All us South commuters would be so doomed without these shuttles. Really…read more If there weren't shuttles transporting us back and forth to Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa and Cavite, we would all be taking several buses, jeeps, trikes, cabs--It's difficult, inconvenient, time-consuming and may not even be affordable. You probably won't see us ever again. These shuttles that travel to and from Makati make commuting so much more convenient. Fares are reasonably priced and relatively cheap, if you consider the time and energy you'll be saving, as well as convenience. There are a lot of specific routes to certain neighborhoods and other central locations, and from the drop off points for some people their homes are just a walk or a trike away. On a good time of the day (not rush hour) it takes me just around 15-20 minutes to arrive Makati and vice versa, thanks to Skyway. Queues can get really long during rush hour (as expected), or when there's a sudden downpour, as Metro Manila traffic does not tolerate rain too well. This station is newly built for more than a year or so already. It used to be so cramped at that station underneath the Ayala MRT (it was HELL), but this station is more spacious and even has a nice selection of food kiosks, vending machines, and a clean toilet.

I'm not really from south but I love that they turned this place into a UV Express Terminal. UV…read moreExpress is one solution to EDSA Traffic because one van can cater up to 15 commuters inside. This place is a five minute walk from Ayala MRT station, and is near Greenbelt, SM Makati, Landmark and Glorietta. In North, we don't have much shuttle services or I am not really familiar that's why when I learned that my boyfriend rides here to his place, I got excited and we scheduled one day for me to experience being in a shuttle. From the Terminal, we just waited a few minutes until the van makes his way on the street. In less than thirty minutes, we reached parañaque without hassle. The thing is, when it reaches 6pm, this place gets really crowded and the lines are crazy. You can opt to eat your dinner first while waiting because there are food stalls and vending machine available in the place. I checked their toilet and it's still new and clean.

I could be wrong, but this is probably the biggest MRT station, and probably the busiest…read moreconsidering its location in the Metro. This station is practically one of the biggest hub of commuters in the Metro. I can't even begin to imagine just how many commuters go through this place. I think the government knew this which is probabl;y why they designed this place to be huge. In fact, this place probably has the most number of food stalls and restaurants along the MRT line. Heck, there's a KFC and Mang Inasal. Most MRT stations only have a wide variety of food stalls. It's a nice place if it's a empty, but a bit of a troublesome spot to be in during rush hours. I sometimes pass by here during rush hours and I swear the line gets so long that sometimes I can imagine that walking would be a better option than riding the train. This is especially true after they've cut down on the number of working trains.

MRT Ayala Station is a tricky place to be in. It's not exactly perfect especially when it's rush…read morehour and there are hoards of people in the place. The lines can drive anyone insane and the heat is sometimes unbearable. The place houses many little shops where one can buy a meal or a snack to help you stay sane in this place. Though many people hate the MRT Ayala Station, I enjoy it. It's always an experience and I never know what to expect. I appreciate the effort that the guards put in when it's rush hour and they have to make sure that the commuters stay in their line and follow the rules. The commuters are also used to the unofficial rules of this place and make life easier for everyone by preparing the exact amount needed for a ticket, standing in the right lines and not bring in items that are not allowed on the train. The people also know that they must give way to those getting off the train and try their best not to push (unless you're going too slow). Getting on a train will get you to your destination in less than an hour. If you're a girl, you're lucky. You get your own section on the train. Sometimes, I walk all the way to the end of the train 'cause there's fewer people there. Other times, when I'm really desperate, I just push myself in with the guys in their section.

