P13,273: What I spent in Mindanao for 13 days

I left manila with a 10L backpack stuffed with 4 pairs of clothes, a towel, battery bank, portable speaker, underwater iphone case, toiletries, atm and student id (very imporant :-) ). I have been enjoying spontaniety a lot, so not even an itinerary with me (except that I knew the provinces I wanted to go to and Asik Asik at the top priority). More than that, I just asked around, and researched on my 3G while in the airport, jeeps, bus, trikes, etc. (Did I mention I brought my Mcdonalds Happy Meal minion with me? :-) )

Below is what I spent in 13 days and where I got myself to:

Day 1: Gumasa Beach (with 3 others)
Taxi 250/4=62.50
Jeep to Gumasa fr Lagao: 50 (topload)
Habal back to Glan from Beach: 20
Food: 30
Van to Gensan: 70 (student fare)
Trike to Tyongson: 8
Dunkin Donuts: 180
Room: 700/4=175
Total: P720

Day 2: Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
Breakfast: 57
Trike from Kadulasan St, Gensan to Bus Terminal: 16
Bus from Gensan to Denmark Van Terminal in Marbel: 75
Van from Marbel to Lake Sebu: 55
Skylab: 200 (Half day service: 150+tip)
Lunch: 105
Entrance (7falls): 20
T'boli Costume Rental: 50
Dinner: 90
Alcohol: 144
Lodge: 60
Total: P875

Day 3: Lake Sebu + Marbel City (had to stay in the city as I have an online exam in grad school)
Habal: 100 (from Lodge to National Artist and back to terminal)
Cassava+Cofi: 16
Van from Lake Sebu to Marbel: 55
Lunch: 35
Trike: 8
Internet: 27
Trike: 8
Eduards Lodge: 230 (single fan room common toilet)
Dinner: 75
Cofi+bread:35
Internet: 35
Trike: 8
Total: P642

Day 4: Sultan Kudarat Capitol, Pink Mosque Datu Saudi Maguindanao
Breakfast: 65
Trike to yellow bus: 8
Bus Fare: 45+15 (From Marbel you have to Pay up to Tacurong; And in Tacurong, they issue another ticket for P15)
Trike: 20 (The bus missed dropping me in the capitol so had to take a trike back, and then return to roundball, a.k.a. roundabout where I took the jeep to Datu Saudi Maguindanao).
Jeep to Datu Saudi: 40
Softdrink: 10
Jeep from Datu Saudi to Cotabato City: 50
Lunch: 60
Van from Cotabato City to Midsayap: 60
Skylab to kitacubong, alamada: 70 (missed the last trip; was supposed to sleep in the outpost but was lucky to catch a habal service on his way home willing to take any amount; jeep fare from midsayap to alamada was P50 so gave P20 extra)
Dinner (3burgers, 1 zesto)=73 (Didn't eat all burgers; 2 i handed over to the barangay tanods with me in the hall; just makng clear im not a bburger monster)
Internet=16
Total: P532

Day 5: Asik Asik Falls
Marlboro: 60
Coffee+Pandecoco: 16
Coffee+bread: 15
Habal: 550 (alamada-asik-Linungan)
Misc food at asik: 101 (me & habal driver)
Entrance: 35
Food at Libungan Term: 98 (me & habal driver)
Bus to Cotabato City: 50
Hotel Filipino in Cotabato City: 300
Cigarette: 45
Dinner at jollibee: 123 (missing Jollibee by now)
Prepaid Load: 50
Total: P1438

Day 6: Pagadian City
Fare from Cotabato City to Pagadian: 300
Dodol: 20
Suman: 10
Lansones: 25
Habal to town center from Integrated Bus Terminal: 30
Fan room at roxan hotel: 300
Coffee at roxan: 15
Sikad to Gaisano: 10
Nailcutter: 20
Sikad Gaisano to City hall: 10
Bbq: 10
Meal at Kamayan: 140
Latte at Bo's: 95
Misc hygiene: 26
Total: 1006

Day 7: Overnight in Panikian Island, Pitogo
breakfast: 40
Bread+coffee+load: 50
Fare to pitogo: 100
Misc food: 650
Total: P840

Day 8: Leave Panikian, sidetrip to Lakewood, and travel to Zamboanga
Boat: 1000
Fare: 100
Meal: 65
Bus to tubon: 25
Habal to resort: 40
Entrance: 50
Banana split at Lakewood: 45
Marlboro: 30
Habal back to Tubon terminal: 100
Food at terminal: 52
Fare tubon-zamboanga city (student fare): 265
Coffee+bread: 20
Habal: 60
Lodge: 150
Total: P2002

Day 9: Malamawi Beach, Lamitan Basilan, transit to Jolo, Sulu
Jeep from Lodge to Port: 8
Brekkie: 64
Terminal Fee: 10
Student Fare from Zamboanga to Basilan: 125
Load: 22
Tawid from Isabela City to Malamawi Island: 5
Habal: 100 (Special fare for single passenger; 2 passengers will be P50 each for back and forth ride).
Merienda: 30
Fare back to Zamboanga from Basilan: 125
Terminal fee in Isabela City: 4
Meal: 64
Fare to Jolo: 400 (used the same terminal fee ticket; instead of spending for lodge in Zamboanga, you might want to head to Jolo instead; it's a comfortable sleep with the ocean breeze in the ferry's upper deck).
Total: P957

Day 10: Quezon (Patikul) & Maugu Beach (Jolo), Capitol, Sports Complex, Pangasinan Island in Panglima Municipality, Badjao Stilts
Trike (Special): 300
Coffee: 12
Meal (Ginataan and some rice delicacy): 21
Yosi: 56
Meal : 228 (4 cuts fried chicken; 4 cuts chicken caldereta; mee goreng; 2 serves rice, and a softdrink for me and trike driver in BlueXXXX restaurant in Jolo Market)
Coffee: 18
Boat from fishport to Pangasinan Island: 350
Hotdog: 15
Bike from Stilts to Port: 15
Coffee: 22
Trike from Port to Sports Complex:30
Trike: 30
Lansones: 10
Misc food: 68
Ferry: 400
Total: 910

Day 11: Sta Cruz Island, Zamboanga, transit back to Pagadian
Meal: 26
Load: 50
Sta cruz Island: 288 (shared among 8; I joined a group of 7 in this trip; inclusive of a lot of crabs and tour of mangroves, cemetery, etc)
Cig+coffee: 55
Meal: 75
Fare: 8
Malong (pasalubongg): 200
Bus from Zamboanga to Pagadian: 295
Mealstop (banana bread 2 bbq hotdogs): 28
Water: 20
Trike from Pagadian Integrated Terminal to Town Center: 30
Roxan hotel: 300
Total: P1375

Day 12: Transit back to Cotabato City from Pagadian
Cigarette: 16
Misc: 54
Food: 55
Van to cotabato: 350
Meal stop: 30
Room at Hotel Filipino: 450
Meal: 225
Cig: 40
Fares: 76
Total: P1296








Day 13: Travel back to Manila
Jollibee: 65
Malongs (pasalubong): 425
Internet: 18
Fare: 15
Trike: 7
Load+coffee: 65
Terminal Fee: 85
Total: P680

Total Spending: P13,273. 


I was initially intending to spend only 7 thousand pesos for this trip; But, when I was in Asik asik falls and contemplating on the time I am comprimising versus budget, I thought my time was more valuable.. Also, especially in Pitogo, I thought it was but fair that I give back to the people who shared time for me. Besides, my average spend is P1000/day on my trips so my overall spending is just right for this solo (mostly) trip.

I managed to take a picture of the fares from Pagadian To Zamboanga