Sometime in late May, I received a text message from Resorts World Manila informing me that there would be a free shuttle service to Resorts World from Starmall Alabang starting June 1. I have been searching for that shuttle for weeks every time I needed to go to Resorts World to no avail.
Once, I even tried calling the Resorts World hotline to ask where exactly is the shuttle parked and what color the vehicle is. The person I talked to instructed me to look for either a red or a white van with a Resorts World sign on the side of the van or on the windshield. Still, I met with no success.
And then last Saturday, as I was rushing to make it to the press preview of The King and I and was approaching the jeep bound for Pasay Rotonda, along came a big yellow bus about to exit to the main highway. The big sign made me immediately wave my hand to signal the driver to stop. Thankfully, he did.
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| Photo taken at the Resorts World parking lot |
The door opened and I went inside the cool and spacious interior to find only three passengers. The driver asked for my Resorts World I.D. and it was the moment I felt really grateful to having applied for one many months ago. The bus took the skyway route and exited at Nichols. The ride only took around 20 minutes compared to the usual hour and a half it takes when I go to Pasay Rotonda first then take the paid shuttle near the Taft MRT station.
And so I made it in time for the press preview. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, had a great time chatting with fellow members of the media, and ate a great lunch at Maxims. At around 2PM, some of my friends and I went to the shuttle station where we parted ways. One took the van to McDonald’s Quezon Avenue while another rode the shuttle to Pasay Taft. I, on the other hand, waited for around 15 minutes for the shuttle to Alabang and my trip back was as smooth as the trip going to Resorts World.
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| Photo taken at the actual parking space in Starmall Alabang |
If you’re wondering, yes, the rides are free as long as you present your Resorts World Membership I.D. You see, one of its perks are free shuttle rides with scheduled trips from various pick-up points within Metro Manila. So if you still don’t have an I.D., apply for one for free the next time you are in Resorts World and explore the other benefits it has to offer.
I asked the driver what if my son is with me when I need to go to Resorts World next time. He suggested I get him a junior card for children. I didn't know they have one! He also said he wishes more people would know about the free ride because the most number of passengers he had on a trip is 10 and the least is 0. There are two buses plying the RWManila-Alabang route. Both leave each area at the same time to make waiting time shorter for succeeding passengers.
So here I am, blogging about this to help spread the word. The convenience of fast, traffic-free, and comfortable travel tops the free ride. You can find the big yellow bus parked at the right side of Starmall Alabang''s main stairs everyday. Here's the complete schedule:
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| ETA means Estimated Time of Arrival ETD means Estimated Time of Departure |
For those who live in other areas, you can check out shuttle ride schedules here to and from Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Horizon Travel and Tours Ermita, McDonald's EDSA near Quezon Ave., SM Mall of Asia, Eastwood Mall, McDonald's McKinley Hill, Paseo Center Makati, McDonald's Emerald in Ortigas, McDonald's Wilson in San Juan, Richmonde Hotel Ortigas, McDonald's Quirino Ave., McDonald's Buendia Pasay, McDonald's Las Pinas, McDonald's BF Homes Paranaque, and McDonald's Valero in Makati.
Edit - March 2013: FYI, the shuttle schedule in Alabang has already changed as well as the venue. You can now find the Newport Mall van (not a bus anymore) at the Caltex station along the Alabang-Zapote road across South Supermarket. To see ETAs and ETDs, please click the link in the previous paragraph.
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