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Philippines
General
Information
 The Philippines is an archipelagic nation
made up of 7,107 islands spanning 1,840 kilometers north to
south. It is part of the East Indies, a vast island group
lying south and east of mainland Asia, with Taiwan at its
northernmost coast and Borneo on the south. The three main
Philippine island groups are Luzon, the Visayas and
Mindanao.
Luzon is the island of contrasts. The most modern districts
in the Philippines, including the capital city of Manila,
are in Luzon, but so are some of the oldest tribal
communities in the nation like the Ifugao of the
Cordilleras. Luzon is also where a visitor can see the
 latest model luxury cars overtaking a carabao sled or modern
skyscrapers within driving distance of primordial volcanos.
The Visayas is famous for its charm, a trait shared by many
other southern regions in the world, but here seems to run
deeper among a people who are intrinsically connected to
their sun soaked island home. The Visayas is also famous as
a seat of history, being one of the earliest landfalls of
western voyagers. It has also gained a reputation as being a
cradle of the nation's future, if the unprecedented economic
growth of Cebu City continues.
 Mindanao is our offering to the Guinness Book of Records
with the world's largest clam, the world's largest Eagle,
the nation's highest peak and the world's largest city.
Mindanao is also home to the Philippines' Muslim population.
With a land mass of 300, 780 square kilometers, the
Philippines is considered a medium-sized nation, about two-
thirds the size of its first colonizer, Spain, and a little
larger than the British Isles. Manila is only one hour and
40 minutes from Hong Kong by jet; Sydney only 7 1/2 hours
away. Flights to Europe take 17 hours and to the American
west coast 15 hours.
The Philippines has many things to offer the visitor: a
mixture of the old and the new, a diversity of art and
culture and a warm, friendly people. Blessed by nature, the
Philippines has something to offer every sportsman too . . .
extraordinary dive sites, forests to roam, mountains to
climb, caves to explore.^top^
Tips for First-time Philippine Travelers
Generally speaking, it is important to travel
light. Bring only what's necessary. Avoid the extra baggage.
You don't want to pay exorbitant fees for your luggage
service.
As in any foreign place, be careful with pickpockets. Some might act as a
helpful stanger, but they're out to get something from you!
It's good to be cautious at all times. Whenever going
outdoors, being in a group is recommended. If you're
bringing kids with you, make sure to bring all the things
they would need, like medicine, bottles of potable water
(although many bottled water is available, it is always
recommended to bring one), and one of your kids' favorite
toys for their own recreation.
top^
VisasIf you are coming from America, Asia or Europe with a valid passport, and either
a return ticket or a ticket to another destination outside the Philippines you
may enter without a formal visa and stay for 21 days. If you wish to stay longer
you must obtain a Visa Extension either before your trip from a Philippine
Consulate or Embassy. Or, once here, you may obtain it from the Bureau of
Immigration.^top^
Customs
Upon Arriving: Visitors are allowed to bring in duty free personal belongings,
two cartons of cigarettes or two tins of pipe tobacco and up to one liter of
alcohol. Balikbayans have separate rules and should check with the Embassy or
Consulate in their home city.
You may bring in unlimited amount of foreign currency.
Upon Leaving: Any antiques you may have acquired during your stay must be
accompanied by a certificate from the National Museum. You may also not take
more than PhP5,000.00 (five thousand Philippine pesos) out of the country.^top^
Currency
The currency in the Philippines is the Peso (PhP) and the Centavo. 100 centavos
= P1. Coin denominations are: 1, 5, 10, and 25 centavos, P1, and P5. Bill
denominations are : 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1, 000 pesos.
Foreign currency may be exchanged at your hotel, and in most of the large
department stores, banks and authorized money changing shops. Exchanging money
anywhere else is illegal and the laws are strictly enforced.
Most large stores, restaurants , hotels and resorts accept major credit cards
including American Express , Visas and MasterCard. Traveller' s checks
preferably American Express are accepted at hotels and large department stores.
Personal checks drawn on foreign banks are generally not accepted.^top^
Newspapers & Other Media
The newspapers in the Philippines have been called the
freest in the world, as you will see for yourself, with more
than 24 different morning papers to choose from, most of
them in English. There is also a wide selection of magazines
printed in English including Time, Newsweek and Asiaweek. In
Metro Manila you can buy the Asian Wall Street Journal, The
International Herald Tribune and USA Today.
