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Buses, vans and trains in the Philippines
Philippine long-distance buses leave from company terminals, not one central station, so the company decides where you board. In Metro Manila, Victory Liner runs to Baguio from Cubao and Pasay, Ohayami and Coda Lines to Banaue from Sampaloc and Cubao, and Ceres Transport to Batangas Port from Buendia. In Cebu, buses north leave from the North Bus Terminal at SM City Cebu and buses south from the South Bus Terminal. In Palawan, Cherry Bus and shared vans run Puerto Princesa to El Nido.
Philippine bus companies and their terminals
Metro Manila, by corridor:
- Baguio: Victory Liner from Cubao and Pasay, day and night, with some trips sold online and the rest at the terminal; Solid North from Cubao and PITX, from about ₱840 sold online for November 2026.
- Banaue: Ohayami Trans from Fajardo Street at Lacson Avenue, Sampaloc, at 22:00 for ₱860; Coda Lines from the HM Transport terminal in Cubao in the evening, continuing to Bontoc and Sagada. The Baguio to Banaue bus is one Ohayami night bus each way.
- Batangas Port: Ceres Transport hourly from Buendia, about two hours; JAM Liner and DLTB from Buendia and Cubao; buses also from PITX. The bus must be signed for the Pier, not the Grand Terminal.
- Clark airport: Genesis P2P buses from NAIA Terminal 3, PITX, Trinoma and Cubao, roughly ₱310 to ₱520 before the September increase added 15 percent to P2P fares.
Cebu. The North Bus Terminal is inside the SM City Cebu compound in Mabolo; the South Bus Terminal is on N. Bacalso Avenue. For Moalboal, take the Ceres bus signed Bato via Barili, not Bato via Oslob: ₱240 with air-conditioning, three to four hours.
Palawan. Cherry Bus runs Puerto Princesa to El Nido at 07:00, 09:00, 11:00 and 21:30, with pickup at the airport, city hotels or the Irawan terminal, ₱795 to ₱1,260 on its own booking page for November 2026, depending on the class. Shared vans from several small companies cover the same road and Port Barton.
Davao. Every provincial bus uses the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal at Ecoland until the planned Bunawan, Toril and Calinan terminals open.
Bus ticket discounts, refunds and overnight buses
Fares went up on 28 September 2026. The increase the franchising board had approved took effect that day. Provincial buses charge more per kilometre, ₱2.45 on an air-conditioned bus and up to ₱3.35 on a luxury coach, P2P buses 15 percent more, and in town a traditional jeepney costs ₱14 for the first four kilometres and a modern one ₱17. A fare printed before that date is too low.
Discounts. Victory Liner gives 20 percent off to senior citizens and PWD, and like Coda Lines sells discounted tickets only at the terminal booth.
Refunds and rebooking vary a lot. Victory Liner tickets are non-refundable except for force majeure or a cancellation by the company, and can be rebooked once, within 15 days of the trip date, for a 10 percent charge. Ohayami refunds only up to the day before travel, at half the fare, and on the day allows only a rebooking or an open ticket requested three hours before departure.
Check-in. Victory Liner asks passengers to check in 20 minutes before departure. Cherry Bus collects passengers an hour before departure in Puerto Princesa.
Night buses arrive at awkward hours. Coda Lines' buses reach Banaue around 04:00, and the 21:30 Cherry Bus reaches El Nido around three in the morning. Arrange where you are going before you board.
Classes are not just seats. On the same route a regular air-conditioned bus, an express that keeps to the expressways, and a coach with a toilet can all be on sale; on a long night the toilet matters.
Shared van companies in Palawan
Where no bus runs, or runs rarely, shared vans fill the gap. For November 2026 about a dozen small companies, Palajuanders, MLRJ, Island Travel and Tours and Eulen Joy Express among them, were selling Puerto Princesa to El Nido vans online at ₱715 to ₱1,082 a seat. On the Port Barton road, SBE Transport's vans started at ₱600. Vans sold online usually start with an airport or hotel pickup.
Trains in the Philippines: Manila's LRT and MRT, and two short PNR lines
The Philippines has no intercity rail network and no train between islands. In Metro Manila there is urban rail: LRT Line 1, LRT Line 2 and MRT Line 3.
