Cebu Cebu trek

Okay, folks, asking for some help here....Wednesday I will go to Cebu via fastcraft very early then hopefully there will be a bus on the other end to take me to the other side? This is my first time relying on public transport going there, so need input from those of you who are familiar? Will there be a bus to pick up people from the fast craft? Easiest way to get to immigration once we get there? Plan on returning same day....feasible? Thanks!!

 

If you take the fastcraft from Sibulan there almost always is an AC bus waiting on the other side. It will drop you at the Cebu South bus terminal. From there take a waiting taxi to BI. It may be feasible to go up and back on the same day, but I sure wouldn't want to try it.

Larry

 

On Jan 9 or 10 I did that trip. The terminal at Sibulan gives out reservation numbers for your seat on the bus once you get to the other side. On that day it was very busy, so busy that my GF and I had to get our reservations on the 2nd bus they were bringing. When we got to the Liloan side the first bus was over full so the conductor went up and down the aisle kicking off everyone who did not have a reservation number so there were a few of us waiting for the second bus. 10 minutes later my GF had to use the CR. Seconds later the bus pulled up. I was standing there trying to explain that I was to go on that bus but my GF was peeing and the conductor said something that sounded like: "You gotta be waiting for the bus, the bus don't wait for you" and they drove away. When my GF came out a half minute later I was grumpy and she went to ask when the next bus was. It was in about 45 minutes but it was probably going to be full of people coming on the next ferry who already had a reservation number. I asked what to do and was told to hike up the hill to the main highway and catch the local bus that would be passing through soon. 15 minutes of uphill walking saw us at the top of the hill, 5 minutes later the bus came and we made it to Cebu 4 hours later.

Public transportation works, but it ain't all its cracked up to be.

 

That's pretty normal. About half the time if the first bus is full, the second bus is a POS, so we walk or take a trike up the hill to catch one going by. We almost never take the seat assignment in Sibulan because I want to pick my seat, not be assigned one, and I won't ride all the way to Cebu in a crappy seat or a crappy bus. Almost always the bus you catch at the top of the hill will be empty, or nearly so, as the route starts just 5 km up at Bato.

When it's not busy there are no seat assignments in Sibulan.

Larry

 

would not Tagbilaran be a better 'alternative' BoI destination out of Duma than Mandaue?

 

Okay, folks, here is how it went down today.......On the 5 a.m. fastcraft to Cebu, on the bus to Cebu by 5:30, arrived in Cebu 9:15 a.m.. Things were looking VERY good!! Until I step foot into the BOI in Cebu to hear (sorry, we are offline), proceed upstairs, do my fingerprints (that is done on your own, BTW), then go see Wally to have him check over the papers and notarize.
Told, again, you will have to wait to do the update because we are offline. I ask when do they think it will be fixed? Dumb looks, and he says "come back tomorrow!" I say, "I can't just come back tomorrow, I have to get this done and return today". He says, "come back next month, there is only a 200php penalty"...."penalty?? But I am here today, it is not my fault the computers aren't working!" He says, "we go home at 5pm, if it isn't working, nothing we can do, come back". Lots of folks there from Dumaguete, BTW, many in the same boat (pardon the pun)....we need to catch a bus back to Dumaguete today. I was beyond frustrated that we were forced to go to Cebu, but then they couldn't do what we needed!! As I gave up and was walking out, Lo and behold, the computers came online andI got updated, got my stamp from Wally, paid and was DONE!! Had lunch, back to the bus station for the 4 o'clock bus, found out it broke down, we have to catch the 6p.m. bus........finally on the bus at 6:15, back in Dumaguete at 12:30 p.m. What a day!! But we got 'er done!!

 

Glad it worked out for you redneck. I went last month for an ECC and would hate to do that trip in a day .. or at all for that matter lol I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the idea that there is a BOI in Duma but you can't take care of many BOI requirements there.

 

My trip yesterday....

Arrived Sibulan port 7am. paid my P70, signed the manifest, accepted my seat assignment for the bus as the lady said the fast craft is leaving now, so off I went...Arrived 20 minutes later to find the bus ready to go with my seat ready for my skinny @ss to plop down. Arrived Cebu South terminal around 11:30am. Walked out to a taxi and arrived Boi around 12 noon. Wow they were actually open at lunch time and full of people, went upstairs to see the very nice guy(surprise surprise) who checked and made some minor corrections, glued on my Picture, did my thumb prints and sent me to the window to get my previous annual payments confirmed, ( I had 4 years of receipts and a notarized copy of my record from Dumaguete BI).

Then I was directed to the cashier that only seemed to be doing the payments for the residents, paid P310 and out the door I went 15 minutes later. Grabbed a taxi back to the bus terminal, had a doughnut and coffee, walked out for a smoke and the conductor said to get on we are leaving and no time to smoke. Anyway, arrived Liloan pier 5pm, waited an hour for departure and was having a beer at my favorite watering hole by 6:30pm with friends.

While having a beer, a friend and DI member started a very understandable rant!!!! "I filled out 12 pages of forms to get my 13a and it's all on the F!$#@*# Icard chip and number, so why the hell do I have to go through all this sh*t just to tell them what they already Know"!!!

Well what else can I say? Except good luck to the next one.

Ron

 

This is an ideal report!! Mine had some hiccups, but worked out in the end.