The Philippines in the eyes of worldsupporters: magazine

The Philippines

Best time to visit the Philippines

The Philippines has a tropical climate with some areas that are rainy all year round, others with a distinct wet and dry season and others that have a shorter dry season and cooler temperatures all year round. So when is the best time to visit?

Between January and April. It’s generally dryer, cooler and less humid than the rest of the year.
There are quite significant regional differences in climate. For example, the southern region has a more pleasant climate during August through October, the northern parts are more

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What to eat?

Balut, Lechon and Adobo - Local food in the Phlippines

My world recipe: Balut, Lechon and Adobo - Local food in the Phlippines

Adobong Manok Sa Gata (adobo kip in heerlijke kokossaus)

Mijn wereldrecept: Adobong Manok Sa Gata (adobo kip in heerlijke kokossaus)

Filippijns recept: Chicken Adobo

Mijn wereldrecept: Filippijns recept: Chicken Adobo

Recipes and tips from the Philipinnes or with a Filipino twist - Bundle

What to do?

Philippines - What to see & what to do?

The Philippines is made up of 7107 (!) islands of which only around 2000 are inhabited. In the Philippines you will find endless white, sandy beaches, great diving and snorkelling waters, stunning rice terraces and plenty great walking tracks and volcanoes to climb. The island nation has a rich cultural heritage, however, it suffers from great economic inequality which is something to be aware of as a visitor. If you plan to visit the Philippines, have a look at the tips and activities below.

Highlights

Visit the Ifugao rice terraces (or Banaue Rice Terraces) in the north of the country. These terraces were hand cut in the hills and mountains by the Ifugao people and it's estimated that their origins trace back 2000 years ago.
Check out the Chocolate Hills on Bohol Island. The approximately thousand, 50 metre high domes form a remarkable sight and are the source of many legends. One myth speaks of a fight between two giants who threw rocks and sand at each other, thus forming the spectacular hills.
Go diving or snorkelling. Apart from exploring the many impressive bays and reefs, for example those in Mindoro Island, you can go snorkelling with whale sharks in south east Luzon or discover the Japanese shipwrecks sunk during World War II around Coron Island.
Take a boat tour on the underground river at Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park on Palawan Island.
Visit Pagsanjan, a little village in the province of Laguna known for its many waterfalls.
Manilla, capital of the Philippines, is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and seeped in history, culture and a lively party scene. Visit Chinatown in old Manila for some of the greatest Chinese food outside of China or go to the Greenbelt area in Makati's Central Business District for shopping.
Borocay, a small tropical island an hours’ flight from Manilla with plenty of entertainment, from diving and snorkelling to dancing ‘till the early hours.
Apo Island in Negros Oriental. This island is a protected marine reserve with beautiful coral reefs and marine fauna. Snorkelling and diving is allowed.
As the Philippines are edged by the Pacific Ring of Fire, it has an impressive collection of volcanoes within its boundaries. They offer good walks for hikers of every level, with Mount Taal being known as one of the easiest and the persistently smoking Mount Mayon as one of the hardest to climb.

Public holidays, traditional celebrations & festivals

Almost all Filipinos are religious. Most of the people are catholic with a strong Muslim population in the south.
The Black Nazarene Procession is dedicated to the 16^th century ebony shrine depicting Jesus Christ and takes place three times a year: 9 January, Good Friday and 31 December with the procession in January being the largest. Barefoot followers try to touch the shrine for good fortune.
Ati Atihan is a week-long Festival celebrating Santo Niño (baby Jesus) culminating on the third Sunday of January. It’s a festival with a long history and rooted in age old traditions. Celebrations include a parade, tribal dance, traditional music and indigenous costumes.
Not for the faint-hearted, Good Friday is celebrated in San Fernando on Luzon with a procession of around twenty people carrying a cross on their back whilst being lashed with bamboo sticks. The bloody affair climaxes with a mass crucifixion. The twenty participant are hung on their cross for around ten minutes to test their faith.
The Masskara Festival in the third weekend of October has its origins in 1980 during a time of economic hardship and after a large ship sank leading to many casualties. The festival was introduced as ‘the festival of smiles’ with participants wearing colourful masks adorned with smiles to pull the people out of the doom and gloom of the crisis.

