Philippines Travel Guide

Philippines — Country and Tourist Information

Browse the Philippines Photo Gallery

Country Facts

Location: South-East Asia.
Language: Filipino, based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is widely spoken, Spanish less so. There are over 111 cultural and racial groups, each with its own language or dialect; up to 988 languages have been recorded.
Area: 300,000 sq km (115,831 sq miles).
Time Zone: GMT + 8.
Electricity: 220 volts (110 volts in Baguio) AC, 60Hz. 110 volts is available in most hotels. Flat and round two- and three-pin plugs are in use.
Population: 91.1 million (CIA estimate 2007).
Population Density: 303.6 per sq km.
Capital City: Manila. Population: 9.9 million (2005 metropolitan area).
Government: Republic since 1935. Gained independence from the USA in 1946.
Head of State: President Benigno Aquino III since 2010.
Religion: Roman Catholic 80.9%; the rest are made up mostly of Muslims, other Christian denominations, Buddhists and Taoists.

Recent History

Gloria Arroyo was elevated from vice president to president in 2001 after protests led to the ousting of her predecessor, Joseph Estrada. She has since survived numerous attempts to unseat her: by military mutineers in 2003; accusations of vote-rigging and corruption in 2004 and 2005 elections; attempted impeachment in September 2005 and August 2006. She also declared a week-long state of emergency in February 2006 when the army claimed to have foiled a planned coup. Elections in May 2007 were also marked by violence.

Arroyo continues to face the challenge of delivering on her promises to create jobs and to improve living standards. Social and economic reforms introduced during her first term did little to ease poverty and the country's debt burden.

The past few years have also been marred by clashes between government troops and rebels, particularly the militant Islamic group Abu Sayyat, which beheaded seven hostages in 2007 on the Island of Jolo.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +63. International calls to the smaller towns must be booked through the operator.

Mobile Telephone

Mobile phone coverage is good, other than in mountainous areas and remote locations. There is 3G coverage in many urban areas. Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies, but it is cheap and easy to buy a local SIM card. Credit top-ups (known as 'load') are readily available. International calls can be made on mobile phones, but the cheapest way is through a VOIP service. Software and headsets are available in most Internet cafés.

Internet

Internet cafés are common across the country. Access is cheap and usually reasonably fast. Wi-Fi is also usually easy to find, available in many hotels and coffee shops. The main telecoms companies offer reasonably priced 3G access via smartphones or USB dongles.

Media

The media is controlled by powerful commercial interests. There is a busy TV scene, which is dominated by free-to-air networks ABS-CBN and GMA. Many radio networks are also run by TV broadcasters. Freedom of the press is guaranteed under the 1987 constitution, but it is not uncommon for controversial journalists to be murdered and the country has a poor track record for solving such crimes.

Post

Airmail to Europe takes at least five days.Mon-Fri 0800-1700.

Press

There are a number of daily newspapers. English-language daily newspapers include the Daily Tribune, Manila Bulletin, Malaya, Manila Times and the Philippine Star.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
25 Feb People Power Day
9 Apr Bataan Day (Araw ng Kagitingan)
20 Apr Maundy Thursday
22 Apr Good Friday
1 May Labor Day
12 Jun Independence Day
30 Aug National Heroes’ Day
31 Aug Eid Ul Fitr (end of Ramadan)
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
30 Nov Bonifacio Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
30 Dec Rizal Day
31 Dec New Year’s Eve

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
25 Feb People Power Day
5 Apr Maundy Thursday
6 Apr Good Friday
9 Apr Bataan Day (Araw ng Kagitingan)
1 May Labor Day
12 Jun Independence Day
19 Aug Eid Ul Fitr (end of Ramadan)
30 Aug National Heroes’ Day
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
30 Nov Bonifacio Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
30 Dec Rizal Day
31 Dec New Year’s Eve
If the date falls on the weekend the public holiday will be observed on the next working day. Also note that Easter is a major holiday in the Philippines and travel may be disrupted.

Contact Information

Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in the UK

9A Palace Green, London W8 4QE, UK
Tel: (020) 7937 1600 or 7361 4641 (consular section).
Website: www.philemb.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700 (visa applications); Mon-Fri 1500-1530 (visa collection).