Philippines

BASIC FACTS

Area: 300,000 km ², this archipelago has 7,107 islands, located in northeastern Indonesia, between Japan and Australia.
Population: 89,468,677 inhabitants. Two thirds are in the two largest islands, Luzon and Mindanao. Most Filipinos are of  Malay origin, but there are at least 111 ethnic groups, among which the blacks, the gonotes, the Moors, the Maguindanao, the Maranao.

 

FORMALITIES

Euroepan citizens need a visa for stays over 21 days. The passport must be valid and with an expiration date more than six months after the date of return. An entry ticket costs 39 euros and several entries into the country cost 78 euros: the stay may not exceed 59 days. You must justify your return ticket.

 

LANGUAGE

The official languages of the Philippines are Tagalog and English, but co-exist in the country more than 100 languages. The chabacano is one of them, spoken mostly in the Zamboanga area (known as the Latin capital of Asia). This language strongly resembles modern spanish and is easily understandable for any Hispanci traveler.

 

CLIMATE AND SEASON

Philippines is a tropical, warm and humid (77% humidity). The country is characterized by a monsoon climate, except in southern Mindanao, which is more equatorial. The average temperature is 25 ° C. Avoid the rainy season and typhoons from June to October, and the high temperatures in April and May (32 ° C). From November to early March is an ideal temperature: dry season with mild temperatures ranging between 22 and 28 ° C.

 

AIRPORT

The Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport is located 7 miles from downtown Manila. A shuttle bus takes you to the main hotels in the city for a reduced price. It costs 200 to 300 PHP a taxi to the center of the city. You have to pay a rate of 750 PHP at the airport for return flight and / or 200 PHP on domestic flights. Passengers are advised to check with international destinations with the airport information desks or tourist information kisoks, since they may change without notice.

 

SAFETY

The Foreign Office advises against travel to certain regions of the country, Mindanao, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu. Since the Bali bombings in 2002, there is always risk of terrorist attacks, particularly in public places in Manila and the province. Thus Avoid meeting places such as shopping malls and public transport.

The Philippines is located in a region of high seismic activity.

HISTORICAL DATES

1521, Magellan docks in the archipelago of the Visayas. Assassinated that same year.
1543, Ruy López de Villalobos gives the Philippines archipelago's name in honor of the future King Philip II of Spain.
1565, establishment of Spanish sovereignty.
1896, shooting death of Jose Rizal, Filipino martyr and patriot.
1896 nationalist insurrection.
1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States for 20 million dollars.
1899-1913 starts Filipino-American War during which Americans killed more than 10 million Filipinos, most Hispanic culture.
1941 Japanese invasion.
1944 to 1945, the United States to invade the country again.
1946, proclaimed the Independence and Republic.
1965, Ferdinand Marcos was elected president. Dictatorship, rebellions of minorities, martial law ...
1986, Cory Aquino was elected president in an election marked by the murder of her husband Benigno Aquino (still unsolved) to return to the Philippines after a long exile.
1992, General Fidel Ramos was elected president.
1998, Joseph Estrada is elected president ERAP.
2001 Overthrow of Joseph Estrada. The Vice-President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo took power. At present, remains head of state (elected in 2004).

 

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS

Filipinos give much importance to the family, marriage and the spirit of clan. Courteous and deeply respectful, hate disagreements and conflicts. Often, if they have to reject something, instead of saying a non-explicit, they prefer to make a paraphrase. With regards to bargaining, it is common in markets and with the rickshaw drivers, but inadequate in stores.

 

RELIGION

81% Roman Catholic, Protestant 9%, 7% Muslim, 2% and 1% animist of Filipinos belonging to Christian and Buddhist sects.