Activities

As it’s an island nations, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a lot of the most popular activities in the Philippines are water based. Scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing, kayaking and deep-sea fishing are just some of the many nautical pastimes.
There are also plenty of great mountain biking tracks, challenging mountains to climb and interesting volcanoes to explore.
Poverty and slum life are unfortunately a large part of the ‘real’ Manila. You can visit the slums to take in ‘the other side’ of the bustling party capital. Discover the old parts of town and take a moment to take in the reality of the slums, for example the 25000 people living and working on Smokey Mountain, the city’s largest dump where its inhabitants pick up garbage for a living.
Learn Filipino, the national language of the Philippines. Courses often include Filipino culture and history

The places and activities mentioned above are just a glimpse of what the Philippines has to offer. Have you been there, or do you have other tips? Feel free to reply in a comment!

How to prepare for a trip to The Philippines?

Although preparing yourself for travel is different for everyone, here are some general guidelines for your trip to The Philippines. Please feel free to add your personal advice in the Comment & Contributions section.

Arrange a flight

For cheap flights, it is always best to book far in advance, the cheapest seats are always sold out first. Good hotels have airport pickups from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila. There is a Grab Booth outside the bigger airports, so you can book a taxi without hassle, I am always happy myself to have less hassle, the difference in price is minimal and definitely worth it. Found a cheap flight? Donate the money you saved to your preferred carbon compensation funds or find a more personal way to compensate your impact, like voluntourism.

Get your medical files in order with all vaccinations and malaria prophylaxes stated

Before you leave you should consult your travel doctor about vaccinations and malaria prophylaxes. Tell them where you will be staying and how long, they will need this information.

Arrange your insurance

You need to have a travel-, health- and (when applicable) activities insured. Some insurances do not cover incidents if you are volunteering abroad or don't cover trips that last longer than 30 days. Talk to your insurance adviser or contact the insurance experts of JoHo Insurances. Better be prepared well, since it is hard to arrange it, once already on the move.

You will need a visa

You will need to have a passport that is valid at least 6 months upon arrival in the Philippines. A visa is not required if you stay 30 days or less. If you stay more than 30 days, you will need a visa, which you can get either at the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines (see below) or at the Embassy of the Philippines in your country of residence.
When coming in on a 30-day visa, you can extend your visa in the Philippines by applying for an extension of the visa at the office of the Bureau of Immigration in Intramuros, Manila or at their regional offices all over Metro Manila (Makati Circuit Mall). Please check the Bureau’s websit for more information. They are closed on holidays. When the immigration office is located in the mall, the mall is closed before opening time, but the Immigration Office is already open, you have to ask the guard, if you can enter and go into a seemingly closed mall.

Arrange your money

The unit of currency in the Philippines is the peso, which is also spelled piso in Filipino.
The smartest way to bring cash to the Philippines is in the form of a credit card, cash card or debit card. Provided you have your PIN, you can use these to get cash or cash advances from thousands of banks and ATMs in the Philippines (but don't expect to find these in rural areas - always stock up on cash before leaving a city). Of course, you will want to back up your plastic with some cash and travellers cheques. Using plastic with a cash back-up will save you from having to deal with local moneychangers, who seem to have made a science out of ripping off tourists (warning from the Lonely Planet). The advantage of money changers is, that you dont have to pay the bank currency exchange rates and an extra fee of around 200-300 PHP every time you use the ATM.
The leading banks in the Philippines are BDO, BPI, Metrobank, Landbank and RCBC.
Banks are open from 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM and ATMs are open 24 hours. The maximum amount you can withdraw from the ATM is different per branch at BDO and BPI per transaction with a maximum of PHP10,000-20,000, Citibank Makati PHP15,000 and HSBC PHP40,000. Depending on your own maximum for cash out of an ATM limit a day. At the Citibank, you don't have to pay the extra foreign bank fee. Make sure your ATM is set on using your card outside of Europe.

