Tags: Tourism, Transportation
By Anna Valmero
ORION, BATAAN – Both foreign and local travelers are seeing the benefits of ferry travel from Manila to Bataan because it’s faster while providing an alternate route to explore more of this province.
My “ferry mates” during a trip last weekend, Anna Maria Gonzales and Melanie Tan, noted that taking the ferry is ideal for backpackers and even cyclists since there is only a P50 charge for motorbikes.
The ferry can accommodate up to 50 bikes. Even vacationing foreigners chose to board the ferry instead of taking buses.
To get to Balanga by car, Gonzales said she travels from Manila North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), takes the Sta. Rita exit and passes by several towns before reaching Balanga City. The entire trip takes about three to four hours.
Orion is some 132 kilometers from Manila and about 31.2 nautical miles across Manila Bay.
Anna and Melanie usually visit Bataan for birdwatching trips, Both say the daily Supercat trip is beneficial for “birders” like them. They join the Asian Waterbird Census every January in coastal areas of Balanga City as part of the activities by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines.
With the expected arrival of migratory shorebirds in Balanga, they said “it would be easier to travel without the hassle.”
“Maganda kasi on time yung biyahe tsaka hindi naman napupuno yung ferry except on weekends when you can expect workers to Manila or those who will visit Bataan,” said Gonzales, while buying her ticket an hour before the scheduled trip.
Daily ferry trips have revived the Orion port in Barangay Puting Buhangin, left unused for the past years due to lack of commercial ferries going to the area.
A two-storey airconditioned building was built to serve as waiting area for passengers. It also has nursing stations and a room where mothers can change the diaper of their babies. A paper-mache exhibit on the historic Death March is also currently installed inside the building.
Balanga city administrator Rudy De Mesa, who was previously part of the Bataan tourism office, said the daily ferry trip is eyed to bring in more tourists to Bataan especially now that travel is more accessible and daily trips are affordable.
A one-way ticket is worth P250, excluding the terminal fee of P11 at Orion Port.
“Orion is strategically located to reach other towns in Bataan easily, plus there is no traffic,” said De Mesa.
Tourist destinations include the Tortugas birdwatching area in Balanga city (some 8km from Orion), Mt. Samat and the Shrine of Valor in Pilar, and beaches in Bagac where the local TV adaptation of Zorro starring Richard Guttierez was filmed.
In case you are wondering how Orion got its name, local accounts say it was derived from the words “lu-ad” and “uryong”, meaning muddy, because it used to be a swamp area.
According to another story, when the Spanish colonizers came to the place and asked the locals, who answered “Uod yun” thinking the Spaniards were pointing at worms. The town was thus called Udyong and the name was later changed to Orion.
As a final note, if you take the ferry in the afternoon, be reminded that the waves are stronger so you may want to bring medicine to help you cope with being seasick.
SuperCat is the sister company of SuperFerry and Cebu Ferries. For schedules, inquiries and bookings, you may call +63933-5414942 and +6332-233-7000. Or visit http://www.supercat.com.ph to purchase tickets online or at the SuperCat port such as the one at SM Mall of Asia near Oceana restaurant.
From Orion port, tricycles will take you to the main road where you can wait for buses or jeepneys going to Bataan. Or hire a tourist van for daily trip to Bataan tourist spots.
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