Four airports, one highway, several ferries
The single most expensive mistake is flying into the wrong airport. Bicol has four, they serve different provinces, and the drive between them is not short.
DRP
Daraga, Albay
The regional gateway. Opened 7 October 2021 and replaced the old Legazpi Airport, which sat 2 to 3 kilometres from Mayon; the new one is 15 kilometres away. Designed for about 2.2 million passengers a year. Served by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific. Airbus A320 operations began 1 May 2022.
Source · Wikipedia, Bicol International Airport
WNP
Pili, Camarines Sur
Serves Naga City and the Camarines Sur area. Domestic only.
Source · PSA and CAAP records
MBT
Masbate City, Masbate
The island province’s air link. Domestic only.
Source · CAAP records
VRC
Virac, Catanduanes
The only airport on Catanduanes, which matters because the sea crossing is often closed by weather.
Source · CAAP records
Overland and sea
Bicol International Airport at Daraga is the main gateway, with Naga, Masbate and Virac serving their own provinces. Flying into the wrong one can cost you a full day on the road.
Overnight buses run from Manila to Legazpi, Naga, Sorsogon and Daet. The Maharlika Highway is the spine of the region and most of the region is reachable from it.
Matnog in Sorsogon is the ferry port to Samar and the rest of the Visayas. Masbate and Catanduanes are reached by sea as well as by air, and both crossings close in bad weather.
Inside towns this is the transport. Fares are set by local ordinance and posted, and the posted fare is the fare.
Bicol takes more typhoons than any other region in the country. Sea crossings and small-plane flights get cancelled, and the cancellation is usually right. Build a spare day into any island itinerary.
Roads
National roads and bridges in Bicol are DPWH work, procured through district engineering offices. We publish all 17,200 contracts with the winning contractor and the value.