 

USEFUL ADDRESSES

ARGENTINA
Embassy of the Argentine Republic
6th Floor, A.C.T. Tower Condominium
135 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Tel. 893-6091; 810-8301

AUSTRALIA
Embassy of Australia
1st-5th Floors, Dona Salustiana Dee Ty Tower
104 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
Tel. 750-2850

AUSTRIA
Embassy of the Republic of Austria
4th Floor, Prince Building
117 Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 817-9191; 817-4992; 817-4993

BANGLADESH
Embassy of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
2nd Floor, Universal-Re Building
106 Paseo de Roxas corner Perea St., Legaspi Vill. Makati
Tel. 817-5010; 817-5001

BELGIUM
Royal Belgian Embassy
Multinational Ban Corporation Centre
9th Floor, 6805 Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 845-1869; 845-1874

BRAZIL
Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil
6th Floor, RCI Building
105 Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 892-8181; 892-8182

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
Embassy of Brunei Darussalam
11th Floor, Ayala Wing, Bank of the Philippine Islands Building
Ayala Avenue corner Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
Tel. 816-2836 to 38

CAMBODIA
Royal Embassy of Cambodia
Unit 7-A, 7th Floor, Country Space One Building,
Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 818-9981

CANADA
Canadian Embassy
9th and 11th Floors, Allied Bank Centre
6754 Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 867-0001

CHILE
Embassy of Chile
6th Floor, Dona Salustiana D.T. Tower
104 Paseo de Roxas, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 816-0395; 810-3149

CHINA
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
4896 Pasay Road, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 844-3148; 843-7715

COLOMBIA
Embassy of the Republic of Colombia
18th Floor, Aurora Tower, Araneta Center, Quezon City
Tel. 911-3101

CUBA
Embassy of the Republic of Cuba
101 Aguirre cor. Trasierra Streets
Cacho Gonzales Building, Penthouse, Legaspi Village, Makati, Metro Manila
Tel. 817-1192

CZECH REPUBLIC
Embassy of the Czech Republic
30th Floor, Rufino Pacific Tower, Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 811-1155

DENMARK
Royal Danish Embassy
6th Floor, Salustiana D. Ty Tower
104 Paseo de Roxas corner Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City
Tel. 894-0086

EGYPT
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
2229 Paraiso corner Banyan Streets, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 843-9220

EUROPEAN UNION
7th Floor, Salustiana D. Ty Tower
104 Paseo de Roxas cor. Perea Street
Legaspi Village, Makati, Metro Manila
Tel. 812-6421

FINLAND
Embassy of Finland
21st Floor, Far East Bank Center, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 891-5011 to 17

FRANCE
Embassy of the Republic of France
The Pacific Star Building, 16th Floor
Makati Avenue corner Sen. Gil Puyat Extension, Makati City
Tel. 810-1981 to 88

GERMANY
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
6th Floor, Solid Bank Building, 777 Paseo de Roxas, Makati, Metro Manila
Tel. 892-4906

HOLY SEE
Embassy of the Holy See, 2140 Taft Avenue, Manila
Tel. 521-0306

INDIA
Embassy of the Republic of India
2190 Paraiso Street, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 843-0101; 843-0102

INDONESIA
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia
185 Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 892-5061 to 68

IRAN
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
2224 Paraiso St. cor. Pasay Road, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 888-4757 to 59

IRAQ
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq
2261 Avocado Street, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 843-9838; 813-3067

ISRAEL
Embassy of the State of Israel
23rd Floor, Trafalgar Plaza
H.V. dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Tel. 892-5329 to 32

ITALY
Embassy of the Republic of Italy
6th Floor, Zeta Building, 191 Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 892-4531 to 34

JAPAN
Embassy of Japan
2627 Roxas Boulevard, (beside Hyatt Regency Hotel), Pasay City 1300
Tel. 551-5710

KOREA
Embassy of the Republic of Korea
10th Floor, The Pacific Star Building, Makati Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 811-6139 to 46

KUWAIT
Embassy of the State of Kuwait
1230 Acacia Road, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 887-6880 to 84

LAOS
Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
34 Lapu-Lapu Street
Magallanes Village, Makati City
Tel. 852-5759

LIBYA
The People's Bureau of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
1644 Dasmarinas St. cor. Mabolo St. Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 817-7337

MALAYSIA
Embassy of Malaysia
107 Tordesillas Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Tel. 817-4581 to 85

MALTA
Embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
6th Floor, Cattleya Condominium
235 Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 817-1095

MEXICO
Embassy of the United Mexican States
18th Floor, Ramon Magsaysay Center
1680 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City
Tel. 526-7461

