Ode to the P2P

I was late to the “P2P” market, even if I’d been hearing positive reviews of the “point-to-point” bus service these past few months from family and friends.

A few days ago, however, appointments during our “carless” day compelled me to rely on public transportation to get from Antipolo to Makati and back, and I must say the experience was far less hellish than I expected. To be honest, I relied more on the high-end options available, so I can’t really say I have intimate knowledge of the travails of the average commuter.

This piece, though, is also about how innovation and entrepreneurship are making more transport options available, at least for those willing to shell out a little bit more for convenience and comfort.

To get to Makati, my son and I hailed a Grab car. I favored Uber when the ride-sharing service was still available, and was dreading what riding a Grab vehicle would be like. In fairness to Grab, during the few times I’ve since relied on it, the vehicles have proven to be fairly new and clean, the drivers reliable.

The drive from our place to Manila Pen cost a little over P400. Not cheap, but my son and I arrived with lots of time to spare.

It was my son who suggested that we try the P2P on the way back. There was some degree of difficulty involved, though. To get to the P2P station in Glorietta, we had to walk a few blocks from the Pen.

Ever since I broke my hip nearly two years ago, long walks have proven difficult.

But I was happy to find out that to cross busy Ayala Avenue, seniors and PWDs wouldn’t need to take the underpass (which involves rather steep flights of stairs) but could cross at street level, with traffic aides assisting to open the traffic island gates and signaling cars to slow down for the “oldie” crossing over.

One danger while making one’s way to the P2P station is the temptation to buy food and “pasalubong,” and even pricier items that one spots while inadvertently window-shopping while walking through the mall. By the time we arrived at the Glorietta waiting station, our arms were loaded with paper bags, and to seek relief from the heat, we ducked into a fast-food outlet where we, of course, felt obliged to order drinks and victuals.

I wish I could tell you more about our trip. But all I can tell you is that, for P100, I had a pretty sound sleep on the P2P, where the cool air, the cushiony seats and the relative silence are sure to lull the weary soul. I woke up just a few minutes before we drove up to the entrance of UP Town Center, where the hubby was waiting for me, my son and his wife.

I admit spending P200 for a round trip is quite a financial challenge if one is to make a daily commute on P2P. But consider the savings, not just for gas and wear-and-tear on your vehicle, but also on your and the driver’s nerves and equanimity. Quite huge savings, right?

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Twelve men and women, all of them tourism leaders and stakeholders, are recipients of the 14th Annual Tourism Personality Awards to be given on June 7 by the Rotary Club of Manila.

Among the awardees is colleague Jullie Yap Daza, columnist for the Manila Bulletin and a leading light among the “core group” of the Bulong Pulungan sa Sofitel media forum. She won for the print media category.

Elevated to the Hall of Fame is Jaime Bautista, president/COO of Philippine Airlines. The other awardees are: Noel Flores Manankil of the Clark Development Corp. for Ecozone Tourism Category; Enrique “Rickie” Yap Jr., executive vice president of Manila Hotel for Heritage Hotel tourism; Miguel Alexis Legaspi, president of Ayala Hotels and Resorts for hotel development tourism; Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos for cultural and community tourism; and chef Pablo “Boy” Logro of Chef Logro’s Culinary Institute for culinary tourism.

Vanessa Suatengco of Diamond Hotel is the awardee for hotel management; Joaquin Rodriguez, chair of Inifinity Tower Suites for condo-tel tourism; and Archbishop Emeritus Paciano Aniceto, chair of Holy Angel University for tourism education.

Congratulations all!