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I am Never Riding BICOL ISAROG Bus Line Again!

I have always dreaded going to Bicol because of the long bus ride.Lately,I heard they have good buses.Luxury couch kung luxury.The bus comes with it's own restroom too.So I thought it's high time to experience the region.

Bought Luxury Couch tickets via Isarog bound Naga for me,my wife and three other friends.It was all good at first.I even thought if all provincial buses are like this,traveling would be #fun.But fun turned into horror when the bus was suddenly engulfed in smoke in the middle of South Superhighway.The engine malfunctioned.We hurriedly got out (panicky),scared it might explode or something.

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I am Never Riding BICOL ISAROG Bus Again

We were all relief that nothing serious happened and thankful this happened within Metro Manila.Imagine if it were in the middle of Quezon Province or somewhere remote?We also thought a replacement bus would come handy since we were 30minutes away from their terminal in Cubao.

30 minutes,1hour,2 hours and no sight of the replacement bus.Stress building.
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30minutes standing along South Superhighway.
More than 2 hours total  waiting for the bus replacement at Bicutan exit.
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 FAIL MOMENTS

The replacement bus finally arrived after almost 2hours waiting.An hour or so prior to that,our driver said the bus was already on it's way.Ok,it took the bus an hour to navigate Cubao to Bicutan exit at 11pm.Kalokohan!

Then,when we are about to leave,we had to wait a few minutes more coz the driver seem to be having some problem again.We learned that he is cautious to travel coz his driver's license was with the towing company and the tow truck has already left with his license in it.Nakalimutan nyang kunin.Fail!

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To be fair,he compensated for the lost time.We arrived in Naga City at exactly 7am.That means +/-7hrs from Alabang exit.The bad road network especially somewhere in Quezon + the ordinary seats meant we were not able to sleep well the entire duration of the trip.We were already haggard even before exiting Manila and more so where we arrived in Naga.

Again,the bottom line is, glitches do happen.Machines do malfunction.I understand perfectly that bus engines (or any engine for that matter) do wear and tear.It could be forgiven.But the way Bicol Isarog Bus Line handled the situation is not!

Their drivers/conductors don't even have load credits to make phone calls.Kami pa na mga pasahero ang nagpahiram ng cp para makatawag sila.

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from luxury coach to ordinary aircon :(
from Glam to gurang :(
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Their response was tooooo slow.
And they said all buses were out coz it's Friday night so they have no reserve buses similar to our bus.Huwattttttt????

And they a twitter handle which I was tweeting real time but until now,na-publish ko na tong entry,wala parin silang reply?

Do we don't deserve even a simple "we are sorry for the inconvenience" pampalubag loob? What about a part refund? Coz we paid 900php for luxury seats but we ended up in an ordinary aircon bus?

Well,I am not really pursuing the latter,I smell more headache if I do.For now,all I can say is, ---I AM NEVER RIDING BICOL ISAROG BUS LINE again!


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Comments

  1. Thanks for the tip. I'll remember this the next time I go to Bicol. :)

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  2. How sad, I can feel the stress of waiting of 2 hours just for the replacement bus to come. Well, incidents like this are preventable at most times. Sometimes we need to bring a lot of patience while traveling.

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  3. akala ko nung una strategy mo lang na sabihin na ayaw mo na sumakay sa bus line tapos bibigay mo ng good review... yun pala talagang ayaw mo. hahahaha

    sablay ang eksperience.

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  4. That is one lousy response to an emergency situation. I bet, that twitter handle is only for the show. A malfunctioning public transport vehicle that is suppose to deliver a safe public conveyance is surely an upset. I wonder if they check their units before a trip is being made.

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  5. Next time you'll go to Bicol, you should check Philtranco or Penafrancia. I think they have better coach or buses. Isarog is relatively new compared to Philtranco who has been in the transport business for a long time.
    7 hours from alabang to naga. Karerista yata driver niyo. Nakakatakot yung speed niyo. Good thing you arrived safely. Normally it takes 8-9 hours from Manila to Naga.

