My wife is Filipino and I go to the "Metro Manila" area twice a years. We were married in 2020…read more Grab really wasn't a thing at that time we would just use cab and go out to eat. I join "Grab" last year and last everything went fine. This 2024 when I uploaded my US base credit card I was told that I could use the US base credit card on the platform. So I started going to 7/11 to upload funds to use "Grab". Then "Grab" blocked that as well. If you're traveling to the "Metro Manila" just be aware that "Grab" is for the Filipino "only".

Grab is reliable only on certain times of the day. When traffic is light, you can easily book a…read moreride and they will show up. We've had problems booking rides during pay days, holidays, fiestas, rush hour traffic, and when it rains or when there are street closures in your area. I gave an extra star just because it's a better alternative than taking a regular taxi in Manila. Note to Grab Management. You should fine your drivers who book a ride then decide to cancel for no apparent or unexplained reason.

While I'm already a fan of their competitor Grab Taxi, one rainy night I couldn't get a cab even…read morewhen I declared that I would tip P100. So I tried Easy Taxi. They say it's one of the biggest taxi booking apps in the world. I downloaded it on my smartphone, and hailed a taxi using that. When I tried it, they did not have a booking fee and I didn't even declare a tip. I got a taxi in 3 minutes. The driver was very nice and the taxi was quiet new. I like that the app makes a sound once a cab is assigned so I can minimize it and work on other things on my phone while waiting. Here's what I really love about them, the first time and the second time I used the app to get a cab, someone from their call center called me to check if I'm in the cab and happy about the service. This shows how good their customer service is and if I do get into any trouble with their drivers, I can call them to complain. Plus, they have promos more often which means you don't need to pay the booking fee (which is only P50 compared to Grab Taxi's P70) on top of the metered fare. Giving a tip to the driver is entirely up to you.

GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi are the same thing. As far as I can tell, Grab and Easy's only major…read moredifferences are with regard to their patron network - Grab is with Globe and Easy is with smart. However, both are fundamentally the same app - they both have the same amazing easy taxi booking functionality. And they are both very, very, very good to use in a pinch if the line in the taxi bay is insane, like it normally is on weekday nights. If I were to think about the small things that makes them different, well, Easy doesn't have that particular car-rental service that Grab has, but that doesn't really detract from my experience since I don't use those services. And Easy's booking fee is only P50 compared to Grab's P70. Both have regular zero-fee promos that are there very often, however, I notice that they normally don't happen at the same time. A savvy consumer would keep both on their phone and check out which one is free at the time. Easy Taxi is a great, albeit not exactly unique app, that should probably be on everyone's phone.

Did you know that all the other taxi stands in Makati close at 12midnight and it's up to you to…read morefigure out how to get a taxi? Back in the day when I didn't know about Uber and I enjoyed hanging out late with my friends in Makati, the only way for me to get to the south was to endure waiting for a cab in this taxi stand. See, we'd watch a movie late at night and this was the only place were the taxis would really stop. Also because, the door to exit the mall was really near this taxi stand. In this line, the taxis go everywhere. North. South. That's why be prepared for them to say no to you and you'll just have to wait for a taxi to come along who wants to take you to wherever you're going. There is no guard or police to help you here. You're on your own. Be careful!

I don't really like getting a taxi from this place…read more Don't get me wrong. The place is pretty safe. There is a guard who helps people get a taxi and gives them a slip with the plate number of the vehicle. The line here doesn't get as long as the lines in SM's taxi stands. The downside of getting a taxi here is that not many stop here to pick passengers up. Most of them don't like bringing passengers to the south and ask you to add Php40 to the total bill. So why do I still get a taxi here? Because the guard really makes a way for those lined up to get a cab. Also, because all kinda of taxis line up here, he tells us which one to get on and which one not to use. Pretty cool.

I could be wrong, but this is probably the biggest MRT station, and probably the busiest…read moreconsidering its location in the Metro. This station is practically one of the biggest hub of commuters in the Metro. I can't even begin to imagine just how many commuters go through this place. I think the government knew this which is probabl;y why they designed this place to be huge. In fact, this place probably has the most number of food stalls and restaurants along the MRT line. Heck, there's a KFC and Mang Inasal. Most MRT stations only have a wide variety of food stalls. It's a nice place if it's a empty, but a bit of a troublesome spot to be in during rush hours. I sometimes pass by here during rush hours and I swear the line gets so long that sometimes I can imagine that walking would be a better option than riding the train. This is especially true after they've cut down on the number of working trains.

MRT Ayala Station is a tricky place to be in. It's not exactly perfect especially when it's rush…read morehour and there are hoards of people in the place. The lines can drive anyone insane and the heat is sometimes unbearable. The place houses many little shops where one can buy a meal or a snack to help you stay sane in this place. Though many people hate the MRT Ayala Station, I enjoy it. It's always an experience and I never know what to expect. I appreciate the effort that the guards put in when it's rush hour and they have to make sure that the commuters stay in their line and follow the rules. The commuters are also used to the unofficial rules of this place and make life easier for everyone by preparing the exact amount needed for a ticket, standing in the right lines and not bring in items that are not allowed on the train. The people also know that they must give way to those getting off the train and try their best not to push (unless you're going too slow). Getting on a train will get you to your destination in less than an hour. If you're a girl, you're lucky. You get your own section on the train. Sometimes, I walk all the way to the end of the train 'cause there's fewer people there. Other times, when I'm really desperate, I just push myself in with the guys in their section.

All us South commuters would be so doomed without these shuttles. Really…read more If there weren't shuttles transporting us back and forth to Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa and Cavite, we would all be taking several buses, jeeps, trikes, cabs--It's difficult, inconvenient, time-consuming and may not even be affordable. You probably won't see us ever again. These shuttles that travel to and from Makati make commuting so much more convenient. Fares are reasonably priced and relatively cheap, if you consider the time and energy you'll be saving, as well as convenience. There are a lot of specific routes to certain neighborhoods and other central locations, and from the drop off points for some people their homes are just a walk or a trike away. On a good time of the day (not rush hour) it takes me just around 15-20 minutes to arrive Makati and vice versa, thanks to Skyway. Queues can get really long during rush hour (as expected), or when there's a sudden downpour, as Metro Manila traffic does not tolerate rain too well. This station is newly built for more than a year or so already. It used to be so cramped at that station underneath the Ayala MRT (it was HELL), but this station is more spacious and even has a nice selection of food kiosks, vending machines, and a clean toilet.

I'm not really from south but I love that they turned this place into a UV Express Terminal. UV…read moreExpress is one solution to EDSA Traffic because one van can cater up to 15 commuters inside. This place is a five minute walk from Ayala MRT station, and is near Greenbelt, SM Makati, Landmark and Glorietta. In North, we don't have much shuttle services or I am not really familiar that's why when I learned that my boyfriend rides here to his place, I got excited and we scheduled one day for me to experience being in a shuttle. From the Terminal, we just waited a few minutes until the van makes his way on the street. In less than thirty minutes, we reached parañaque without hassle. The thing is, when it reaches 6pm, this place gets really crowded and the lines are crazy. You can opt to eat your dinner first while waiting because there are food stalls and vending machine available in the place. I checked their toilet and it's still new and clean.