Passengers flock to bus terminals to cast votes

MANILA, Philippines - Most bus trips bound for Southern Luzon and the Visayas at the Araneta Center Bus Terminal (ACBT) in Quezon City were fully booked by Friday as passengers started returning to their home provinces to vote in the midterm polls tomorrow.

ACBT supervisor Mann Morado said around 360 buses carrying over 12,000 passengers left the terminal on Thursday. He said they expect the number to reach as high as 15,000 yesterday as some passengers who have work only started going to the terminal Friday night.

Morado said a lot of trips were already fully booked Friday morning, prompting some bus companies to offer special trips to accommodate the passengers. But despite the special trips, a lot of passengers still failed to secure a ride to their respective home provinces.

Eric Goyala – who is bound for Bulan, Sorsogon – said he might not be able to vote this year as representatives of bus companies told him that the next available trip will be tomorrow.

“The precincts will be closed once I get there,” he said in Filipino. “I’m going home because I wanted to vote.”

Meanwhile, chance passenger Gilbert Villamor said he will try to do everything to get to Masbate in time for the elections. He was at the ACBT Friday hoping to get a seat, or even just a standing space, in one of the trips directly bound for his province.

Villamor said he earlier went to the bus terminal in Pasay City but was not able to secure a direct trip. He said it might be easier to catch a trip to Daraga, Albay and from there ride a bus to Pilar, Sorsogon. He said it would be easier for him to travel to Masbate from Sorsogon.

But this kind of traveling is not possible for Ermilita Tabia­nan, who is bound for Samar together with her husband, daughter, and two grandchildren – one of whom was just seven months old.

Tabianan said they have no choice but to wait for an available direct trip to Samar, even if they have to stay at the bus terminal for the next few days.

She said they only went to Manila this month to attend a funeral of a relative. Unfortunately, they scheduled their return trip in time for the election weekend.

Tabianan said they already tried checking for available trips in Navotas, but to no avail. She said they arrived at the ACBT at around 8 a.m. Friday hoping to get a seat. Representatives from bus companies said they are not sure if there would be special trips this weekend.

Some passengers were luckier. Josephine Tabinas, who is bound for Catanduanes, said she secured a 7 p.m. trip Friday after failing to get one on Thursday. “But I have to get here very early,” she said.

Tabinas said she is willing to endure the 15-hour trip so that she can vote and be with her family in time with the annual fiesta next week.