If you are looking for the fastest way to get from Makati to Paranaque, I highly suggest taking the…read moreshuttle service at the basement of Makati Square. There are a few shuttles there that ply the route between Makati Square - Skyway - SM Bicutan to Russia Street inside Better Living Subdivision. The last stop is right in front of Big C before they turn back. The afternoon trip usually starts a little before 5pm so people start lining up by 4:30pm. While there are other shuttle options to get to Paranaque (namely the one in Park Square where you have a choice of Russia via Merville and Moonwalk or SM Bicutan via Skyway), I prefer the route that they take because it is the fastest and the most convenient way to get inside Better Living. The fee for the shuttle ride is P50. The drivers are also very nice and friendly. The guy who collects payments from the line is Jeremy and he's very nice. You could ask him when the next shuttle is coming and even get his number so you can text him to ask him to wait for you if you're trying to catch the last trip (of course it would depend on the situation if they would actually be able to wait for you or not, they don't want to inconvenience the other riders). The shuttle drivers and Jeremy coordinate really well and you would often hear them calling each other. I love that they are so considerate of everyone. Their last trip leaves at 8:30 but sometimes it may be a little earlier if they know that the traffic is really bad or if there are no more passengers expected, so I suggest getting there by 8pm or maybe sending Jeremy a message to see if the last shuttle has left. You would know if its the last shuttle if he hitches a ride to Better Living with the driver. There was one time that it was raining really hard and it was already 8:20 the last shuttle arrived and it was already full but there were about 10 people who were going to be left behind. The driver called one of the other shuttles to come back for the rest of the people just so they don't get stranded there. And he did. They are really an amazing bunch of guys and I often enjoy the ride home even with the pretty compact ride-sharing situation.

There are a lot of places in Makati where you can catch a ride home. Park Square is just one of…read morethose places. It was the first day of my internship and I had little to no clue where I could get a ride. My sister mentioned something about a UV express and I had thought that the only one I could go to was the one mentioned to me by co-intern. What I saw that night must be a regular sight for most people, but it wasn't for me. After walking several blocks I found myself stuck in what appeared to be a very busy parking lot. Usually, parking lots are full of cars and not people. This scenario to my mind just goes to show just how bad commuting has become in Metro Manila. How most people find work in Makati, but eventually have to go home to the other parts of the Metro. Waiting in lines for God knows how long just so they can get home as soon as they can.

Poor management Poor response of guard on duty…read morePoor treatment to stored value card holder I really experience today how they response to a bulk of commuters... Pinapasok nila ang dagsa ng tao n wlang stored value ..sa sobrang daming tao..ying mga may stored value pinapila din nila in same manner.. Madaming dumaang bagol at iilan lang ang sumsasakay kasi nkapila lahat sa pagbili ng ticket ... Ngsuggest ako to give convenient dun sa may stored value n ibahin ang pila at ng makausad at mkasakay n sa mga dumadaang bagol..hindi naniwla nagkibit balikat na lang... Kung kelan malalaa n sitwasyon saka lang aaksyon ang nakauniform na head ng guard ng LRT... POOR RESPONSE.. NAKAKASUKA

One of the more popular Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations and one of my most visited LRT terminals,…read morethe Vito Cruz Station takes you straight in front of De La Salle University, which is one of the top universities in the country and the one which is famous for its competition with the Ateneo de Manila University. Approaching this station, you will see right away the new developments and facilities which cater to the DLSU students - new buildings, a university mall right beside it. The station also leaves one in the same area as the university belt, leaving such other prominent institutions of learning like the University of Sto. Tomas and the Philippine Women's University as not too far away; just a few stations more, or a taxi or a pedicab, and you'll surely make it there from the Vito Cruz Station. But, just to be clear, the reason why I frequently get off at this station is not to visit other universities, but to go to see the CCP. From Vito Cruz Station, you only need to turn right to the street nearest to your right and walk until you reach the Rizal Memorial Stadium, outside of which orange shuttles going to the CCP Complex are located.