MYANMAR
Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
8th Floor, XANLAND Centre
152 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 817-2373

NETHERLANDS
Royal Netherlands Embassy
9th Floor, King's Court Building, 2129 Pasong Tamo, Makati City
Tel. 812-5981 to 83

NEW ZEALAND
Embassy of New Zealand
23rd Floor, Far East Bank Centre
Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (near Makati Avenue), Makati City
Tel. 891-5358 to 67

NIGERIA
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
2211 Paraiso Street, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 843-9866

NORWAY
Royal Norwegian Embassy
21st Floor, Petron Mega Plaza Building
358 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 886-3245 to 49

PAKISTAN
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
6th Floor, Alexander House
132 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 817-2776; 817-2772

PANAMA
Embassy of the Republic of Panama
10th. Flr. Marc 2000 Tower,
1973 Taft Ave. cor. Quirino Ave., Malate, Manila
Tel. 521-2790; 521-1233

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Embassy of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea
2280 Magnolia Street, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 844-2060; 844-2051

PERU
Embassy of the Republic of Peru
7th Floor, Unit 7-B
Country Space One Building, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 813-8731

PORTUGAL
Embassy of Portugal
14th Floor, Unit D Trafalgar Plaza
105 H.V. dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Tel. 848-3789 to 90

QATAR
Embassy of the State of Qatar
1601 Cypress Street, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 887-4944; 887-4945

ROMANIA
Embassy of Romania
1216 Acacia Road, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 843-9014

RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Embassy of the Russian Federation
1245 Acacia Road, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 810-9614; 893-0190

SAUDI ARABIA
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Embassy Building
389 Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue Extension, Makati City
Tel. 890-9735

SINGAPORE
Embassy of the Republic of Singapore
6th Floor, ODC International Plaza
219 Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 816-1764 to 65

SPAIN
Embassy of Spain
5th Floor, ACT Tower, 135 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City
Tel 818-3561; 818-5526

SRI LANKA
Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
2260 Avocado Avenue, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 843-9813; 812-0335

SWEDEN
Embassy of Sweden
16th Floor, PCI Bank Tower II Building, Makati Avenue corner dela Costa Street, Makati City
Tel. 819-1951, URL:

SWITZERLAND
Embassy of the Swiss Confederation
18th Floor, Solid bank Building, 777 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
Tel. 892-2051

THAILAND
Royal Thai Embassy
Royal Thai Embassy Building
107 Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 815-4220; 816-0697

TURKEY
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey
2268 Paraiso Street, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City
Tel. 843-9705; 843-9707

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
2nd Floor, Renaissance Building
215 Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 817-3906

UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
British Embassy
15th-17th Floors, L.V. Locsin Building
6752 Ayala Avenue corner Makati Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 816-7116; 816-7271 to 72

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Embassy of the United States of America
Chancery Building
1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila
Tel. 523-1001

VENEZUELA
Embassy of the Republic of Venezuela
6th Floor, Majalco Building
Benavidez corner Trasierra Streets, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Tel. 817-9118; 817-9137

VIETNAM
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
554 Vito Cruz, Malate, Manila
Tel. 524-0364; 521-6843

 

CURRENCY

Philippine Peso (PHP)

HEALTH

No vaccinations required. It is recommended, however, be vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, typhoid and hepatitis A and B. As in any travel to hazardous areas, we recommend that you visit your tropical medicine center for specialized medical advice.

Avian influenza epidemic: No new outbreaks. However, it is advisable to take basic hygiene precautions (washing hands frequently and avoid eating raw or lightly cooked).

Malaria: It is recommended that tourists carry malaria treatment (chloroquine and proguanil), since this disease can be found in some remote or virgin islands (particularly in Palawan and Mindanao).

Drink bottled water and never drink tap water. Things to carry in your Frist Aid kit: Antidiarrheal mosquito repellent, disinfectant and sulfa that speed up healing, much slower in countries with higher humidity.

Useful numbers:
Makati Medical Center (Manila) 815 99 11;
Blood Transfusion Centre 815 99 11;
Poisoning Center 524 10 78

Fire 816 25 53;
St Luke Hospital 725 23 28.

