It’s my first time airplane travel since the pandemic, and many things have changed from getting from San Jose City to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. For one, travel time has become longer by hours due to new rerouting schemes from the implementation of provincial bus bans along EDSA. In this short article, I will walk you through how to get from San Jose City (Nueva Ecija) to NAIA if you do not have a private car.

How to Get to NAIA from San Jose City

Route 1: San Jose City to NAIA

1. From San Jose City, ride a bus to Cubao from Baliwag Terminal.
2. Get off at Baliwag Terminal at Cubao.
3. Go to NAIA by taking Grab, a taxi, or the faster MRT to Taft, then a city bus to your terminal.

Total Time: ~8 hours (no waiting time)

Route 2: San Jose City to Clark International Airport to NAIA

1. From San Jose City, catch a Florida or Victory bus heading to Dau.
2. Get off at Mabalacat Central Terminal.
3. Ride a bus going to SM Clark (PhP 75) or van to Clark International Airport (CIA) (PhP 150 + unspecified wait time).
4. If you ride a bus to SM Clark, wait for the Genesis Point-to-Point bus. There should be lots of other commuters waiting as well. Meanwhile, if you choose a van to CIA, you will be dropped off at the departure area at the 3rd floor. Go to the ground floor via the escalator or elevators and walk to the bus area. Here’s the trip schedule. (Note that my bus left CIA exactly at 12:00 NN, which isn’t indicated in the article.)
5. Travel time from CIA to Terminal 2 is approximately 3 hours. My trip was in the middle of the week and off-peak hours, so it should be longer during weekends and peak hours.

Total Time: ~8 hours (with waiting time)

Which Route Should You Take?

Both options will take you to NAIA. The option to ride Baliwag (or any bus bound for Cubao) is cheaper. However, the actual time is longer, and you will have to switch vehicles once you get to Cubao, which, personally, is a hassle.

I took the second route mainly because I did not want to switch rides in NCR. Although there is wait time during exchanges in Mabalacat and CIA, the travel time was quite shorter. Plus, you get dropped off straight to your Terminal.

Reminders for Travelers

• Make enough room for land travel before your actual flight. Boarding gates close 45 minutes before the flight.
• Check-in to your flight online in advance, in case you anticipate running a little late. In my experience, I was not able to check in on my mobile phone, so I had to ask my husband to use his computer to check me in.
• Consider staying in a hotel or motel near the airport if you have an early morning flight.