Are you a pet-lover who loves to bring your furbaby anywhere you go like me? To be honest, it is a struggle to bring a pet specially for someone like me who doesn’t own a car yet. If there’s a will, there’s a way as they say. In my case who always travel with a pet on public transportation, it is indeed true. I was told that for the longest time, it was prohibited by law to allow pets to all public utility vehicles. Until recently, there was a local mandate allowing pets in public transportation provided that they are inside a pet-carrier or a cage. The feeling was like a long, sharp dagger struck in my heart was taken out from me. It was such a huge relief because Ollie, my 3-year old shih tzu is my constant travel buddy everywhere I go. I can’t bear leaving Ollie in the hands of strangers or friends because I treat my dog as my own child.
Check our list of 9 PET-FRIENDLY HOTELS in Metro Manila HERE
Pet-friendly bus company via Manila to Bicol and vice versa
Long before the mandate informing the public that it is ok to accept pets, I have been quietly bringing Ollie to my trips to Bicol and vice versa because this is where I was born and where my family lives. Even if sometimes I have to literally beg the bus driver to let my dog in, I will do everything for him.
ELAVIL BUS COMPANY
Elavil bus company is usually the one I use when I take a Sorsogon to Manila trip. Elavil has its own bus terminal in my hometown in Irosin which makes it very convenient for me to book. This also applies to those who are looking for pet-friendly bus going to Naga from Manila and pet-friendly bus going to Albay from Naga.
The Facebook fan pages of Elavil bus company says pets are prohibited but from my own experience, it is still the discretion of the bus driver to accept a pet inside as long as it is strictly inside Elavil’s ordinary or no-aircon bus. Even before pandemic, colorum buses coming from Matnog accept pets as long as it is the one without aircon. Some drivers additionally require me to let Ollie wear diaper and ask for vaccination record specially the one for anti-rabies but most of them, they don’t care at all.
When Ollie was younger and lighter, I just put him on my lap for our overnight trip to Manila. If the bus is not full, I put him on an empty seat beside me. Now that Ollie is adult weighing 8 kilos, he is bigger and heavier! I pay for his own seat which is equivalent to 1 adult rather than suffer for 13 hours minimum inside a bus!
BICOL ISAROG
Bicol Isarog is undoubtedly the most famous bus company in Bicol region because they have sleeper bus, lazy boy (2-seaters only with bigger legroom and own CR) and regular aircon (without CR). As of the moment, sleeper bus is not open to pets.
However, lazy boy and regular aircon allow pets that should be inside cage. Furparent should also pay extra fee equivalent to one seat for the pet.
BOOK HERE YOUR BUS TICKET MANILA - SORSOGON and vice-versa
(pet-friendly seats not guaranteed. please inquire ahead to the bus liner)
Pet-friendly bus company via Manila to Tagaytay and vice versa
Last year, my friend invited me to a staycation in Tagaytay. Of course, the first thing I did is google for pet-friendly buses going to Tagaytay from Manila. I even posted questions to Facebook groups for dog lovers. Sadly, no one was able to assure me that I can bring my dog by commuting only to Tagaytay. You know what I did? I risked it. I brought him to the bus terminal where buses are waiting for passengers going to Tagaytay. I told myself if the stars won’t align that we encounter a bus driver who will say no, I will bring him back to our apartment. It is going to be a hassle if this happens because I am bringing a heavy bag and I will be late to our check-in time which I don’t wish to happen because I wanna savor every second of our pet-friendly vacation in Tagaytay.
The jeep just dropped me and my dog actually near LRT Buendia where I was told all buses going to Tagaytay pass by. There was one bus waiting to fill all of its seats to Tagaytay. I hurriedly asked if I can bring my dog inside. Without asking my dog’s vaccination card and not even reacting when he saw that my dog is not wearing diaper yet because I plan to do so inside the bus, he said YES. I wanted to scream for joy because I really do not want to go back to my apartment and leave him there even though my sister is there to take care of him for the 2 nights and 3 days that I will stay in Tagaytay.
Unlike ordinary pet-friendly buses going to Bicol from Manila then vice versa, these buses that allow pets going to Tagaytay from Manila are air-conditioned! I was not required to pay for his fair as long as he sits on my lap. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of the bus company but I was assured this bus was first waiting for passengers in PITX, Metro Manila’s premier bus terminal where all if not most of the buses that travel around the country to land-based destinations start from here.
Pet-friendly bus company via Manila to Baguio and La Union and vice versa
Last September, I and my sister booked a 7-day digital nomad event in La Union. We were surprised to know that accidentally, we booked a pet-friendly accommodation in La Union. We know it is too early to celebrate because we have to find out if there is a pet-friendly bus going to La Union from Manila. We knew Victory Liner is a certified pet-friendly bus company but we are not sure if it has a direct route to La Union from Manila.
