In my last column, we ended the adventure by talking about the island province of Guimaras, which is only a short boat ride from Iloilo City, Iloilo.

As mentioned previously, there are four provinces in Panay Island: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo. Many people who travel to the island by air have several options. Aklan has two airports: Caticlan and Kalibo. Capiz has one airport, located in Roxas City. Iloilo has one airport, but it has the most flights. Antique has one airport, located in the capital, San Jose de Buenavista. However, if going to Antique, more people choose to fly to Iloilo than drive to Antique because there are more flights and airfare is cheaper than flying directly to Antique.

Of all the airports on the island, the most modern is Iloilo City Airport. However, plans are to expand the Caticlan airport to accommodate tourists heading to Boracay. Tourism has grown by leaps and bounds on Panay Island, now that airlines offer direct flights to three airports on the island: Caticlan, Iloilo, and Kalibo. Many tourists, especially those headed for the beaches and dive sites, prefer direct flights to the island. Spending more time at the beach.

Though flying to Panay Island is the norm, my memories of traveling there are more of me driving than of riding an airplane. In case you’re wondering, usually if I drive out from Manila by 2 p.m., I can be in Boracay by 5 a.m. the following day. A few more hours, and I’m either in Roxas City or Iloilo City. I used to drive to Batangas City, then take the Ro-Ro to Calapan, Mindoro. After arriving, I drive about five hours to Bulalacao to catch the Ro-Ro to Caticlan. Others prefer to take the Ro-Ro from Roxas, Mindoro, to Caticlan. Cheaper, but the travel time to Caticlan is a bit longer. Now, however, with my body telling me to slow down, I prefer to take a Ro-Ro from Batangas City, direct to Caticlan. The vessel usually leaves at 7 p.m. and arrives in Caticlan at 5 a.m. the following morning. Cellular signal on the vessel is generally okay, with only a few dead spots during the trip. You get to rest during the night, and when you wake up, you’re ready for the drive that day. You’ll get to see the island of Boracay before docking in Caticlan.

I sound like a broken record already, but I’ll say it again. Driving allows you to discover the countryside that flying will not. And it’s a beautiful countryside! But more than that, it's the people you’ll meet along the way. During my drives from Manila to Dumaguete City (passing Batangas, Panay Island, Negros Occidental, and finally reaching Negros Oriental), just at the Batangas port, I’ve already met fellow travelers, and we usually chat about their travels. I remember one guy who was driving all the way to Butuan City. Many are ready to share stories from their trips and offer tips to make your drive more comfortable. And that, for me, is what makes the road trips even more memorable. It’s the connections you make and foster along the way. The smile, the selfies taken. The handshake between travelers.

During my trips, I usually drive solo. But even if I drive solo, I’ve found that through the years, I’ve developed bonds with people. So, even if I drive by myself, I usually eat lunch or dinner at the places I visit, with old friends and sometimes new ones. The old saying is you might be alone, but you’re not lonely. Because, how can you be, when there are so many friendly people you’ll meet, in your adventure across the Philippines.

From Panay Island, people can take a 24-hour Ro-Ro trip to Palawan, or a two-hour Ro-Ro boat trip to Bacolod City, the gateway to Negros Island. Next week, we’ll talk about criss-crossing the island of Negros. Going from Negros Occidental to Negros Oriental. Have suggestions on what to do in Negros Island? Please email me at [email protected] and we’ll include it in next week’s column.

(The author is a former Comelec commissioner. He is a pioneer of automated elections being a member of the Commission that successfully modernized Philippine elections in 2010. He remains involved in public service as an election lawyer.)