This month, I traveled to Naga to witness and shoot the Kamundagan Festival 2023 Opening Parade. As you all know, I’ve recently started a festival-focused YouTube channel. Since I wanted to travel to Bicol once again, the Kamundagan Festival seemed like a great reason, right?
For someone like me living in the South, PITX is a blessing. We don’t need to travel to bus terminals in Pasay or Cubao to catch a bus to Bicol. I’ve been an avid commuter, using PITX whenever I go to Manila and back to Cavite.
So, when I’m traveling to provinces like those in the Bicol Region, PITX is also my top choice. It was inaugurated in 2018 and is currently the largest inland port in the Philippines.
As I planned my trip to Naga, I decided to take the evening bus. With an approximate travel time of 10 to 12 hours, I would arrive in Naga early in the morning. After checking the schedule of buses, I chose the 9 PM bus schedule of Raymond Bus.
I arrived at PITX at 8 PM, an hour earlier than necessary, which is ideal. It’s always recommended to arrive at the terminal at least one hour before your scheduled trip. Once you arrive at PITX, here are the steps to take the bus to Naga.
Curious to know what’s inside PITX? Check out this walking tour from Jon to the World Walking Tours Channel.
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1. Proceed to Ticket Booths 1 (Aircon) and 2 (Ordinary)
There are assigned ticket booths for many destinations at PITX. For Bicol trips, the assigned booths are Booth 1 for air-conditioned buses and Booth 2 for ordinary buses.
Since I prefer an air-conditioned bus, I proceeded to Ticket Booth 1. Please be aware that there may be situations where someone will approach you and ask if you’re going to Bicol. I believe they work for specific bus companies and receive some form of commission for referring passengers. That’s what I experienced; someone approached me, and once I said I was going to Naga, he offered a different bus company. However, I had already researched everything and decided to go with Raymond Bus.
He was offering a bus to Sorsogon that would pass through Naga. It’s a good option, but I preferred a bus that would go directly to Naga Bus Station. I don’t want to be dropped off other than the Naga Bus Terminal.
I experienced this during my previous travel to Sorsogon, where some passengers were dropped off along the highway in Naga. I didn’t want to experience that again.
2. Buy the Ticket
Since I had already decided to go with Raymond Bus, scheduled for 9 PM, I went directly to its booth and purchased my ticket.
One advantage of buying tickets directly is that you can choose your seat. Naturally, I chose a window seat. I paid PHP 950 for a direct trip to Naga Bus Terminal.
3. Go to Your Assigned Gate and Bay
Once you have your ticket, there will be an assigned Gate and Bay for your bus, as well as the boarding time. Take note of these details and ensure you’re there on time before the boarding time.
In my case, the bus was assigned to Gate 4, Bay 22. I also bought some snacks and drinks before heading there.
4. Boarding Time
If it’s your boarding time, proceed to your assigned Gate and Bay. Don’t worry, you can ask around, and someone will assist you in locating your bus’ Bay number.
Be proactive in going there because, based on my experience, it’s not guaranteed that someone will always announce the arrival of your bus. So, if it’s your boarding time, head there.
5. Enjoy the Travel
The travel time to Naga is approximately 10 hours. Raymond Bus is comfortable, with wide seats arranged in a 2×2 seating arrangement and a CR (toilet) on board.
I’m glad I was able to get some sleep during the trip, even if it was just for a few hours. We arrived at the Naga Bus Terminal around 6:30 AM.
Going back from Naga to PITX is straightforward. Just head to the Naga Bus Terminal, which is near SM Naga and easy to find. Look for buses bound for PITX there; there are many of them.
Overall, I enjoyed my travel experience to Naga, tasting Kinalas and covering the Kamundagan Festival. I hope to return soon and explore more of the city and Bicol as a whole.
Bus Schedule from PITX to Naga
Here are the bus companies that offer trips to Naga from PITX, along with their schedules:
Currently, Raymond Bus and Penafrancia have daily schedules from PITX to Naga. Please note that you can also take buses to Sorsogon, as they pass through Naga. However, these buses mostly do not stop at Naga Bus Terminal. This can be an option, but I suggest prioritizing the below bus companies that travel directly to Naga.
Raymond Bus
5:00 PM – Naga City
7:15 PM – Naga City
9:00 PM – Naga City
Penafrancia
8:30 PM – Naga City
By the way, if you’re curious about why I traveled to Naga, check out this video of the Kamundagan Festival that I filmed there.