Arrange your communication

When you stay a longer period of time, it is very handy to use a local simcard, most of the time free at the airport booths. You have two main choices: Globe or Smart. When you have a local card, you can use the WIFI in malls, with your foreign number you are not able to use the WIFI.

Read about the Philippines

For the touristic highlights and places to stay & eat there's a good selection of travel guides such as:

Lonely Planet
Footprint
Marco Polo

Other books you can read about the Philippines are:

Jose Rizal

Noli Me Tangere
El Filibusterismo

Nick Joaquin

La Naval de Manila and Other Essays (1964)
A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino (1966)

F. Sionil Jose

Rosales Saga novels: A five-novel series that spans three centuries of Philippine history, widely read around the world and translated into 22 languages

Niklas Reese

Handbook of the Philippines: A comprehensive introduction to Philippine society, economy, politics and culture. It aims to shed light to the different facets of life (and of daily struggles and survival) in the Philippines.

What to pack into your bag?

Passport
Visa
Print of your outbound ticket (to be shown at the airport of departure)
Vaccination booklet
Cash money
ATM card
Travel guide
Language guide
Reading books
Camera
Bag/suitcase
Labels
Day bagpack
Money belt (and or travel safe)
Locks for your bag
Toilet bag
Toothbrush/paste/soap/shampoo/comb, disinfectant soap etc
Towel
Ear plugs
Sunscreen high factor
Sunglasses/cap
Mosquito repellent (and mosquito net)
Medical kit, although almost everything is also available in the Philippines: with Immodium, ORS, Paracetamol, band-aid, disinfectant, gauze & bandages etc.
Flip‐flops
Clothes: sandals, light clothes since the climate is hot and humid, socks/shirt with long sleeves and trousers for the evenings (mosquitoes), swimsuit.
Laptop and mobile phone. Consider bringing a safety cable if you bring yours. Most hostels have free or paid Wi-Fi service. If you want to bring your smart phone, consider also bringing a cheaper phone for daily use.
In the Philippines, women hardly use tampons so if you use them you will need to bring them with you.

Top Places to visit in Metro Manila

Places to visit in Metro Manila

When asked to name some of our favourite places to hang out in The capital of the Philippines, Metro Manila, it took us a while to put together simply because it can depend a lot on the mood you are in at the time and who you plan to meet with. When coming in from more developed, western environments, a bustling city in a tropical developing country can be an exciting new change with so much to experience and explore. Metro Manila can provide very different experiences depending on what you're looking for.

Makati

Area: Whenever you feel the need to reconnect with a more developed, western environment, visit the Greenbelt area in Makati's Central Business District - considered to be one of the most well thought-out shopping and dining areas in the city. A wide range of international cuisine is on offer as well as many of the more popular brands from around the world. With a great mix of restaurants and shops in a relatively quiet, green space, it can provide a little breathing space for anyone needing a short break from the city's congested sidewalks, streets and hi-rises. Food: Go to Spicy Fingers for Happy Hour or Barcino for wine and tapas.

Going out: When you are looking for hip, lively streetculture scene The Collective in Makati, is where to be. This little enclave of shops and restaurants organizes weekly events, from small concert, to art exhibits and everything else in between. Expect to meet a lot of open minded and cool people. You might want to give the vegetarian Vietnamese bread a try.

Manila

Area: Are you ready for something intense? Make your way down to the Chinatown/Quiapo/Divisoria area in Old Manila. You'll know you've arrived once you find yourself floating in a sea of human foot traffic drifting alongside an endless parade of passenger jeeps, tricycles and cars.

