Budget Travel Philippines | Living Asia Backpacking Guide | Tours Tourism Reviews Pictures: Cubao Araneta Center, Gateway Mall and Bus Terminals

Cubao Araneta Center, Gateway Mall and Bus Terminals

According to an old legend, there was a hill inhabited by mangkukulam (witches), and that a kuba (hunchback) lived there. People passing by the place would say, "kuba, o" upon seeing the hunchback, "Kuba, o" was later shortened to Kubao and the name stuck.

But that is just an apocryphal story. Some historians attribute the name of Cubao to a "lubluban ng kalabaw" (where carabaos dip). Cubao's place in history is that it's the seat of power in the country when Quezon City was made the capital of the Philippines.

What's true, however, is that exactly 32 years ago, Araneta Coliseum played host to the historic “Thrilla in Manila” match between heavyweight champions Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Muhamad Ali won the fight via a 14th round TKO. He pocketed $6 million for the fight, while Frazier got $3 million richer. (it is for this reason a mall was named after Muhammad Ali: Ali Mall)

Crappy "Drive-by" Photos of Cubao

Gateway Mall, touted as "like no other mall in the world," is one of Tutubi's favorite places to watch movies besides Ayala's Glorietta/Greenbelt/Trinoma cinemas. Recommends Gateway Cineplex's Cinema 10 with lazyboy seats inclusive of popcorn and drinks for a price, of course!

Cubao used to be visited by Tutubi solely for the mega-branch of National Bookstore

a crappy camera phone picture of the big dome at night

Never mind if the pictures, shot through a car window, are less appealing :(

Miscellaneous Travel Information:

Hotels in Cubao are Eurotel, Kabayan Hotel, Hotel Sogo with its distinctive red building, Nice Hotel near Arayat Market, Confiado Appartelle and Gran Prix Hotel at the Victory Liner terminal (some are really nice and cheap hotels there)

Also see: Cubao Expo/Marikina Shoe Expo where you can tour the artsy side of Cubao and eat at the authentic Italian restaurant Bellini's.

Aling Nena's Bibingka still stands also from way back in the 1960s.

How to get to Cubao:

Cubao is a transportation hub of Metro Manila. It can be reached via the MRT and LRT Line 2. Various jeepney (e.g. Angono, Quiapo, et al) and bus terminals are present there that ferries passengers to almost any point in Luzon.

Some of the Bus Terminals in Cubao:

BALIWAG TRANSIT
Destination: Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Cagayan, Tarlac, Pampanga
Terminal: New York EDSA Cubao, Quezon City
Tel No: 912-3343

DAGUPAN BUS LINE
Destination : Pangasinan and Baguio
Terminal : Cubao, Quezon City
Tel No: 727-2330

DOMINION TRANSIT
Destination : Abra, La Union and Ilocos Sur
Terminal : New York Street, Cubao, Q.C.
Tel No: 741-4146

HM TRANSPORT
Destination : Sta. Cruz (Laguna) (passing through Calamba (Pansol)/Los Banos/Bay/Pila/Victoria
(Pagsanjan, famous for the falls, can be reached by a short jeepney commute from Sta Cruz. A little further, you'll pass by Lumban, Kalayaan, Paete, Pakil, Pangil, Siniloan towns)
Terminal : Southbound EDSA, Cubao Q.C. (near Victory Liner and pedestrian overpass. another one (Green Star) on Taft Avenue near corner Gil Puyat/Buendia, Pasay City)

JAC LINER
Destination : Laguna, Quezon
Terminal : EDSA cor. Kamias St., Quezon City
Tel No: 63(2)682-5750

PARTAS TRANSIT
Destination : La Union, Abra, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte
Terminal : 816 Aurora Boulevard cor. Arayat St., Cubao, Q.C.
Tel No: +63.2.725.7303

PHILTRANCO
Destination : Daet (Camarines Norte), Naga (Camarines Sur), Legazpi (Albay), Pilar/Donsol (Sorsogon), Rawis/Borongan/Guian/San Policarpio(Samar), Maasin/Ormoc (Leyte), Antique/Iloilo/Estancia (Panay), CDO, Davao
Terminal : 816 Aurora Boulevard cor. Arayat St., Cubao, Q.C.
New Terminal on EDSA just below MRT Cubao Station (site of old Alibangbang/Bangbang Alley)
Tel No: +63.2911.2523; 913-566663; 725-7303
Tip: Try their Gold Service i.e. bus with restroom. They utilize the RO-RO (Roll-on, Roll-off) facility for trips to Visayas and Mindanao. Also provides bus transportation to/from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIC) in Clark, Pampanga

