How to Commute in the South of Metro Manila
If you’re based in the cities of Las Pinas, Paranaque or Muntinlupa, you may have noticed the scarcity of cabs in the area. Perhaps this is because this area, until fairly recently, has been mostly residential, but it also may be because there are only a faew main roads here. A lot of interesting places to go to are inside private subdivisions and so may be difficult to access if you don’t have your own transport, but not to worry! Philippine Primer has prepared this guide for you.
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The minimum jeepney fare as of this writing is P7.50. This is for the first 4 kilometers. Additional fare for every succeeding kilometer is P1.20. You can ask the jeepney driver how much fare you’d need depending on your destination, but most of the popular destinations in this area are all within 4 kilometers of each other.
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We are using the mall Alabang Town Center (ATC) as the starting point as it is one of the most popular meeting places for travelers in the south.
Here are some directions on how to get to some of the most common (and fun!) destinations in the South:
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via Jeepneys
ATC to Festival Mall / South Station* / Crimson Hotel
From the Alabang-Zapote entrance of ATC, get on a jeepney with a sign that says ‘Alabang South Station’. This stops at the jeepney terminal of South Station, from which you can walk to Festival Mall or Crimson Hotel.
* South Station is where you can board buses/jeepneys that will take you to Muntinlupa City proper, as well as the provinces further south such as Laguna and Batangas. There are signs that show the cities the buses are bound for, but you can also ask the bus conductors and drivers in the area if you want to be sure.
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ATC to Northgate Cyberzone / Bellevue Hotel
From the Alabang-Zapote entrance of ATC, get on a jeepney with a sign that says ‘Alabang South Station’ or ‘Alabang Starmall’. Get off the jeepney once you see Toyota Alabang on the right side. A building labeled ‘Convergys’ should be on the left. You can walk to the different offices in Northgate Cyberzone and Bellevue Hotel from here.
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ATC to Sucat Road (Dr. A Santos in Google Maps)
From the Alabang-Zapote entrance of ATC, get on a jeepney with a sign that says ‘Alabang South Station’. At South Station, you will find jeepneys that have signs that say ‘Pasay’, ‘Sucat’ or ‘Bicutan’. These jeepneys pass the service road in Sucat, from which you can access different subdivisions such as Alabang Hills, Intercity Homes, Hillsborough, etc. It also passes the area where Sucat Road intersects with the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
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ATC to BF Paranaque
From the Alabang-Zapote entrance of ATC, you can cross the street via the overpass to board a jeepney that has signs such as ‘Baclaran’, ‘Zapote’, ‘Moonwalk’ or even ‘SM Southmall’. Any of these jeepneys will pass the entrance to BF Paranaque, which you can find on the right side of Alabang-Zapote Road, across from a Wilcon Builders Depot and just before the old Toyota Alabang building.
Once you get off the jeepney at this intersection, you have to walk a few meters to the tricycle station. The tricycles can take you anywhere in BF Paranaque, including the commercial areas like Aguirre Ave., El Grande St., or President’s Ave. The fare depends on the distance you’re traveling but most destinations will cost you around P20 – P40.
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ATC to SM Southmall / Robinson’s Place Las Pinas / BF Resort / Las Pinas City Hall
From the Alabang-Zapote entrance of ATC, you can cross the street via the overpass to board a jeepney that has signs such as ‘Baclaran’, ‘Zapote’, ‘Moonwalk’ or ‘SM Southmall’.
Any of these jeepneys can take you to SM Southmall. If your destination is farther, it would be best to take the jeepneys that are labeled ‘Zapote’, as this takes you to the other end of Las Pinas City, or ‘Baclaran’, which can take you all the way to Manila via the side streets near Coastal Road.
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ATC to Makati Area / Further North
From the Alabang-Zapote entrance of ATC, get on a jeepney with a sign that says ‘Alabang Starmall’. This stops on the second floor of the parking area of Starmall in Alabang. From there, you can walk through the inside of the mall to reach the terminal that has buses to the following places: (1) Magallanes, where you can take the MRT; (2) Ayala Avenue, where you can access Glorietta, Greenbelt and other Makati malls; (3) and farther north, as far as Fairview in Quezon City.
The bus fare depends on the distance you’re traveling, but the first stop (Magallanes) will cost you around P36.
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via Shuttle Vans
There are several shuttle vans you can take to specific destinations such as Tagaytay, Dasmarinas, San Pedro, Nuvali and other popular towns/areas in Cavite and Laguna. They are air-conditioned and are able to pass through private roads so you’ll be able to avoid the congested traffic on the main roads where the public buses and jeepneys pass. It’s a more comfortable ride, but these vans don’t leave the terminals until they are full. That means that if you’re the first person to board the van, you will have to wait for around 10 or 11 more people who are going to your same destination to arrive. These rides are also more expensive. Trips cost around P40 to P80 depending on your destination.
They leave from ATC, Festival Mall and SM Southmall. They mostly follow mall hours so are available from around 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. However, due to the number of destinations and the differences in the schedules and routes of these vans, it is difficult to detail all the trips that are available. Luckily, it is easy to ask about these shuttles from the staff of the malls mentioned.
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via Cabs
Cabs are rare but not non-existent in the South. If you must take a cab, you can find them in the parking areas of malls such as Starmall, ATC, SM Southmall and even at the entrance of BF Paranaque. Some can also be found in the areas of hotels such as Bellevue Hotel, Acacia Hotel and Vivere Hotel.
If you would like to arrange for a pick up, you can call TAI Taxi, which has a terminal at SM Southmall. Their number is +632 801 1093.
Happy commuting!
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Photos and article by Ida Irigo
