Philippines Travel Guide

Philippines — Travel Tips

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Social Conventions

Government 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 Air

The 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 Tax

PHP750 for international departures. Children under two years of age and transit passengers are exempt.

Main Airports

Ninoy 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 Water

Main ports:Manila. The port is a crossroads of trade in the Asia-Pacific region.

Shippinglines 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).

Duty Free

Overview

The 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, in bottles 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.

Prohibited Imports

Firearms, explosives, pornographic material, seditious or subversive material, narcotics and other internationally prohibited drugs (unless accompanied by a medical prescription), drugs or substances for abortion, gambling articles and machines, articles of gold, silver and precious metals without indications of actual fineness of quality, plants, planting materials, fruits and vegetables, and misbranded and adulterated foodstuffs.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

In 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 Water

Inter-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 Rail

The 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 Road

Traffic 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 Cities

A 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.