Dimple Star Transport

 Backpackers and adventurers from Manila who are planning excursions to Mindoro on tight budgets, can now travel  conveniently to the Island aboard an air-conditioned bus, thanks to Dimple Star Transport. Before their operation in Mindoro, you need to transfer from one mode of transportation to another enable to explore the Island. The usual route in the old days when budget was tight, was to get aboard a bus bound for Batangas City pier, and from there you need to transfer to a ship either bound for Abra de Ilog pier in Mindoro Occidental or Calapan City pier in Mindoro Oriental. And from those ports you need to transfer to another vehicle to reach whatever town you are going.


This route is pretty hard for those traveling to Mindoro Occidental via Abra de Ilog, not only the roads are much rougher in the old days, but the buses were also very uncomfortable. The buses plying the Abra de Ilog pier-San  Jose route do not have air-conditioning system, and was in bad condition as the roads, the windows of the buses are not sealed enough, so you'll eat all the dust along the way. And as soon as the ship docks, you need to run as fast as you could, because the buses have limited seats. There were also racketeers, who occupied the bus seats even if they are not passengers, and you need to pay them if you want to get those seats.     


Now all that hassles are history, Dimple Star Transport's air-conditioned buses passes through most of mainland Mindoro's town except for Baco, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera, Pola and Paluan. You can now almost circumnavigate Mindoro Island by land, just by boarding their air-conditioned bus twice, using two different routes from and to Manila. No need to transfer from bus to ship then bus again.

Dimple Star Transport uses two different routes to Mindoro Island, which all ends up in San Jose, Mindoro Occidental. The most frequent route is the one bound for  Mindoro Occidental via Abra de Ilog pier which usually have six trips daily at the minimum. The first route passes through the towns of  Abra de Ilog, Mamburao, Sta. Cruz, Sablayan, Calintaan, Rizal and touches down in San Jose.

The second route is via Calapan City Pier which usually have two trips daily at the minimum.  This route passes through the towns of Mindoro Oriental which are Calapan, Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bulalacao. It also passes through the town of Magsaysay in Mindoro Occidental and also touches down in San Jose.

Dimple Star Transport have five terminals in Metro Manila, below are the location of those terminals, contact numbers, fares and bus schedules.  

1. Sampaloc, Espana corner Antipolo St., Telephone Number +63.02.985.1451, Mobile Phone number +63.908.926.9163, Mindoro Bus Schedule: 8:00 am, 5:00 pm, 8:00 pm 
2.  Ali Mall, Cubao, Telephone Number +63.02.5179677, Mobile Phone Numbers +63.928.413.4565 or +63.908.696.4803, Mindoro Bus Schedule: 5:00 am, 12:00 noon, 6:00 pm
3. Alabang, Transpart near Metropolis Mall, Telephone Numbers +63.02.664.7796 or +63.02.809.7796,  Mobile Phone Number +63.919.429.1999, Mindoro Bus Schedule: 6:00 am, 9:00 am, 1:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 9:00 pm
4. Pasay, Telephone Number +63.02.407.4614, Mobile Phone Number +63.928.603.3691, Mindoro Bus Schedule: 9:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 9:00 pm
5. Santolan, Telephone Number +63.02.416.8956, Mindoro Bus Schedule: 6:00 am, 1:00 pm, 7:00 pm 

All Dimple Star buses bound for Mindoro are also bound for San Jose in Mindoro Occidental where they have a terminal located at Bonifacio Street. You can contact them through this Telephone number +63.02.6684151 or their Mobile Phone Numbers +63.921.568.6449 and +63.999.361.6860. Buses via Abra de Ilog leaves at 6:00 am, 11:00 am, 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 11:00 pm. While buses via Calapan City leaves at 3:30 am and 2:00 pm. 

Fares and Destinations via Calapan City, Mindoro Oriental 

Manila to San Jose     -- 950 pesos           San Jose to Manila -- 950 pesos    

                 Bulalacao   -- 650 pesos                                  Turbina -- 800 pesos   

                 Mansalay   -- 600 pesos                                   Sto Tomas -- 775 pesos 

                 Roxas         -- 570 pesos                                   Balagtas   -- 730 pesos

                 Bongabong -- 540 pesos                                  Batangas City -- 700

                 Bansud       -- 518 pesos                                  Calapan  -- 550 pesos

                 Gloria         -- 500 pesos                                  Naujan    -- 520 pesos 

                 Pinamalayan -- 490 pesos                            Victoria -- 500 pesos 

                 Socorro         -- 476 pesos                                 Socorro --  480 pesos

                 Victoria         -- 440 pesos                               Pinamalayan -- 450 pesos

                  Naujan         -- 420 pesos                                Gloria -- 440 pesos

                  Calapan       -- 391 pesos                                Bansud -- 420 pesos

                  Batangas City -- 175 pesos                           Bongabong -- 400 pesos

                                                                                             Roxas -- 350 pesos

                                                                                             Mansalay -- 300 pesos

                                                                                             Bulalacao -- 250 pesos

 

Fares and Destinations via Abra de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental

Manila to San Jose    -- 950 pesos           San Jose to Manila -- 950 pesos
                 Rizal           -- 900  pesos                                Turbina --850 pesos
                 Calintaan   -- 850  pesos                                Sto. Tomas -- 800 pesos 
                 Sablayan   --  800 pesos                                 Balagtas -- 650 pesos
              Sta. Cruz     -- 750 pesos                               Batangas City -- 650              
                 Mamburao  -- 700 pesos                                Abra de Ilog-- 350 pesos
                Abra de Ilog-- 650 pesos                                Mamburao -- 280 pesos
                Batangas City -- 175 pesos                           Sta. Cruz    -- 250 pesos
                                                                                           Sablayan   --  140 pesos
                                                                                           Calintaan  --   60 pesos
                                                                                           Rizal          --   35 pesos

Note: Bus Schedules and Fares updated as of  July 19, 2010, it may change without notice so  be sure to contact them first.