In Chinatown, you'll find some of the best dimsum outside Hong Kong and Singapore. Everything around you is compact and well-worn - from the sidewalks and streets to the shops and restaurants, which should make for a pretty interesting experience. Try the Macau Egg Tart at Macau Bakery in Ong Pin Street, which is the mainstreet in Chinatown.

Shopping: If you're in the mood to shop and are hunting around for a ridiculous bargain, well both Quiapo and Divisoria can itch that scratch best. They only catch about this area is that it feels completely disorganized and chaotic to the outsider, so bring a local guide/friend along with you in order to decipher the codes and mysteries within this beehive of an area.

Tour: If you are in Manila and you are wondering - why on Earth did I ever choose to stay in these stone jungles? - a good way to gain perspective on the city is to attend a tour around the historical parts of Manila by Carlos Celdran. Carlos is not a standard tour guide, but rather a guide of his proper genre! Be prepared for a breathtaking journey around Manila that you would never suspect ever existed.

Pasig

Activity: Inspired by the abundance of the tropical fruit in the Philippines and wondering how you can get even more benefit? Discover the art of raw food preparation. A great activity for health-minded foodies. Be prepared to discover amazing flavours, new ingredients and their scrumptious combinations. Classes are being offered at Dahon Kusina by the raw chef Asha Peri.

Quezon City

Food: Vincent is Bipolar in Maginawa Quezon City. It is a very small restaurant, Vincent opened it to let people experience the impact of food on health. Definitely go, have a look and eat.

Going out: Enjoy Cubao X in Cubao, it is a venue in open air where you can have drinkes or food in a bar or restaurant of your choice. The vibe is vibrant and a lot of students come here to spend their evenings. They wear cool and creative clothes. Just go and see the place and experience it by yourself, it is authentic.

Around Manila

Activity: So if you want to get out of Manila for a daytrip, just to relax, swim and see some green. Wawa-dam is the perfect destination. Take a FX from Aurora Avenue at Gateway mall, Cubao that will drive you to Montalban (one hour, when traffic is not too busy, about 50 peso). Then take a jeepney saying Wawa for another 20 minutes (9 peso). From the Wawa "terminal", a parking along the river, follow the path next to the river for 10 minutes. Here you will find the dam and the old waterreserve. This is where the drinking water from Manila used to come from. Now you will find some bamboo picknicktables and a great spot for swimming. On the other side of the river you can go caving.

Transport in Manila

Metro Manila is notorious for its traffic jams with trips averaging at speeds as low as 6–8 kilometers per hour. A trip that should take 20 minutes will last an hour or more especially during rush hour. There are many different ways of travelling through Manila, but don’t expect it to be convenient and always watch your belongings because of pickpockets.

Jeepney / Jeep

Minimum fare: P8.00 – may cost higher depending on how far your destination is. You can ask the driver about this.
Route travel can be seen on cardboards displayed on the jeepney’s windshield.

Minimum fare: P10.00 – may cost higher depending on how far your destination is. You can ask the driver about this.
Fx system is similar to the jeepney’s and also follows a certain route.

Trains

MRT (Metro Rail Transit), LRT 1 and LRT 2 (Light Rail Transit 1 and 2)

Fare ranges from P10.00 to 15.00 – depending on what station you’re going.
Cards (tickets) can be availed at ticket booths in all stations.

Bus

Minimum fare: P12.00 (air-conditioned buses) – may cost higher depending on how far your destination is. You can ask the conductor about this.
Ordinary bus fare (without air-con) is cheaper.

Tricycle

Minimum fare: P7.00 – may cost higher depending on how far your destination is. You can ask the driver about this.
In Metro Manila, you will also see ‘pedicabs’. These are like tricycles but with bicycles instead of motorcycles.

Taxi

Fare would depend on the taximeter device that calculates the distance travelled. Plug-down rate is P40.00. Meter increases by P2.50.

