Masasa Beach in Tingloy, Batangas, Philippines: So near Manila

Masasa beach in Tingloy batangas

I found this beach 2 weeks before the Labor day. I suddenly realized there is a holiday coming ahead and my adrenaline rush steered me to google maps, kept zooming, and traced the nearby Luzon coastlines looking for a not so far away beach perhaps in Batangas.

There were a few blogs published about the beach and island for Tingloy, but there is none published for a boatman and commuting details were unclear.

boat heading to Tingloy port from Talaga Port in Mabini Batangas

heading towards Masasa Beach, Tingloy, Batangas

As I could not find much details and have a number of friends interested in the place, I had no choice but to make the trip happen. Using facebook, I had to message more than a hundred people who came up in “Tingloy” search. I think I must’ve messaged a whole batch of TINGLOY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI from facebook. Apart from that, I did another random search in google for “TINGLOY 091” and messaged every mobile number that came up in the search result.

local collecting some eroded corals for livelihood of people of Masasa Beach in Tingloy, Batangas

right angle in masasa beach, tingloy, batangas

rocky part of masasa beach, tingloy, batangas

 Luckily, somebody replied and even took the initiative to call me to answer my question. He was even at the middle of a seminar at that time – the municipal engineer of Tingloy. He shared all the details, and even his boatman whom he takes twice a week. Got all the details needed, and all I had to do is talk to his boatman for pickup and of course, rate.


 

ground in masasa beach, tingloy, batangas

tired in masasa beach, tingloy, batangas

tired too

Our honesty goodness informant told me he pays the boatman P800 for one way trip for him and his three counterparts. Luckily, even with a group of 7 (I actually said 6, and he did not charge for the extra), he gave it at the same price.

We were supposed to leave by 1am but because of the confusion among the three KFC brances within araneta center, cubao, quezon city, it was a quarter past 1 when we all finally got together. By 2am, we left KFC, walked behind towards the bus terminal, and my heart began to pound when I saw only 2 ordinary buses there. I have to admit, I didn’t really check the bus schedules for I thought the trip was rather close, and that my resource person told me that there are trips and limitless options from this terminal to balagtas in batangas.

cliff in masasa beach, tingloy batangas

 

view from top of the rocky part of masasa beach, tingloy batangas

masasa beach, tingloy, batangas

The 2 ordinary buses in the terminal are both bound to Bicol and are both via turbina. Luckily, one of the guys is from Balagtas and he said we could just take another jeep from turbina to balagtas. When I asked the dispatcher though, he said they don’t take passengers bound to relatively near destination. We almost left the terminal when the bus driver kept telling us to wait. I didn’t think there was an agenda behind. The bus left and the conductor charged us P100 to turbina and without issuing any bus ticket.

passenger boats to the island of tingloy

In turbine, we took an Alps bus bound for Batangas, and paid P87.50 to diversion road. We were told that jeepneys bound to Mabini are, during these odd hours, available (chance) in diversion road.

Our informant told us that there are 2 jeepneys that ply Mabini. One that passes thru Anilao before reaching Talaga (“ANILAO MABINI”), and that which go straight to Talaga (“TALAGA MABINI”). As soon as we got off, I confirmed it with the sidewalk vendor, who called the dispatcher and confirmed so. Just a moment after, the dispatcher was already calling our attention saying “TALAGA MABINI” though I had a feeling it is actually an ANILAO MABINI jeep. Anyhow, I did not bother, and we hopped in. We each paid P30 each on that trip.

masasa beach, tingloy, batangas

masasa beach, tingloy, batangas

masasa beach, tingloy, batangas

It was past 5am when we reached talaga port. From there, we bought foodstuff and our boatman was already waiting for us. Around 5:30, we left Talaga port and reached Tingloy port in poblacion 45 minutes later. From there, we took the 2 tricycles, 3 on one, and 4 on the other, for P15 each. From the drop off point, you’ll have to walk downhill for about 750meters to the beach, through several households and ricefield. On the right will be the magasawang bato, and ahead are bushes with small openings with a view of the beach. 

It was around 6am, and the rocks formations are quite tempting for pictures. We spotted some locals collecting smaller beach corals that were eroded to the shore along with their horses which will eventually carry their sack containers. There were also a group of missionaries who passed along en route to another barangay on the other border of the beach. 

The beach sand is very fine and the view is very pristine except for some abandoned rubbish of tourists.  The left side of the beach has a rocky bed, while that on the right has flat clear plane of sand.

kids in masasa beach, tingloy, batangas

water source in the barangay masasa island of tingloy

trike back from masasa beach to tingloy port

passenger boats to the island of tingloy

TIMELINE

2:20am left Araneta Bus Terminal

3:23am Turbina

4:20am arrive diversion rd.

5:20am Talaga Port

5:40am depart Talaga

6:25am Arrive Tingloy

6:30am Arrive Jump off point in Masasa Beach

6:45am Arrive beachfront

3:30pm leave Masasa Beach

4:20pm (after waiting for a while for a trike) Leave Jump off point

5:00pm leave Tingloy Port

5:50pm Arrive Talaga Port and take the (that time readily) available jeep

7:00pm Grand Terminal

9:05pm Arrive Main Avenue Cubao

Summary of Expenses:

P100.00 Ordinary bus from Araneta to Turbina

P87.50 ALPS Aircon bus from Turbina to Diversion Road

P30.00 Jeep from Diversion Road to Talaga Port

P800.00 Boat (P1600.00 for return)

P15.00 (x2) Tricycle from Talaga port to Masasa Beach Jump off point

P35.00 Jeep from Talaga Port to Grand Terminal

P165 ALPS Aircon bus from Grand Terminal to Cubao

Some Figures in the nearby store in Masasa Beach:

P50.00 1.5Liters softdrinks

P20.00 charcoal, which by content, seems to equal that P10 in manila.

P45.00 pack of Marlboro lights

P10.00 250ml bottle of mineral water

Additional Notes:

There is no (resort) facility in the beach. Get ready with your wet wipes. For rinsing after swimming, I approached a lady doing her laundry in the balon and asked if we can rinse; she moved aside and gave way while her husband was filling the tub. She didn’t ask for any payment but I gave her P70 (for the 7 of us).

Try to obtain your tricycle service’s phone number on the way to the beach so that you can contact him during pickup, so you won’t have to play chance on the tricycles that pass by.

Kuya Jhamil (boat owner)’s contact no is 09164785241. His boat has a capacity of 10 persons (actually more but because of the waves and probably length of the trip, it is best to keep it less). My informant who rent his boat twice a trip, 2 trips a week, pays a special price of P800 for 4 persons. Kuya jhamil gave the same price under negotiation. Do the same J.

Bring your snorkling set. Damn me of all things, this is what I forgot. Tingloy is next to anilao, and is within the coral triangle.

Careful of Sea urchin stings. 2 of us had stepped on them on the rocky part in the left side of the beach. The right side is clear from anything.

Regular jeep trips are until 9pm only. After that, it is kind of hassle. Last trip of buses from Grand Terminal to Cubao are at 9pm, according to the conductor.