Have you seen those green and white multicabs roaming certain streets in Makati? In case you're…read moreunfamiliar with it, this is the B-Jeep. It was launched in 2008 as a green alternative to public transport within the busy business district of Makati. It used to run the two routes for free but now that it has been franchised, the cost to ride one is the same as a regular jeep. What makes it different (and personally my preferred mode of transport) is that it is environment-friendly. It runs a bit slow, usually between 40 to 50 kph, but since it runs on a rechargeable battery, it does not pollute and does not generate noise so the ride is a more pleasant one compared to the usual diesel PUJs. Even more unique is the way they run this franchise. You may notice that drivers are a mix of men and women, this is not something you would commonly see in our other public transport options in Manila. They also do not have to fully load the BJeep per stop since drivers are paid to ply the routes -- whether or not it is full. Meaning, they don't contribute to the already congested streets of Makati. The first route (the green B-Jeep) runs along the different streets of Legazpi Village: Salcedo Street - VA Rufino Street - Adelantado - Gamboa - Salcedo - Benavidez, Paseo De Roxas - Legaspi Street - Dela Rosa - Salcedo. The second route (the white B-Jeep) runs along the different streets of Salcedo Village: Dela Costa Street - Makati Avenue - Paseo De Roxas - Villar Street - Leviste St - Rufino Street - Ayala Avenue - Dela Costa Street. The routes intersect in Landmark so you can hop on from one route to the other from there. This really is a great movement by the Makati local government and I hope more cities adopt it soon so even if you're a public transport user, you know you're contributing to helping improve the environment.

Commuting home is like trying to decide on which boat to use to cross a river. Sometimes, I'm not…read moresure which option is the best. Taking the bus is often the cheapest way and involves two rides, while taking the train involves three rides, taking a UV express is the least stressful since its one ride, but would definitely cost the most. The problem I have with buses is that there aren't enough of them to go around (I'm probably going to get a lot of flack for that statement). Trying to catch a bus along EDSA beneath the Ayala MRT station can sometimes make you feel like your trying to get rich by playing the lottery. If you're unlucky, you'll find yourself taking a pilgrimage heading east to try and find a bus before that's empty in the hopes that you catch it before the people who don't have the energy to walk do.

This Victory terminal is just a short walk from the LRT Monumento station, so this is quite…read moreconvenient and accessible to get to. What I really like about this station, though, is that it has the most trips to or passing by Iba, Zambales - it has one every 30 minutes or so starting 4 am, unlike Cubao, which has only a few trips. You will have to take a bus to Olongapo and take another bus if you can't ride the Iba bus. So, to get to Liw-liwa Beach (great for surfing!) in San Felipe, Zambales, we rode from the Caloocan terminal and arrived at the jump-off with no cutting trips. Another time, to get to Potipot, which is already near the end of Zambales, my travel companions and I took the Sta. Cruz bus, which has trips every hour or two hours, starting 4:30 am. Also, with Victory Liner's track record, I'm somewhat confident - I've ridden to Baguio, Dagupan, and other places through Victory Liner and nothing untoward has happened.

I know this more as Araneta Center-Cubao Station. The station is the intersection between LRT and…read moreMRT station. The station is the 8th station for trains heading to Santolan Station and the 4th station for trains heading to Recto Station. The station is named Araneta Center-Cubao because it is connected to one of the most recognizable and popular landmarks for events that happen in Manila: Araneta Center Complex. Around Araneta Center are shopping malls like Gateway Mall (connected to Araneta), Ali Mall (said to made because of Muhammad Ali after 'Thrilla in Manila' happened), Shopwise, and Farmers Plaza. Of course, the main reason people go here is for Smart Araneta Coliseum. Ever since I was in college, this was were I would be for UAAP basketball games and concerts! Taking the MRT/LRT to Araneta Center was the fastest and most convenient way to get to these events. Plus, you didn't have to worry about traffic and parking. Since the location is right in the middle of Cubao area, Araneta Center-Cubao station is transportation depot for buses, taxis, and jeepneys. As with all MRT/LRT Stations, try not to go during the peak, rush hour time (yes, I know, peak hours here are ALL hours!). Also, be more aware of your surroundings and the stuff you are bringing with you. Better to be safe than sorry!