Founded | 1998 |
---|---|
Headquarters | Kibawe, Bukidnon province, Philippines |
Service area | Northern Mindanao |
Service type | Intercity coach service |
Destinations | |
Fleet | 84 units (Ankai, Yaxing, & Zhongtong) |
Operator | Pabama Corporation |
CEO | Serjohn Panis |
Website | https://pabamacorp.com/ |
Pabama Corporation, also known as Pabama Tours, Pabama Transport and Pabama Transport and Tours Corporation, is a bus company based in Kibawe town, Bukidnon province in the island of Mindanao in southern Philippines. It serves the routes between the city of Cagayan de Oro, the province of Bukidnon and the city of Gingoog.
A local provincial bus line with humble beginnings, it was the first bus company in the country to introduce the luxury bus with on-board tablets [1] and the double-decker provincial bus. [2]
The company was founded in 1998 as Pabama Transport by the Panis family based in Kibawe, Bukidnon. The name of the company was a portmanteau for "Panis Bag Maker" because prior to venturing the transport industry the family are already in the business of making and selling bags in Kibawe and nearby towns operating under such a name. It started out as a local provincial bus line serving the Malaybalay-Kibawe-Kadingilan route using 15 units of used-up and second hand minibuses. Later on they added dilapidated buses and both bought and locally assembled low-grade provincial buses on their fleet. While it continued to be so throughout the whole 2000's decade, during the same time period it often copied the livery of its rival Rural Transit to give the impression that it was a subsidiary of the giant company when in reality it was not, as a marketing strategy and to better secure the preferences and tastes of the commuters. [3]
As Pabama Transport entered the 2010s decade, it began reforming its fleet, procuring several second-hand units acquired from Holiday Bus to augment its fleet. At the same time, the bus line entered the Cagayan de Oro-Kibawe-Damulog route for the first time to expand its service area.
Pabama Transport was incorporated as Pabama Corporation in 2015. That same year, it acquired its first units from Ankai, while also beginning to copy the Rural Transit's practice of naming their airconditioned units into 'Tours', thus Pabama Tours was conceived. That same year, it entered the Cagayan de Oro-Balingoan-Gingoog route as it bought D&C Express the same year and integrated its operations to the company.
In 2017, they became the first bus line in the Philippines to have luxury bus with on-board tablets per seat, which they all bought from Zhongtong Bus Holdings. The next year, they once again became the first bus line in the country to have double-decker buses which they procured from the same bus manufacturer. These acquisitions effectively graduated the company from a small local provincial bus line into a large first-class executive coach service company.
Pabama Corporation has a variety of units ranging from small coaster minibuses to standard coaches and double decker buses. All of them have the signage "Immaculate Conception" in front of all their units.
All the listed routes below are serviced vice versa.
Ever since the company expanded its operations across northern Mindanao, it had been proposing to enter the routes of Cagayan de Oro to Davao [4] and Cagayan de Oro to Butuan.
Northern Mindanao is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region X. It comprises five provinces: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Lanao del Norte, and two cities classified as highly urbanized, all occupying the north-central part of Mindanao island, and the island-province of Camiguin. The regional center is Cagayan de Oro. Lanao del Norte was transferred to Northern Mindanao from Region XII by virtue of Executive Order No. 36 in September 2001.
Misamis Oriental, officially the Province of Misamis Oriental, is a province located in the region of Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. Its capital, largest city and provincial center is the city of Cagayan de Oro, which is governed independently from the province.
Bukidnon, officially the Province of Bukidnon, is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is the city of Malaybalay. The province borders, clockwise from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte. According to the 2020 census, the province is inhabited by 1,541,308 residents. The province is composed of 2 component cities and 20 municipalities. It is the third largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction behind Palawan and Isabela respectively.
Malaybalay, officially the City of Malaybalay, is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 190,712 people.
Valencia, officially the City of Valencia, is a 1st class component city in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 216,546 people. The city is applying for Highly Urbanize City (HUC).
Dangcagan, officially the Municipality of Dangcagan, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,076 people, making it the least populated municipality in the province.
Kibawe, officially the Municipality of Kibawe, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 41,897 people.
Maramag, officially the Municipality of Maramag, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 108,293 people.
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