TRITRAN TRANSIT
Destination : Batangas, Quezon
Terminal : EDSA, Quezon City
Tel. No: +63.2.925.1758

RAYMOND TRANSPORTATION
Destination: Quezon (Infanta, Real), Bicol
Terminal: EDSA, Quezon City (near Victory Liner)
Tel. No.: +63.2.492.6994

SUPERLINES
Destination : Daet, Camarines Norte
Terminal : EDSA, Quezon City

VICTORY LINER
Destination : Alaminos, Baguio City, Bolinao, Dagupan City, Lingayen
Terminal : EDSA, Cubao
Tel No: 727-4534
Tip: Try their luxury coach 28 seater with restroom

If you're looking to find answers to "how to commute to" or "manila to ???" or "how to get to" places, just leave a comment

UPDATED: May 15, 2009

Labels: Cubao, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Public Transportation, Quezon City

posted by backpacking philippines @ 10:12 PM,

35 Comments:

At Oct 1, 2007 6:55:00 PM, kneeko said...: un pala ung history ng cubao hehe... same ung mga sinehan na pinupuntahan ko ah ayos..

welcome back! sa pinas ka na pala ulit..
At Oct 1, 2007 7:00:00 PM, tutubi said...: kneeko, tagal na ko nakabalik dito :)
regarding gateway, it's one of those movie houses where security is lax that I can bring my camera inside. There are no security guards at the theater entrances. Unlike other cinemas where I'll be required to leave my camera with them. I'd rather not take the risk :)
At Oct 1, 2007 11:11:00 PM, kyels said...: This is interesting.

(:
At Oct 2, 2007 5:37:00 AM, carlotta said...: hehe kala ko nung una nagkaron ng drive-by shooting sa cubao di ko napanood sa news kagabi, ibang klaseng drive-by shoot pala ang nangyari. ;-P

namamahalan ako sa sinehan ng gateway kaya madalas ako sa megamall manood. last napanood kong sine dun yung the girl who leapt through time sa cinemanila kasi mura lang nyahahaha pero saya sa gateway nga, mas uso ko ambience. alam mo bang bagsak-presyo ang mga pastries sa mandarin cafe dun after 9pm? hehehe.
At Oct 2, 2007 5:38:00 AM, carlotta said...: i meant mas gusto ambience... ^^
At Oct 2, 2007 5:21:00 PM, Toe said...: Can if you imagine if Frazier won? Ali Mall would have been Frazier Mall. :)
At Oct 3, 2007 6:50:00 AM, exskindiver said...: love bellinis, tutubi.
thanks for the visit.
i noticed you are from paete.
i know, i know-- not everyone knows everyone but it is a small world right? so having said that:
do you know the Calabigs?

chesca
At Oct 3, 2007 9:20:00 AM, tutubi said...: kyels, filipinos love boxing, that's why

carlotta, got u there. i don't like the cinemas in SM, too large and not amphitheater-like-- pag matangkad nasa harap mo lagi na may ulo sa screen saka :(

toe, i never thought of that :)

