The Paved Road Connoisseur - Luzon Leg Part 6

Cement or asphalt? Mixed? Before or after election? Administration or Opposition? When you travel close to 1,800 kilometers of the Maharlika Highway or the Pan-Philippine Highway you will be an expert on what would be the best material for paving roads. and if you have traveled from the Northern Philippines all the way down South many times over you would also know when the best time to travel is so that your brain remains intact at the end of the trip and your vehicle is still road worthy! If you follow Philippine politics and are very observant then you also would know who is close to the current administration and who is not!

I would go for asphalt anytime though I have to qualify that. It would make for the smoothest travel if and only if they follow the required thickness for the expected load of vehicles traveling. Unfortunately most of our asphalt paved roads seem to have an expiry date! And they all seem to deteriorate at exactly the same time all over the country. Around 1 year before election date which is every 3 years. And cement which is supposed to be more durable actually has the same expiration date. The Philippines is situated in the ring of fire and the Maharlika or Pan-Philippine Highway is in the Eastern coast facing the Pacific. Using cement is not practical at all. Sections would detach from each other and cracks would dot the pavement due to the earth's movement. The National Government has been repaving this highway for decades and we are supposed to have the best engineers in the world yet we still have one of the worst Main Artery road in Asia!

During this trip I was expecting that the section of the Highway in the Province of Samar would be the worst. It always held that distinction for me based on my previous road trips. I was so surprised to find out, that was no longer the case.The section from Lucena to Naga now holds that distinction, a total surprise considering this connects two very progressive cities.

The best and most well maintained would be from Legaspi all the way to Sorsogon and the port of Matnog the gateway to the Visayas. I remember two straight stretches at least 5 kilometers long sandwiched between rice fields. You have to be wide awake at these parts though or else you just might doze off as the drive would be too relaxing.

If you plan to make this road trip you won't need a 4X4. A small car would still do but if you are in a bit of a hurry a vehicle with bigger tires would be a necessity. A pick-up truck would be perfect for hauling various knick-knacks, fruits, and souvenirs along the way and the smell of which won't bother the passengers inside. I still feel bad not being able to buy the tasty Vinegar in Quezon Province.

Depending on your car's fuel efficiency it is safe to assume you would utilize One and a half full tank of gas by the time you board the Ferry from Matnog to Allen, Samar. Matnog is 650 kilometers away from the city center of Manila. Refill for a full tank at Naga or Legaspi City and you would be assured to reach Tacloban City with enough to spare. Cash is still king in the province, your plastic may in fact stay in your wallet as soon as you leave the island of Luzon. Gasoline prices though will be very expensive in Samar and Leyte compared to Luzon. Expect to pay 10% to 20% more! The ferry will charge you roughly Php 2,000 (46US$) for the transport of your vehicle and 4 passengers. It will be a short trip across, around one and a half hours only. If you left early from Naga like I suggested you would be able to take the 12:30 pm ferry even with the Mt. Mayon pictorial and a comfortable breakfast in Legaspi City. The ferry would leave the Matnog port every 2 hours. If you want to reach Tacloban City early in the evening you have to take this 12:30 boat ride.

Like I previously mentioned in my past blogs the road signs are very visible and clear. The metric system is in use and the language is in English. Beware though in the City of Iriga. The right turn sign in the middle of the city that says "To Legaspi" is actually placed after the street that you are supposed to take! I actually ended up in a one way street opposite 2 huge trucks and a cabal of police officers very much ready to issue me a traffic citation. An apologetic smile and clear explanation of why I ended up there got me off the hook. If you are a foreigner, then good English with an accent will even get you an escort back to the right way. If you look Filipino however please don't even try using that slang it will just get you into more trouble, they're used to family members or relatives who work for call centers speaking that way :-).

It took me 6 articles to finally leave the island of Luzon but in fact it will take just 12 to 14 hours drive. It is highly suggested that in a road trip like this, one should take his/her own sweet time. Take as many stops as you can. Stretch as many times as possible. Open your car windows because this is one of those rare moments.

Why the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) will always be a strong voting block, why you should own SM and Jollibee and why these topics belong to this road trip blog.

Don't worry this is going to be apolitical as much as possible. I just wanted to share a distinct pattern that I observed traveling from Manila all the way to Polomolok, South Cotabato.

The minute you exit the South Luzon Express Way every major city, town and barangay ( village ) will always have a well kept and maintained INC church. During my first road trip on the same route way back in 1992 this was already the case and the churches have kept their shine and luster ever since. Last Sunday while driving from Naga to Tacloban I also observed how well dressed in their Sunday Best the INC faithfuls are. They would all be seen from town to town trooping in groups on their way to church. No jeans, no shorts. Men in slacks and polo, women in dresses. The kids are similarly smartly dressed. The church doors are closed during the service and there would be no one loitering outside of the church. We often stereotype them for voting as a block during election but we hardly talk about their discipline and decency. Maybe Filipinos are not undisciplined like we are wont to comment. Maybe there's just not many of us who belong to the INC.

Two decades after that trip and Jollibee, SM, Mercury Drug have blanketed the countryside. In fact I would determine how far I am from my destination based on the Jollibee markers on the roadside. For sure that Jollibee would be in the city center. SM on the other hand makes traveling easier since most would be situated in newly created diversion roads that allow you to sidestep the busy, narrow, and crowded old town roads. I swear it has become the new town center creating new businesses around it including having mass schedule just before the mall opens. Genius! These shares will always be a buy in my books on a dollar averaging strategy. Nothing can be more Pinoy than Chicken Joy bought from an SM Mall. Ditto for Mercury Drug should they plan to list :-). Oh I'd buy me some SMB shares too. I lost count of the number of SMB delivery trucks we have seen on the road :-).