Television is "on the air" from early morning to midnight,
showing American programming as well as local programming.
The standard channels are 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 13, and 23. If you
need more channels, most of the major hotels are with Cable
TV bringing in TV programs from all over the world.
There is also AM and FM radio broadcasting with the pop
stations primarily on AM in Filipino and the English
language programs on FM.^top^
Majour Transport
Buses : Both air-conditioned and regular buses travel
most of the major routes in Metro Manila. On an air-con bus
a short ride costs PhP 9.00, adding a few peso for every
succeeding kilometer. The regular bus' minimum fare is PhP
4.00. Just tell the conductor where you are going and he
will tell you how much it costs. Keep your bus receipt as it
is your proof of payment.
Jeepneys : Called "folk arton wheels," jeepneys ply most of
Manila's secondary roads and even a few major thoroughfares.
They're as much fun to ride on as they are to look at and
you have to try one. Although there are regular stops, you
can often just flag one down and hop on. Call out "bayad"
(bah-yhad) and pay the driver. If you are too far back, pass
your PhP 4.00 (minimum fare for the first 4 kilometers; 1
peso additional for every succeeding 500 meters) down. When
you are ready to get off, call out "para" (pah-rah); wait
till he slows down and jump.
The LRT : It's a fast, cheap way to go to downtown Manila. A
token can take you between Monumento (the northern end of
Edsa) and Baclaran, travelling first along Rizal Avenue and
then Taft Avenue. Many of the tourist maps have the route of
the LRT marked.
The MRT: After it's somewhat unsuccessful opening, the MRT
is now enjoying a fair share of passengers plying EDSA. This
is definitely the fastest mode of transport, this side of
the metropolis. The MRT runs from the North Avenue Station
in Quezon City up to Taft Avenue Station in Pasay City.
Passengers would enjoy the traffic-less route, clean
stations and coach, with a good view of Metro Manila's
landscape. The only problem is that some stations have very
high stairways. Although a number of elevators is
operational, not all stations have one. Travel time is
approximately 20 minutes end to end.
Taxis: Air-conditioned taxis cost PhP25.00 on the meter and
an additional PhP 2.00 is added for every succeeding 200
meters to the final cost. Non-airconditioned taxis do not
ply anymore. Taxis are always lined up at the major hotels
and tourist restaurants and can be hailed on the street. If
you take a taxi, make sure the driver turns on the meter. If
he gives you a story that it is broken, get out and take
another taxi. Unless you are taking a long trip or the
traffic is unusually horrible, most taxi rides should be
well under P100. At least a 10% tip is expected.
Other Modes of Transport
Most of the major car rental agencies, including AVIS,
Budget, and Hertz have offices in Metro Manila and carry a
full line of vehicles from jeeps to limousines. All vehicles
may be rented with or without a driver. If you wish to do
your own driving you must have a valid foreign or
international license.
Inter-island transportation is provided by either airplane
or ferry boat. Philippine Airlines services most of the
major provincial airports. Cebu Pacific, Asian Spirit,
SeaAir, Air Philippines, and Pacific Airways are smaller
carriers servicing more remote tourist destinations. For
information about boat schedules, check with the Department
of Tourism on T.M. Kalaw Street, Manila (63-2-5267652,
5267653, 5267655).
^top^
Utilities
Electricity is 220 volts a/c. Many of the major tourist
hotels also have 110 volt a/c outlets.
Water supply in Metro Manila and in all the other major
cities are considered potable. Bottled purified water,
spring water or mineral water is often supplied by hotels
and resorts, and sold in all grocery stores.
Telephone service is modern and you can direct dial anywhere
in the world. Public phones are plentiful. Public phones
require a minimum of two one-peso coins for a local call.
Some Important Telephone Numbers: (24-Hour Hotline)
Police & Fire: 757 or 116
Emergency No.: 501- 650 or 501- 728
Directory Assistance: 114
National Operator: 109
International Operator: 108
For other emergency numbers, please refer to Directory.
NOTE: It is advisable to always have the telephone number
and the address of your embassy or consulate with you.^top^
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