Travel to the Philippines for work, volunteering, studying, living or backpacking

The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands, of which only a part is inhabited. You will find many Bounty beaches and an amazing underwater world where you can...Read more

General information about the Philippines: Buhay Filipinas

The Philippines

Do you want to be touched by the Filipino culture and amazed by its beautiful beaches, mountains and underwater world? This is your chance!

Travel Advice Header

The Philippines

Lonely Planet: "The second-largest archipelago in the world, with over 7000 tropical islands, the Philippines is one of the great treasures of Southeast Asia. Often overlooked by travellers because of its location on the ‘wrong’ side of the South China Sea, the Philippines rewards those who go the extra distance to reach it. And because it’s off the beaten path, the Philippines is a great place to escape the hordes who descend on other parts of Southeast Asia. First and foremost, the Philippines is a place of natural wonders – a string of coral-fringed islands strewn across a vast expanse of the western Pacific. Below sea level, the Philippines boasts some of the world’s best diving and snorkelling, including wreck diving around Coron and swimming with the whale sharks off Donsol. Above sea level, it has a fantastic landscape with wonders enough to stagger even the most jaded traveller: the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, Banaue & the Rice Terraces and fascinating reminders of the islands’ history in places such as Samar & Leyte and Vigan. And if you’re after palm-fringed, white-sand beaches, try laidback Sipalay or flat-out party town Boracay.

Of course, any traveller who has been here will tell you that it’s the people and their culture that makes the Philippines unique. Long poised at the centre of Southeast Asian trade, colonised by a succession of world powers, the Philippines is a vivid tapestry that reflects its varied cultural inheritance. And despite the poverty that afflicts much of the nation, the Filipinos themselves are among the most ebullient and easygoing people anywhere. The Philippines truly qualifies as one of the last great frontiers in Southeast Asian travel. Cross whichever ocean you need to and see for yourself. Ready to go?"

Climate

The Philippines has two seasons, the wet and the dry season which is based upon the amount of rainfall. Based on temperature, the seven warmest months of the year are from April to October. The winter monsoon brings cooler air from November to March. The average year temperature is around 26 degrees. The summer monsoon brings heavy rains from May to October.

Language

The language spoken in the Philippines is Filipino or Tagalog. In Manila and many other cities, the people speak English very well. In the more rural areas and the slums, it is more difficult to find someone who speaks proper English.

Religion

Almost all Filipinos are religious, please respect this. Most of the people are catholic with a strong Muslim population in the south.

Communication – mobile phone

At the day of arrival, we can go with you to the supermarket and get a SIM-card. It is possible to buy a card in almost every supermarket. You can also buy phone load, the instructions of loading are at the back of the phone card.

It is also possible to buy electronic load/ Eload. Eload stations can be found in supermarkets, sari-sari stores and malls. Upon transaction, you will receive a conformation message from AUTOLOADMAX, stating the amount of load you availed. The maximum amount you can avail from Eload is P200.

When calling landline numbers within Metro Manila, add 02 before the 7-digit number.

EXAMPLE: 02 533-8424

Mobile numbers can be dialled as: +632 917-413-7703 or 0917-413-7703

(+632 or 0 is added before the 10-digit number)

Electricity

The electricity in the Philippines is 220 volts on a frequency of 60 Hz. You will need a world plug for European electronic devises.

Accommodation

Anything is available from a bed in a dormitory to luxury hotels in Metro Manila. Make sure the neighborhood is safe and don't leave your valuables in your room. A typical dorm bed costs between 300-500 peso, a single room between 600 and 1,500 peso (shared bath, no aircon) a double room between 800- 2000 peso.

Costs

It is difficult to indicate how much money you will need. This depends on your living standard, your accommodation and if you have food included in your project/accommodation or not. Here are a few examples of prices, so you have an idea of the costs:

Soda in café P40
Cinema P180
Hostel P350 - P500
Breakfast at a hostel P100

When you stay in a hostel and pay for your own breakfast, lunch and dinner, you will spend approximately P850 per day.