We are running out of time, so our research was very limited. We learned Partas bus liner that it accepts pets but because our trip is gonna happen in a couple of days, it is impossible for us to complete the list of requirements they are asking.
See below the comparison of list of requirements between Partas Liner and Victory Liner to allow pets in their pet-friendly buses:
VICTORY LINER
Note: for our Manila to Baguio trip
Is there an extra fee to the pet? Yes, it costs the same as 1 adult passenger with an allotted seat
How much? It is Php 500+
Does the pet is required to be inside a pet carrier or cage? Yes, all the time
Does the pet should wear diaper? Yes, all the time PLUS a muzz
Is there a need to book ahead of time? Booking online has extra processing fee but we did it anyway to be assured that we have seats when we get there. Paying personally to the office of Victory Liner doesn’t have extra processing fee but no way will I go there if I can just pay online conveniently! I am not sure but the extra fee is between 60-90 per head. I paid 3X of that plus 3X of our fare (me, my sister and Ollie).
NOTE: The email confirmation is per person or per dog. Victory Liner is very strict about this because this is the only proof of payment they are looking for. I did not realize, that I only showed one email thinking that all of our names are there. Good thing, I was able to locate the other 2 email confirmation for Ollie and my sister.
BOOK HERE YOUR BUS TICKET MANILA TO BAGUIO and vice-versa
(pet-friendly seats not guaranteed. please inquire ahead to the bus liner)
PARTAS LINER
Note: for our La Union to Manila trip
Is there an extra fee to the pet? According to Partas Liner’s Facebook fan page, yes, HOWEVER, we were not asked to pay for my dog as long as Ollie sits on my lap. Since the travel time is 6 hours and my sister and me can take turns for Ollie to sit on our lap, we opted not to get him an extra paid seat.
Does the pet is required to be inside a pet carrier or cage? According to Partas Liner’s Facebook fan page, yes, HOWEVER, the bus driver and bus conductor did not even told us to put him inside a pet carrier which we have in case they require us.
Does the pet should wear diaper? According to Partas Liner’s Facebook fan page
Is there a need to book ahead of time? Booking online has extra processing fee but we did it anyway to be assured that we have seats when we get there. Paying personally to the office of Victory Liner doesn’t have extra processing fee but no way will I go there if I can just pay online conveniently! I am not sure but the extra fee is between 60-90 per head. I paid 3X of that plus 3X of our fare (me, my sister and Ollie).
Other requirements (via Partas Liner’s FB fan page)
Permit to Travel from Bureau of Animal Industry
Updated vaccine record showing the latest rabies shot
Should be 3 months old and above
Must have eaten already at least 6 hours from travel
Must have taken a potty before the bus ride
Will be the last one to choose from remaining seats after the rest of passengers who have no pets were able to choose their desired seats
MOST OF ALL, the bus conductor will also ask passengers one by one if they are fine with a dog aboard. If there’s one who would say NO, the traveler with a pet won’t be permitted to take the ride and will wait for another bus of Partas with the same destination for the same condition. If there’s one who would say NO, he or she won’t be allowed to get inside with his or her dog. This is shitty idea FOR US! We do not have the luxury of time to wait until there’s a bus that all of the passengers are fine with a dog via Partas Liner.
We also contacted Viron Liner which has Manila to La Union route via Facebook fan page. I just can't take what they have told us. They should have told us to leave our pets or else risk to die inside the compartment!
GENESIS TRANSIT BUS
We just watched Sachi The Explorer's FB and Tiktok showing their dog Sachi sitting comfortably to an airconditioned Genesis bus from Pampanga to Manila. According to the video, they paid 1 extra seat for their dog that is equivalent to 1 adult passenger's fare. Requirements to be allowed inside Genesis bus is the pet should have cage, wearing diaper and as always please ready the vaccination card with updated dates of vaccines specially the anti-rabies. Sachi was outside the cage and happily sitting with his dogdad.
This guide is definitely not complete but we do hope to ask for more compassion to us furparents whose happiness is bring their furbabies anywhere they go.
P.S. We are surprised that this article of ours is on top page for this topic! Please help us add more relevant information so we can help shed light on traveling with a pet in public buses around Philippines.
If you are a bus company or if you are a furparent who has similar experience that is factual, just send me a DM so we can add your knowledge here.
Note: The 12Go affiliate program I just added do not guarantee pet-friendly transportation modes. Please make sure to do your search diligently before booking.
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