San Jose, Occidental Mindoro – The San Jose Tourism Office has released an updated comprehensive transportation guide showing various travel options connecting this western Mindoro municipality with Manila and other destinations throughout the Philippines.

The April 2025 advisory details schedules and fares for air, land and sea travel, positioning San Jose as an alternative gateway to Mindoro Island.

Cebu Pacific operates daily flights between Manila’s NAIA Terminal 3 and San Jose Airport, with morning departures at 6:20 a.m. from Manila (MNL) arriving at 7:40 a.m. in San Jose (SJI).

Return flights depart San Jose at 8:10 a.m., arriving in Manila at 9:20 a.m. All flights utilize Airbus A320 aircraft.

Multiple bus companies provide land transportation.

JARIV offers routes from San Jose to Manila (PITX) via Abra at PHP 1,500, with departures at 4:30 a.m./9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m./5:30 p.m.

Return trips from PITX to San Jose run at 5:30 a.m./10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m./6:30 p.m.

RORO Bus offers similar routes at slightly lower fares (P1,400 from San Jose to PITX; P1,120 from PITX to San Jose), with additional connections to Abra and Calapan priced at P550.

NARPIN provides transportation between San Jose and Sampaloc, Manila via Abra at P1,500, with twice-daily departures.

Several ferry vessels operate regular schedules from San Jose to various destinations.

MV San Agustin travels to Semirara three times weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Sunday).

MV Amor and MV Jennifer 3 serve Semirara on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Vessels to Caluya (MV Athena) and several other destinations operate without fixed schedules.

The MV Jennifer 4 and MV John Q serve the route from San Jose to Agutayan, Concepcion and Palawan on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Ferries to Panagatan and Antique (MV Frani, MV Domo, MV Panagatan) operate on flexible schedules, while MV Sibay and MV Carolina provide service to Sibay.

Ferry fares range from P500 for shorter routes to P2,000 for longer journeys, with several vessels accommodating both cargo and passengers. Capacities vary, with MV Jennifer 3 carrying 60-70 passengers.

San Jose serves as the commercial and transportation hub of Occidental Mindoro, offering visitors an alternative entry point to explore Mindoro Island’s attractions beyond the more commonly used ports of Batangas and Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro.

Photos: courtesy of San Jose Tourism Office