Health

If you have your insurance checked and you have seen a travel doctor you are healthy and safe to start travelling. So now it just comes down to some good luck and common sense. In case anything happens, you can contact us, but usually it is more useful to consult the project management of the local organization in case of an emergency. They know the local situation better and can bring you in touch with people who can assist you immediately. Make sure that you know where the nearest and most reliable doctor is in case of emergency.

Food

In general people eat rice with some vegetables and meat or fish. When you eat in small local restaurants prices vary from P100 for breakfast to around P250 for dinner to more expensive international meals for more than P350. A soda will cost around P30 and a beer P40. In some of the projects/accommodations meals are included. This information can be found at the project description.

Water

It is not recommended to drink tapped water so rather buy filtered water. It is cheaper to buy a big can or bottle of water and fill it at a refilling station, found widely on the streets.

Security

As with travelling to other countries, use common sense when travelling to and around the Philippines. Although the people of these islands are generally friendly and accommodating, one must be aware of the prevalence of poverty. Do not show your valuables in public, because they attract pickpockets. Please carry small change so it is easier to pay small amounts of money.

You can register officially at your embassy, when you will go to the Philippines for a longer period of time. Please write down contact details of family/partner or close friend who can be contacted in case of emergencies. Keep your details of your insurance easy to find, in case someone needs to contact them.

Smoking

Smoking is not allowed in all public spaces in buildings, public transport and on the streets. In restaurants, cafes and bars smoking is allowed when there is a smoking sign.

Drinking

Minimum alcohol drinking age is 18 years old. It is not prohibited to drink out on the streets.

What to wear?

Since you are a representative of your home country, you will need to dress properly. This is at least a skirt over your knees and a shirt with short sleeves. In Manila it is a warm climate and you won’t need warm clothes. Only for the airconditioning in busses and in cinemas. When you are going more North, you will need to bring clothes for the cold. It can be cold in the evenings.

More travel tips and advice about visiting the Philippines you can find on WorldSupporter.org

Take a tour to the Banaue Rice Terraces

Let a local guide show you the rice terraces that are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". A van will take you to several viewpoints enabling you to enjoy the green and stunning landscapes. You will be informed about the Ifugao culture that revolves around rice. Get to know the local feasts that are linked to agricultural rites from rice cultivation to rice consumption. Hear about the harvest season with the thanksgiving feasts & the harvest rites like tungo (the day of rest), the drinking of the bayah (rice beer), and the practice

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First time Travelling to the Philippines: Tips!

Travel during low seasons

Some tourist avoids visiting the Philippines between June and September. And this result in drop the prices of accommodation and flight tickets. You can take advantage of this situation to fulfil your dream of traveling to the Philippines without spending a lot of money.
Interact with the locals

The Filipinos are generally friendly and hospitable people. They tend to welcome tourists with open hands and a smile in their face. 90% of the citizen of the Philippines understands English. That is why communicating with the local wouldn’t be a problem. Don’t be shy to ask the locals questions about the places or when it comes to buying local foods.
Eat at the street and market
For those who are on a budget don’t worry because you can buy a lot of delicious food in a reasonable price.
Expect the unusual weather
Philippines have a tropical maritime climate. The weather is generally hot and humid so when you want to roam around at the Philippines don’t forget to put a sun block to protect your skin from the sun and also always bring bottled water with you because you will surely need it.

Enjoy your visit!
Lastly, have fun. Don’t worry too much and just enjoy your stay. Filipinos is really nice people and very welcoming in nature so you will surely enjoy your stay. Just don’t be shy asking the locales and be friends with them. They won’t bite. I promise.

What to say?

Crash Course Filipino

Filipino and English are the official languages of the Philippines. Up until the late 1980s, when president Aquino decreed the name change, the national language was known as Tagalog. With the name change also came the inclusion of more English and Spanish words and phrases as well as western letters and sounds such as j, c, x, z, and f. In Manila and many other cities, the people speak English very well. In the more rural areas and the slums, it is more difficult to find someone who speaks proper English.

Words in Filipino