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  6. whatta experience kakatakot!
    naku buit na lang wala talagang nangyaring masama sa inyo
    thank GOD

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  7. natawa naman ako sa tag line from GLAM to GURANG hahaha. at it shows talaga sa pics - Ropper

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  8. Natawa nman ako sa tag line from GLAM to GURANG hahah, and it shows sa pics na hagardo versosa si Teresa. hahaha- Ropper

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  9. sa booking pa lang dito sa maynila, wala na sa ayos yang kumpanya na yan...walang kwenta...kung mag re-react ang pamunuan ng isarog, handa akong makipag-usap dito o kahit saang forum...

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  10. Just got home frm bicol..Grabeng bastos ng mga staff ng isarog bus line na yan..kinakausap mo dhl may complain ka bgla ka na lng tatalikuran..a certain cristopher & tony sa naga,incharge sa bo0king! 18 kming lhat,we place our reservati0n and settled our payment a day b4 our sched @nabua wlang seat # na bngay so kla namin 1st come 1st serve and since kmi unang pasenger gusto namin sa harap peo d cla pumayag kc nkareserve na daw un,ang bngay samin ung half ng bus gang dulo..nagcomplain kmi peo nagwalk out lng ung staff.. Sa galit ko i asked ung pasenger sa 1st row opposite side then malalaman ko wla naman pla xang reservation.kararating lng daw nya(so anu ung pinakita smin na seating arrangement daw kun0?) snbi ko un sa staff peo wlang sagot gling sa knila..nkiusap kmi ng maayos na sna dalhin sa hrap ung mga ksma namin sa likod peo ayaw nla dhil nkareserve daw taz malalaman namin may walk-in.kala cguro nla d kmi magtatan0ng sa passenger.hmp-dna kmi uulit sa isarog bus line na yan..wlang kwenta ang service bastos pa mga staff.

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    1. Yes, pangit customer sevice ng Isarog Bus, yung mga staff hindi marunong marunong ng customer service, kht senior citizen privilege hindi alam, kulang na lang ipagtabuyan yung pasahero na nk book naman, nsa kasama lng yung ticket, yung tipong simpleng titingnan lng sa booking record nila ang passengers' name, ayaw talaga o sobrang bobo ng nug staff. ISAROG BUS pakitrain naman ng staff nyu on how to handle such situation na simpleng mareresolve lang naman kung well trained or courteous lang staff nu. Tanungin ka pa kung ano gusto na tipong nanghahamon ng gulo,yung tipong dadagdagan pa problema ko kung patulan ko.Staff ng ISAROG sa Masbate.

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  11. Just got home frm bicol..Grabeng bastos ng mga staff ng isarog bus line na yan..kinakausap mo dhl may complain ka bgla ka na lng tatalikuran..a certain cristopher & tony sa naga,incharge sa bo0king! 18 kming lhat,we place our reservati0n and settled our payment a day b4 our sched @nabua wlang seat # na bngay so kla namin 1st come 1st serve and since kmi unang pasenger gusto namin sa harap peo d cla pumayag kc nkareserve na daw un,ang bngay samin ung half ng bus gang dulo..nagcomplain kmi peo nagwalk out lng ung staff.. Sa galit ko i asked ung pasenger sa 1st row opposite side then malalaman ko wla naman pla xang reservation.kararating lng daw nya(so anu ung pinakita smin na seating arrangement daw kun0?) snbi ko un sa staff peo wlang sagot gling sa knila..nkiusap kmi ng maayos na sna dalhin sa hrap ung mga ksma namin sa likod peo ayaw nla dhil nkareserve daw taz malalaman namin may walk-in.kala cguro nla d kmi magtatan0ng sa passenger.hmp-dna kmi uulit sa isarog bus line na yan..wlang kwenta ang service bastos pa mga staff.

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  12. tnx for this post..i am planning pa nman tlg to book roundtrip sa kanila this month but i came across this info.. i will try other bus lines.