 

AGENDA

January 1 New Year's Day.
January 6: Feast of the 3 Magic Kings. The children receive their  presents.
Late January: Holiday Period of the Child Jesus, the celebrations takes place in different cities like Manila, Dumaguete and Cadiz on the island of Negros. One of the most famous festivals is the Ati-Atihuan (third weekend of the month) in Kalibo on Panay Island.
February 25 EDSA People's Revolution.
April: Holidays and Holy Week procession. Moriones Festival in Boac, Marinduque Island in the (reconstruction of the Passion of Christ, Good Friday).
April 9: Heroism Day Bataan and Corregidor.
May: Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo: floral processions and parades throughout the country in honor of the Virgin.
1 May: Labour Day.
June 12: Fiesta of Independence.
June 24: Fiesta of Manila - Lechon in Balayan Paradang: fiesta around the national dish, roast suckling pig.
August 19: Feast of Quezon City.
August 21: Commemoration of Ninoy Aquino.
August 28: National Heroes Day.
1 November: All Saints Day.
October 21-22: Masskara Festival in Bacolod, Negros Island.
December 23-24: Festival of giant lanterns in San Fernando, island of Luzon.
December 25: Christmas holidays.
December 30: Feast of Rizal.

GASTRONOMY

Filipino cuisine - influenced by Chinese, Malay and Spanish mostly-  is succulent. Abundant rice of course, but also pork, chicken, not to mention the fish like tanguigui, tilapia or bagus.

All toyomansi accompanied by a soy-based sauce. On the street, you can try grilled skewers of animal waste. The national dish is the adobe, a pork stew with garlic and spices, simmered with vinegar. The roast pork and stuffing is eaten at parties and festivities.

There is also a wide variety of excellent fruits: mangos, pineapples, papayas, bananas, but also the fruit of Artocarpus odoratissimus "or the famous durian, much appreciated despite its repulsive smell
 

WALKING AROUND

The carrier Philippines Airlines operates in all major cities and numerous islands. Use some of the numerous ferries and catamarans, to discover the archipelago, crossing the sea in all directions. The road and rail infrastructure are poorly developed. Traffic jams are part of daily life (it takes ten hours to travel 300 km). Fast couches take less. For short distances, the jeepneys, a type of "jeep-taxis" painted, and tricycles, the "side-car local, are both, fast, cheap (they cost $ 0.20 the fourth time, although must negotiate the fare before the journey) are deliciously exotic. The jeepneys depart only when full.  The destination is writen on the windshield. You only need an international license to rent a car.

The rental shops are mainly located in Manila and at airports.

SHOPPING

Local markets and huge malls offer a wealth of local handicrafts at very attractive prices: silver jewelry, pearls or tortoise shells, baskets, pineapple fiber shirts or silk banana, objects of copper or carved wood, not forgetting the barong Tagalog, the national embroidered shirt that is used at parties and special occasions. Shops open from 10:00 to 19:30 from Monday to Friday. Duty-Free Philippines near the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) is the biggest selling point of the country for duty free shopping where you can find quality imported items and selected Philippine products for export.

ELECTRICITY

220 V and 110 V. Bring an adapter for U.S. type power plugs and a flashlight, as there are many power cuts.

 
TAXES AND GRATUITIES

Most of the products are given a 20% tax. Tipping is appreciated for small services. Hotels and restaurants usually include 10% gratuity on the bill, although it is optional when the bill already includes a service charge of 10%.

TRAVEL TIPS

It takes at least three weeks to discover the archipelago. The classic itinerary: north of Manila, the famous Banaue rice fields and Ifugao tribes of the country, then south to the city of Cebu, the heavenly beaches of Palawan, Boracay or Inanuran small island, ideal base to visit the island Bohol. In Manila, visit the bar at the Manila Hotel, a colonial-style institution where General Mac Arthur lived. Get youserlf started at diving: the price is cheap (about USD 20 per dive, including equipment), monitors and good infrastructure.

Wear lightweight and comfortable clothing. You will need warm clothes for mountain areas. When visiting churches and temples, avoid short and scanty clothing. Formal occasions require a jacket and tie at dinner for men (or the Philippine barong Tagalog) and long or cocktail dresses for women.