exskindiver, yes, i know the calabigs. one of them is a former mayor (cornelio) and one his sons is John
At Oct 4, 2007 5:48:00 PM, dodong flores said...: Hi, Tutubi!
In MIP, your Drive-By Shoot is called D&S (short for drive-and-snap) :D
I also visit Gateway Mall as I always go to Cubao. Haven't had any movie experience there yet kasi medyo namahalan ako. I always watch movie in SM Megamall - mas affordable para sa wallet ko...
I appreciate your complete listing of contact numbers for bus terminals. That surely helps...
At Oct 24, 2007 6:09:00 AM, kitty said...: thank you for dropping by, ate tutubi! now I know the story of cubao (lol) I love all your entries here, very informative indeed esp. the yummy longganisas that made my mouth watery after reading it hehee =) hmm... I miss Manila, I don't live there but whenever I went there to go malling I love just looking at all the places there, just brings back good memories..
At Feb 1, 2008 2:59:00 PM, cubao_nostalgia said...: i love eating original bibingka at Nena's Special Bibingka. me and my oldies used to frequent the place watching COD's show during holidays and on the side we enjoyed feasting bibingka far more better than other bibingkas :)
At Sep 29, 2008 11:36:00 AM, Anonymous said...: how does one reserve tickets for the vicroty liner bus? and what time kaya ang trips nito. i cant seem to find info on their website. thanks ")
At Oct 3, 2008 9:22:00 PM, tutubi said...: anonymous, victory liners schedule is posted on their official website. AFAIK, you call them and pay for the tickets a f ew days before the trip
At Feb 25, 2009 10:58:00 PM, obsaejeff said...: how much the aircon fee in superlines manila to panganiban camarines norte and the first trip morning schedule on saturday feb. 28?
At Feb 26, 2009 9:26:00 PM, backpacking philippines said...: obsaejeff, sorry, no updated info on fares as they're always changing. i estimate it at about P600 since it's quite near daet
At May 13, 2009 9:37:00 PM, Anonymous said...: anung sakyn ko n bus ppuntng pansol calamba laguna kung s cubao ko,,????meron pob s araneta terminal?
At May 13, 2009 9:51:00 PM, backpacking philippines said...: anonymous, it's HM Transport, wala sa araneta terminal...click the link i gave you for more details
At May 18, 2009 10:14:00 PM, Anonymous said...: meron po bng byahe from cubao to occidental mindoro??/
At May 20, 2009 10:04:00 PM, backpacking philippines said...: Anonymous, i've never been there but all i know is that you need to ride a bus to Batngas Pier, take the ferry to Mindoro then ride another bus/van to occidental mindoro...
At Jun 21, 2009 8:15:00 PM, Anonymous said...: how to get to mabini batangas?
At Jul 16, 2009 5:56:00 PM, Anonymous said...: how to get to sm san fernando pampanga from cubao? thanks..
At Jul 17, 2009 10:21:00 AM, backpacking philippines said...: anonymous, there are buses and vans in cubao going straight to SM San Fernando. You can even ride them on EDSA northbound
At Sep 23, 2009 12:22:00 PM, Anonymous said...: called victory liner, wanted to get it exclusively for camsur. they only allow it for baguio daw. anyone know any other bus companies?
At Mar 1, 2010 11:24:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Tutubi,can you recom a nice but cheap bed-n-dine inn/hotel near the bus terminal in Cubao for 3 ladies backpacking? There a few but they are still for dollar-rich tourists.Would appreciate your info,thanks!
At Mar 1, 2010 6:52:00 PM, backpacking philippines said...: anonymous, which bus terminal? if it's victory liner, you may want to try GranPrix hotel owned by the same company. just a stairway to Victory Liner bus station :P
At Mar 18, 2010 11:27:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Hello tutubi, confirm ko lang kung nagteterminal ang JAC liner sa loob ng araneta center(back of alimall). were going to lucena city kasi on sat. thanks.
At Mar 18, 2010 11:37:00 AM, backpacking philippines said...: anonymous, as stated above, nasa EDSA Kamias terminal nila sa ilalim ng Kamias flyover malapit sa GMA (EDSA southbound)
At Apr 5, 2010 10:05:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Hello!

We’re planning to go to Naga on April 23. Anong bus line ang may biyahe ng midnight?
At Apr 20, 2010 1:32:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Hi~
How to go to Araneta from Pampanga by a bus?
We will watch a concert so probably it will end at around 10-11pm..
are there available bus to go back from Araneta to Pampanga at that time?
At Apr 24, 2010 11:35:00 PM, Anonymous said...: paano magcommute from clark to cubao?
At Apr 30, 2010 12:18:00 AM, char said...: tanong q lng po kung operate pa din kayo on may 10 2010..i mean my bus pa din po bng availble going to baguio thankyou
At Apr 30, 2010 9:51:00 AM, backpacking philippines said...: char, bus companies don't have holidays off, they operate their normal trip schedules, usually though they offer more trips on peak days like on May 7 and 8 when people like me go home to the provinces to "just to vote"
At May 27, 2010 3:36:00 PM, Jeff said...: how do i get to Victory Liner(Edsa Cubao Terminal)? I'll be coming from Recto, there are jeepneys to Cubao. will those jeeps reach the Terminal of Victory liner? thanks
At May 27, 2010 4:25:00 PM, backpacking philippines said...: jeff, yes. just alight at the corner of Aurora and EDSA (before the jeepney crosses EDSA), cross Aurora overpass and walk towards Victory liner. Note this is the victory liner terminal withh trips going to baguio. the vistory liner with trips to Cagayan valley is on the opposite side of edsa
At May 30, 2010 6:23:00 PM, Anonymous said...: hi im ed !!! im reporting that one of your employee, bus station of cubao aranera center, has forgoten to give back my cellphone... He borrowed my Cellphone Last night 9:30pm, and afterwards 6:30am He stil didn't come... hmp... please report to me if u know who he is... this is my email "ash_love47@yahoo.com" ... thx