Sunday trip: Malaybalay to Cagayan de Oro City was a trip down "bus monopoly" lane.

Rarely does a week-end come with not a trip to Cagayan de Oro City in the offing. How much more if it were part of a holiday. So Malaybalayan found herself and her daughter joining the big group of people awaiting RTMI buses. One bus - from Valencia - came which was already full but we still tried; after squeezing and holding on; to reach the door and up the bus it was of no avail: only 2 passengers could be accomodated.

So, we waited and we waited but no RTMI bus came. Then some buses caught our attention: other buses for Cagayan. The buses looked rusty and not air conditioned so there was no way we would venture riding in one. Hours passed by, with the two-hour trip, we must be on or way otherwise, we would only have few hour-stay in CDO. Then Speed Zone bus stopped in front of us. Without much thought, my daughter and I went up and there, we had all the seats to choose from. We safely arrived in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Philippines at 12:00 a.m. So we had 7 hours to roam around and finished what we went there for. Then it was time to go home.

At around 7:15 p.m., we reached the terminal hoping to get the last trip around 7:30 p.m.One look at the place where RTMI buses were parked and the very long line of passengers all waiting was enough to make one tired. Then, out of the blue, came the bus we rode in that morning: Speed Zone, the same driver, the same conductor. Again, without much thought, we rode and again, we had all the seats to choose from. We arrived inMalaybalay City, Bukidnon Philippines at 9:15 p.m. Who do you think were the passengers left? My daughter and I, the wife of the driver, the conductor and the driver!

On second thought it dawned on me, there is monopoly and we know who is monopolizing it. Our Sunday trip to Cagayan de Oro City was a trip down " bus monopoly lane".