PHILIPPINE INFO

Scattered like beads of pearls across the vast emerald waters of the Western Pacific and South China Sea, the Philippine archipelago is a collage of 7,107 exotic islands. The people are of a mixed Malay culture enriched by centuries of Spanish influence and traces of American affluence. The Filipinos are known throughout the world for their smiles and warm hospitality.
[read more about the Philippines]

The Philippine Peso, is denoted as P or Php.

Banking hours are from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Monday to Friday with no lunch breaks.

Major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express are generally accepted in all major establishments.

Traveler's checks can be changed at Banks and money changers or in large hotels and resorts.

 

ELECTRICITY

220 Volt AC, 60Hz. You will need an adapter for European appliances. Luxury hotels and resorts provide 110 volt ac outlets.

GOVERNMENT

The Republic of the Philippines follows a democratic form of government that has three branches; the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary that acts to counterbalance the decision of one branch from the other. The Chief Executive or the President acts as the head of state, which is currently held by her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

 

HEALTH

Vaccinations: No mandatory vaccinations (with the exception of yellow fever if you are coming from an infected area). Malaria prophylaxis is recommended only for a few isolated islands in Palawan and Mindanao.

 

HISTORY

The Philippine Archipelago was once connected to the Asian Mainland. The early inhabitants, the Negritos and Indons, were said to have crossed from the Asian mainland to the Philippines through land bridges. Indonesians and Malay migrants subsequently came by sea. Early Philippine history even before 1500, indicates that Filipinos had been trading with the Chinese and the Arabs.

Islam was introduced during the 14th century on the islands of Mindanao and Sulu.

The archipelago was claimed by the Spanish king when it was discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The Philippines was named after King Philip II of Spain. In 1565, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi established a Spanish government bringing the Philippines under the colonial rule of Spain for the next 333 years. Independence from Spain was won in 1898.

The Americans took over from 1900 to 1946 with a three year intervention by the Japanese during World War II (1942-1945). In 1946 the Americans granted the Philippines its full independence.

 

IMMIGRATION

Foreigners visiting the Philippines, within 21 days must have a valid passport valid for at least 6 months at the date of entry and must have a valid return or onward ticket. Tourist visas from 21 to 58 days are available at Philippine consulates and embassies in your country. Visas can be extended at the Commission on Immigration located in Manila.

Visitors may import the following items duty-free:

• Two tins of pipe tobacco or 400 sticks of cigarette
  
• Two 1 liter bottles of alcoholic beverages
  
• A reasonable amount of personal effects
  

On departure, international departure tax is currently at Php 550.00 (approximately US$ 15.00). Domestic airport departure tax on major cities is at Php 100.00.

The Philippines national language is Filipino. There are also more than 60 dialects spoken by different cultural groups. English is widely spoken in the Philippines and it is the medium of instruction in schools and often used in business transactions. Marsman Tours and Travel Corp. also provides professional and accredited tour guides who speak French, German, Italian and Spanish.

The Philippine Archipelago is located above the equator in Southeast Asia, between latitude 4 degrees 23" and 21 degrees 25" north and longitude 116 degrees and 127 degrees east.

The Philippines has 7,100 islands with a total land area of 300,00 square kilometers. The largest island is Luzon where the capital city, Manila, is located.

The Philippines is a rugged land of mountains, plains, rivers, valleys, waterfalls and volcanoes. The highest mountain is Mount Apo at 2,954 meters in height. The Philippines deepest point is the Philippine Deep at 10,057 meters below sea level.

 

PEOPLE

Filipinos belong to the Malay race with mixtures of Chinese, Arab, Spanish, and American mixed in. The current Filipino population is estimated at 78 million.

 

POSTAGE

Postal mail and other multi-national couriers such as FedEx, UPS and DHL are flourishing in the Philippines. Manila, and most other cities in the Philippines, has many cyber cafes where you can send e-mail and surf the Internet.

 

RELIGION

The majority of the country's population are Christian with Roman Catholicism having the bigger share, followed by the Protestant groups. Islam is being practiced mainly on the regions of Mindanao islands.Other different religious sect also co-exist.

 

SHOPPING

Shopping malls are very popular in the Philippines, they are open from 10:00 a.m until 8:00p.m. They can be found in all major cities throughout the country.

Small stores, popularly known as "sari-sari stores", are family run and are commonly located in almost every corner of the streets.

The Philippines has three distinct seasons: warm and humid from March to May, wet from June to October, and cool and dry from November to February.