Butuan City, then north through Cabadbaran and Jabonga to Surigao City.
• 2. The Surigao Strait: The bus boards the RoRo at Lipata Port and lands at San Ricardo on the southern tip of Leyte.
• 3. Leyte and Samar: North through Sogod, Abuyog, and Dulag to Tacloban City, then over the San Juanico Bridge into Samar and up through Catbalogan City and Calbayog to Allen.
• 4. The San Bernardino Strait: The second crossing, Allen to Matnog, which is the gateway between the Visayas and Luzon for every bus on this highway.
• 5. Bicol to Metro Manila: Sorsogon City, Legazpi City, Naga City, and Daet through the Bicol Region, then Quezon province via Gumaca and Lucena City, San Pablo City, and finally Alabang and Las Pinas into PITX.

Practical travel tips

• Pack for two nights, not one: Forty-eight hours is the optimistic figure. Bring a jacket for the aircon, something to sleep against, and a power bank - a two-day trip outlasts most phones several times over.
• Carry cash: The stops are provincial terminals and roadside canteens for most of the way. Card acceptance thins out quickly once the bus is past Butuan.
• You get off for the crossings: Passengers move to the ferry's passenger deck for both sailings rather than staying in the bus. Take your valuables and anything you will want during the crossing with you.
• Weather owns the schedule: Both straits close in rough weather, and the San Bernardino crossing at Matnog is one of the first to suspend sailings during a storm. Check the forecast before committing to a fixed arrival.
• Confirm what the ticket covers: Ask at the terminal whether the ferry fares are inside the P4,671.00, so nothing is a surprise at the port.