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  13. As one of the FORMER suki of Isarog Lines... napansin ko na bumagsak at very poor na ang services nila simula nung nakuha sila ng Victory Liner (yata). You should try DLTB, Alps or Philtranco pag pupunta kayu ng Bicol. So sad na yung dating staffs nila nagsilipatan na sa ibang companies.... may FB page ata sila .. dapat inuulan ng reklamo yun lalo sa mga bastos na staffs nila ...

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    1. Nakaklungkot marami pa nman tourist na first timer ang gusto mag try sa bicol tapos ganyan ang treatment.

      Dati pag sinabi Isarog line talagang maganda service nila and almost same siya ng cagsawa bus ngayon nabiktima na siya ng lousy managment na. Ang focus ay profit.

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    2. Yup .. Nakaka lungkot lalo pag kilala na yung company sa pagkakaroon ng good service. since 1992 (siguro grade 2 ako nun)... yan na ang sinasakyan namin from Manila to Naga. Kahit mag dagdag pa sila ng unit at ruta sa ibang part ng bicol... wala din mang yayari kung ang serbisyo nila di ok.


      https://www.facebook.com/Bicol.Isarog.TSI

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  14. i'm planning a trip up there. any other alternative bus lines. i'm not from bicol so i wouldn't know. thanks for this info!

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  15. i'm planning a trip up there. any other alternative bus lines. i'm not from bicol so i wouldn't know. thanks for this info!

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  16. For those tourist who want to explore bicol, there are other bus company that offers luxury service besides bicol isarog like cagsawa travel and tours (the best based on my experience), dltb deluxe and philtranco.

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  17. Try cagsawa travel and tours in cubau. Highly recomended for tourist in bicol.

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  18. i would recommend cagsawa.. that's the best bus company en route to bicol. the bus drivers are courteous and cautious.. the restaurants that are their stop overs are relatively nice plus the restrooms are clean..

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    1. well, mganda talaga cagsawa sakay aq jn since '89 pa from ermita ,ok rin alps corteous drivers & conductors

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    2. ok tlaga cagsawa, just bought ticket dis 7th for a day trip, ganda rin nman alps, mbbait staff nila

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  19. Try penafrancia elite benz (P1000). This is my fave bicol-bound bus because it's clean, has restroom, has free wifi, and spacious (25 seats only).

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  20. ung driver nila sa bus no.881 na c mr. galecia ay aroganting driver byahing masbate, maiitin ang ulo,madaling magalit, request lang po sa management pwde ilipat nyo ng ibang rota ayaw namin sa kanya dito sa masbatr

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  21. ask ku lang kung my driver kayong charlie tan corda

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  22. ISAROG BUS please trained your staff. simpleng senior citizen privilege hindi alam. kulang nlang ipagtabuyan yung senior citizen na pasahero, hindi lng hawak yung ticket na nsa kasama na parating pa lang. Sobrang bobo ng staff, na suggest na, na tingnan sa booking record nila o sa hawak ng driver, wala pading pick-up, yung aakalain m n hndi xa taga bus kac hindi alam ang procedural nila panu sana matulungan yung matanda, na finally nasa driver naman yung ticket.Magtatanong pa kung ano gusto ng passenger, maganda sana kung tanong na kung gsto matulungan, yung tanong na naghahamon pa ng away. pasalamat na lang ako at kasama ko anak ko yun ang nkpigil sa akin sa matinding problema sana na ngsimula lng sa walang modo nyung staff . STAFF NG ISAROG MASBATE ...

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  23. Wala na kasi yung mga dating staff ng Isarog Lines na magagalang... nung nag palit lang ng management saka lang pumangit ang lahat.. BASTOS at WALANG MODO ang ibang staff jan... gustgo lang ata kumita ng kumpanya.... San ba kasi pinag kukuha yang mga staff nila.. "MGA DAING UGALI" ... Kung totoong under management yan ng Victory Liner.. aba ipatas din ang pag mamanage ng kaayusan ... masisira ang pangalan ng dating bus company na kilala sa Bicol dahil sa new management... mula driver hanggang sa staff bastos... baka mga reject staff yan sa victory liner at nilipat lang yan sa bicol isarog transport..

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  24. I have same sentiments.they are nothing but a peace of shit.!!

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