Pet-Friendly Airlines, Ferries and Buses in the Philippines

Every transport company in the Philippines writes its own pet rules, and they range from "small dogs ride in the cabin" to "no animals at all". The government paperwork underneath is the same everywhere: a rabies record, a Veterinary Health Certificate and a Bureau of Animal Industry permit (here's how to get those). What changes is what each company does with your pet once you're through the door.

Here's what each one says, from its own pages where we could find them.

Which airlines take pets?

Philippine Airlines is the only Philippine airline that lets ordinary pets sit with you. FurPAL covers all domestic flights: up to three pets per flight, each under 10 kg in a soft carrier under the seat. It's also the only way to fly a Shih Tzu, pug or other flat-faced breed, since those aren't accepted in the hold.

Cebu Pacific allows only service and emotional support dogs in the cabin, one per flight. Other pets go as CEB Cargo, which doesn't carry live animals on the ATR turboprops that serve smaller airports.

AirAsia doesn't accept pets or animals on board, in the cabin or as cargo.

Which ferries take pets?

On the bigger lines, pets stay out of the passenger cabin, so bring a proper crate, not a carry bag.

2GO has the most detailed rules. Per its pet travel guide, only its Manila-based ships carry pets (plus the M/V 2GO Masigla), one pet per cage. Cage fees run from ₱900 for a small cage (20 × 13 × 16 inches) to ₱4,500 for the largest. You'll also sign a consent and waiver form, and you need to be at the port 6 hours before departure for the pet inspection. Pack food, water and any medication for the whole voyage.

OceanJet's FAQ puts pets in an open-air stowage area, in a travel crate, and asks for the BAI quarantine permit. It also reserves the right to refuse live animals.

Starlite and Lite Ferries, per their listings on Barkota, the booking platform they use, both require a secure cage and the BAI quarantine permit. Starlite also asks you to show the receipt for your pet's fare when boarding.

Super Shuttle Ferry and Island Shipping, the two lines between Hagnaya and Santa Fe on Bantayan Island, are the opposite end of the scale. Neither publishes a pet policy we could find. When I've made that crossing with my pet, the only thing either one asked for was the vet card, and neither charged a fare for the pet. That's a short, local route, though; bring the full paperwork anyway in case the rules at the port have changed.

Can my pet take the bus?

Sometimes. Victory Liner runs pet-friendly trips on selected schedules in Luzon, on buses marked with a pet-friendly sticker, to places like Baguio, Pangasinan and Olongapo. Pets must ride in a crate or carrier with no heads sticking out, and dogs wear diapers. Not every trip takes pets, so check the schedule before you go to the terminal.

For other bus lines, ask at the terminal. When I took my pet from Cebu City to Bantayan Island by bus and ferry, the only thing anyone asked to see was the vet card. That's one trip, though, not a policy.

What about Grab?

Book GrabPet, not a regular GrabCar. Drivers on GrabPet have agreed to carry animals; on a normal ride they can cancel if you show up with one. Dogs need a carrier and a diaper, cats a carrier or crate, and you can bring one large pet or two small ones. If your pet soils the car, you pay the cleaning fee.

What's the same everywhere?

Three things hold on every line in this guide:

1. A crate or carrier. No company here lets a pet ride loose.
2. Out of the passenger area, except PAL's FurPAL and Cebu Pacific's service dogs.
3. The BAI permit and a current rabies shot. Even where nobody checked on the day, the company's own rules ask for them.

Policies change, and some of these come from booking platforms or news reports rather than the company's own page. Before you travel, confirm with the airline or ferry line, and keep your pet's vaccination dates in a record you can open offline, because the counter at a port is the worst place to go looking for them.