Half price on two lines. Since 23 March 2026, the transport department has cut fares on LRT-2 and MRT-3 by half for every passenger, until further notice. The discount applies with a Beep card or a single-journey ticket.
Tap a bank card on LRT-2. Since 13 July 2026, all 13 LRT-2 stations accept contactless Visa and Mastercard cards, phones and watches set up for contactless payment, and GCash QR at the fare gates, so you no longer need a Beep card for that line. On LRT-1, buy a Beep card or a single-journey ticket.
The national railway's Metro Manila commuter service closed on 27 March 2024 to make way for construction of the North-South Commuter Railway, so guides written before then describe a train that is not running.
Outside Metro Manila the national railway runs two short local services: a train a day each way between Lucena and Calamba, south of Manila, reopened in July 2025, and trains around Naga in Bicol. Its Naga to Legazpi section has been out of service since November 2025, when Supertyphoon Uwan damaged the bridge at Guinobatan in Albay, and was still suspended in July 2026 while repair materials were being procured. Ask the Philippine National Railways whether it has reopened before planning on it.
Philippine bus companies in operation
| Operator | Where it runs | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Victory Liner | Luzon: Manila to Baguio, Manila to Zambales and related corridors | Running |
| Ceres Liner | Dominant Visayas, Mindanao, Negros, Panay and Zamboanga operator | Running |
| Genesis Transport | Luzon: Manila, Baguio and Ilocos corridor | Running |
| Philtranco | Formerly Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Davao and Northern Mindanao | Service suspended |
| Cherry Bus | Puerto Princesa to El Nido, four departures each way, with pickup at Puerto Princesa airport, city hotels or Irawan. | Running |
| Ohayami Trans | Manila (Sampaloc) to Banaue and Lagawe overnight, and Baguio to Banaue. | Running |
| Coda Lines | Cubao, Quezon City to Banaue, Lagawe, Kiangan, Bontoc and Sagada. | Running |
Bus and van routes with full timetables
Common questions about Philippine buses, vans and trains
Where is the bus terminal in Manila?
There is no single one. Each company runs its own: Victory Liner in Cubao and Pasay for Baguio, Ohayami in Sampaloc and Coda Lines in Cubao for Banaue, Ceres Transport in Buendia for Batangas Port, and PITX for some southbound buses, including to Batangas.
How much is the bus from Manila to Baguio?
Victory Liner raised its fares with the late-September increase and had not put the new table online by the 30th, so ask at the Cubao or Pasay booth. For November 2026 Solid North was sold online from Cubao at ₱842 to ₱950 for its Deluxe coach and from PITX at ₱1,298 for Luxury.
Do I need to book a bus in advance?
On once-a-night routes, yes: Ohayami's 18:00 from Banaue to Manila had three seats left on the day in late September 2026. Victory Liner's Baguio buses run day and night, but since 17 September 2026 it has been combining some trips, so allow time at the terminal.
Can I get a senior citizen or student discount online?
Usually not. Victory Liner and Coda Lines sell discounted tickets only at the terminal booth, where the ID is checked.
Which bus goes to Moalboal from Cebu City?
Ceres, from the South Bus Terminal, signed Bato via Barili. Bato via Oslob goes down the other side of the island.
Is there a train from Manila to the provinces?
No long-distance train. The Metro Manila commuter line closed in March 2024. The national railway still runs a daily Lucena to Calamba train and short trains around Naga in Bicol, but the Naga to Legazpi section has been suspended since November 2025.
Are shared vans in Palawan reliable?
They run all day, but not always on time.
Reviews of Puerto Princesa to El Nido and Port Barton vans from February to September 2026 describe departures one to two and a half hours late, time spent collecting passengers around town, and extra roadside pickups. The van company on the morning you travel.
Bus companies and transport agencies cited
- Victory Liner
- Ohayami Trans
- Coda Lines
- Cherry Bus Palawan
- Provincial Government of Cebu
- City Government of Davao
- Philtranco
- Philippine National Railways (PNR)
- Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)
- DOTr (Department of Transportation)
- LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board)
- Philstar
