Social ConventionsGovernment officials are addressed by their titles such as senator, congressman or director. Otherwise, usual modes of address and levels of politeness are expected. Casual dress is acceptable in most places, but in Muslim areas the visitor should cover up. Filipino men may wear an embroidered long-sleeved shirt or a plain white
barong tagalog with black trousers for formal occasions, women wear cocktail dresses or long gowns. The Philippines are, in many respects, more westernised than any other Asian country, but there is a rich underlay of Malay culture.
International Travel:Getting There by
AirThe national airline is
Philippine Airlines (PR) (website:
www.philippineairlines.com).
Note: The period over Easter, from Good Friday to the following Bank holiday (and sometimes beyond), is a major holiday in the Philippines, as are Christmas and New Year. There may be some difficulty booking a flight during these periods.
Departure TaxPHP750 for international departures. Children under two years of age and transit passengers are exempt.
Main AirportsNinoy Aquino (MNL) is 12km (7 miles) south of Manila.
To/from the airport: Bus and taxi services are available to the city (journey time – up to 1 hour 30 minutes by public bus, or 25 minutes by taxi).
Facilities: Banks, post office, medical clinic, baggage deposit area, duty-free shops and car hire.
Mactan International Airport (CEB) (Cebu Island) (website:
www.mactan-cebuairport.com.ph) is 45km (28 miles) from the city center.
To/from the airport: Hotels and tour operators provide their own coaches; taxis can be hired.
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Manila. The port is a crossroads of trade in the Asia-Pacific region.
Shipping lines which call at Manila include
Evergreen Lines (website:
www.evergreen-shipping.us),
Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO) (website:
www.fesco.ru/en)
and
Italia Marittima (website:
www.italiamarittima.it).
Schedules and rates are listed in the shipping pages of daily newspapers. For more information, contact the
Philippines Ports Authority (website:
www.ppa.com.ph).
OverviewThe following items may be imported into the Philippines without incurring customs duty:
• 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
• 2l of alcoholic beverage of not more than 1l each.
Note: (a) Visitors carrying more than US$3,000 are to declare this at the Central Bank of the Philippines counter at customs. (b) Departing passengers cannot take out more than PHP1,000 out of the country.
Prohibited ImportsFirearms, explosives, pornographic material, seditious or subversive material, narcotics and other internationally prohibited drugs (unless accompanied by a medical prescription), gambling articles and machines and misbranded and adulterated foodstuffs.
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirIn addition to
Philippine Airlines (PR) (website:
www.philippineairlines.com), there are several other charter airlines, including
Air Philippines (website:
www.airphils.com),
Asian Spirit (website:
www.asianspirit.com),
Cebu Pacific Air (website:
www.cebupacificair.com) and
Laoag International Airlines.
Getting Around by WaterInter-island ships with first-class accommodation connect the major island ports. Local shipping lines include
SuperFerry (tel: (2) 528 7979
or 7171
or 7000; website:
www.superferry.com.ph).
Getting Around by RailThe
Metrotren is recommended for long journeys. The railway is on Luzon Island and stretches as far south as Carmona and Cavite to Meycauayan in the north.
Getting Around by RoadTraffic drives on the right. Roads spread among the islands, with highways on the Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon island groups. Further roads are currently being constructed. Driving off the main highway at night is dangerous and should be avoided.
Bus: There are bus services between towns and also widely available
jeepneys. These are shared taxis using jeep-derived vehicles equipped to carry up to 14 passengers on bench seats. Fares are similar to buses.
Taxi: Taxis are available in cities and in many towns. Make sure meters are used, as some taxi drivers will set an exorbitant and arbitrary rate.
Car hire: Available in Manila and in major cities.
Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18. Seat belts are compulsory.
Emergency breakdown service: Automobile Association Philippines (tel: (02) 723 0808).
Documentation: International Driving Permit required, together with a national driving license.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesA number of
bus routes are operated by
Metro Manila Transport using conventional vehicles, including double-deckers. Most journeys, however, are made by
jeepneys, of which there are an estimated 30,000 in Manila alone. The
Metro Railway Transit (MTR) connects North Avenue in Quezon to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, traveling the length of Epifanio delos Santo Avenue (EDSA). The
Light Railway Transit (LRT), a
light rail transit link, runs from Baclaran terminal in the south to Caloocan terminal in the north.
Tricycles (motorbikes with sidecars) and
pedicabs (bicycles with a sidecars) are a cheaper alternative for shorter distances around towns.
Calseas (
horse-drawn carriages) are popular with tourists and are a common sight in downtown Manila.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from
Manila to other major cities/towns in the Philippines.
| Air | Road | Sea |
| Batangas | - | 2.00 | - |
| Cagayan de Oro | 1.25 | - | 48.00 |
| Laoag | 1.25 | 7.00 | - |
| Palawan | 1.10 | - | 24.00 |
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