TRAVELLIN' NORTH.

11th - 15th Dec 2025

A map to give you some idea of the country. The centre arrow points to Manila. The top one to Tarlac and the bottom Bohol/Panglao islands (relevant later). Distance, as the crow flies, between Manila and Tarlac is about 100 miles. So big distances by road and ferry. There is no very functional rail service…despite efforts to build one. As you can see journeys to the south of Manila involve crossing many islands. To the north is more straightforward. There are about 7000 islands (I read) in total!

I was invited to visit the sister and relations of a London based friend's Filipina wife in a farm complex in the small town of Mayantoc, which is a 45 min drive north-west of the town of Tarlac (see map). My 'host' and 'guide' for this visit was to be her nephew called Bong. Travel there was to be by bus. I was told that 'Victory Liner' buses operated good services from various terminals in Manila, the nearest to my hotel being that at Pasay.

I decided to split the journey and first go to Subic Bay, an outskirt of the large town of Olangapo on the coast west of Manila. Subic Bay was a major US naval base up until the Japanese invaded and captured the Philippines in WW2 forcing the Yanks to abandon it and scuttle a large number of ships and destroy much else in the process.

Above: There were many buses parked at the busy but efficient terminal at Pasay at which I arrived at about 8.00am expecting long delays and normal Manila chaos. Not so! Almost straight onto a bus bound for Olongapo.

Right: It was spacious, clean and comfortable and there were only about six of us on board to start with. We paid on board and it was remarkably cheap for the 4 hour journey (about £6 equiv)

The journey out to the north of the city was relatively painless and on leaving the main built up area we passed a continuous scenery of very run-down shanty towns (left).

Right:….and desirable apartment blocks!

Then out into clean air towards the town of San Fernando.

Right:…..and onwards through flat countryside with many rice fields….

Left: …and over semi-dried up river beds.

Right:…….into higher and more forested terrain with big hills in the background. The roads were in surprisingly good nick and sparse traffic, so good progress.

Interestingly, all the road warnings signs and advertising hoardings were written in English such as "keep left and make way for traffic joining" and this one (left). I later discovered why.

Right: Even the petrol tankers had warnings in English as on this one which, under the 'Flammable' sign (pity if it wasn't) was the message 'no smoking within 50 feet'. Note imperial 'feet' not 'metre' equiv.

The reason? The indigenous language in the Philippines is 'Tagalog'. However different regions speak their own dialect and not Tagalog, hence the only universally mostly understood language is English!

Into Olangapo's Victory Liner terminal and it was a 10 minute taxi ride to the hotel room I had booked on Subic Bay; the 'Cribz 217 International'. It was a large building with rooms (not all hotel rooms) you entered using a code sent by internet! There was a sort of reception desk but nothing to do with the accommodation. It worked; and my cheap room 217 was very spacious and comfortable (left). 

It even featured this monster of a 'massage' chair (right). I tried it only once as it was rather an alarming and painful experience! The downside was, as I found to be the case in some other hotels, there was no bedside light or light switches. The light switches were all far away at the door so you stumbled your way to the bed in the dark. I somehow managed to 'jury-rig' a lamp from the other end of the room to above the bed. Another common problem here, as I discovered in cheapo hotels in this part of the world, is the hot water supply…or temperamental lack of. On the plus side, there was a good laundry service.

I was kept company in the bathroom by this friendly, if shy, cockroach. I called him Colin. He even shared my offerings of crushed biscuit. We parted on most amicable terms.

I wandered around Subic Bay and, perhaps because I didn't do any research, found little of interest to see or do. The harbour area was dull and I didn't venture into the countryside. There was certainly no tourist info available.

Right: This statue was on the waterfront. It is called the 'Children of the Sun Monument' and unveiled in 1996 as part of the 4th APEC Leaders' Summit. No, me neither.

There were few attractive bars or restaurants in the area. Left: Near the waterfront I passed this place which looked reasonably inviting….except there seemed to be no staff around, or other customers for that matter. I eventually managed to find a lady who sold me a San Miguel beer.

This notice (right) was at the front door of a local Government office building next door.

I walked the 15 minutes across a bridge over an inlet into Olangapo to see what the town had to offer. It was a busy place with, as in Manila, an over-abundance of 'fast-food' joints such as MacDonalds, KFC and the Philippine favourite 'Jollibees' amongst others. Chicken, in all it's varieties, features

predominantly on all the menus. All very popular with the locals, but not my choice of eatery.

It is surprisingly difficult to find a quiet and pleasant 'homely' café, bar or restaurant.

A walk around town revealed little of great interest. Right: A 'festive' arrangement.

Left: A 'meaningful' piece of advice stuck to somebody's balcony. I'm not sure if I do this…but will try in future.

Right: Nice to know in case you need it. Not many British NHS establishments would dare to boast this.

Left: This statue in a leafy Square captured my interest as the inscription on the base was barely legible. I discovered it is of the first 'Mayor' of Olangapo, James Gordon. He was one of four sons of an American Marine serving in Subic Bay. His parents and siblings returned to the USA but he married a Filipina lady and stayed. He was a very popular mayor from 1963 - 1967 as he managed to stamp out much corruption and gangsterism in the town. Unfortunately one of the 'gangsters' assassinated him (shot him) as he was giving an address in the town hall in 1967. Well, he tried!

Back to my hotel which did have the advantage of having a useful convenience store next door called 'Uncle John's'. This is a chain of stores in the Philippines on the same lines as 7-Eleven shops. Talking of which there is a 7-Eleven on just about every street in Manila. Most convenient for a traveller, as they also have reliable ATM machines and take card payment. There are, apparently, over 4000 of them in the Philippines.

Right: I eventually found an attractive restaurant/hotel quite near my hotel called The  Aurora. It had a pleasant dining room with a decent (not all chicken!) menu and helpful staff. The decorations outside were colourful.

Well that rather sums up a not particularly fascinating visit to Subic Bay and Olangapo.

Onwards next up north (by Victory Liners again) to meet the gang at the farm at Mayantoc. I'm getting there slowly!