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General
Information
Capital:
Manila.
Time: GMT +
8 .
Tel. Code:
00 63 .
Official 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; in 1990 there were 988 recorded languages.
Currency:
Philippine Peso (P) = 100 centavos. Notes are in
denominations of P1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins
are in denominations of P5, 2 and 1, and 50, 25 and 10
centavos.
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.
Religion:
Roman Catholic 84 per cent; the rest are made up mostly of
Muslims, other Christian denominations, Buddhists and
Taoists.
Climate:
Tropical climate tempered by constant sea breezes. There
are three distinct seasons: the rainy season (June to
September), cool and dry (October to February), and hot
and mainly dry (March to May). Evenings are cooler.
Typhoons occasionally occur from June to September.
Required clothing:
Lightweight cottons and linens are worn throughout
most of the year, with warmer clothes useful on cooler
evenings. Rainwear or umbrellas are advisable for the
rainy season.
Airports
Ninoy
Aquino (MNL) is 12km (7 miles) south of Manila. Airport
facilities include banks, post office, medical clinic,
baggage deposit area, duty-free shops and car hire. Bus
and taxi services are available to the city (travel time -
60-90 minutes by public bus or 25 minutes by taxi). Mactan
International Airport (CEB) (Cebu Island) is 45km (28
miles) from the city centre. Hotels and tour operators
provide their own coaches; taxis can be hired.
Departure tax:
P550 for international departures. Children under two
years of age and transit passengers are exempt.
Travel Times
The
following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours
and minutes) from Manila to other major cities/towns in
Phillipines:
-
City
-
Air
-
Rail
-
Road
-
Baguio
-
0.50
-
-
-
4.00
-
Banaue
-
*0.50
-
-
-
12.00
-
Batangas
-
-
-
-
-
2.00
-
Cebu
-
1.10
-
24.00-
-
-
-
Cagayan
de Oro
-
1.25
-
48.00
-
-
-
Davao
-
1.30
-
48.00
-
-
-
Iloilo
-
1.00
-
24.00
-
-
-
Laoag
-
1.25
-
-
-
7.00
-
Palawan
-
1.10
-
24.00
-
-
Note: *As
far as Baguio City and then another 8 hours by road.
Passport/Visa
Passport
Passports valid for a minimum of six months beyond
intended length of stay required by all.
Visas are required by all
except:
-
Bona
fide foreign tourists (including business travellers)
for stays of less than 21 days provided holding
passports valid for a minimum of six months beyond
period of stay and return or onward tickets (except
nationals of Afghanistan*, Albania, Algeria*,
Bangladesh, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China (PR),
CIS, Croatia, Cuba, East Timor*, Egypt*, Estonia,
Georgia, India*, Iran*, Iraq*, Jordan*, Korea (Dem Rep),
Latvia, Lebanon*, Libya*, Lithuania, Macedonia (Former
Yugoslav Republic of), Nauru, Nigeria*, Pakistan*,
Sierra Leone, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovenia, Sri Lanka*,
Sudan*, Syrian Arab Republic*, Tonga, Vanuatu, Yemen*
and holders of Palestinian* passports who do require a
visa even if staying less than seven days).
-
Transit
passengers continuing their journey to a third country
within 72 hours provided holding onward or return
documentation (some nationals are required to leave by
the same or first connecting aircraft; enquire at
Embassy for details).
*Note: Nationals of
these countries must apply for a Temporary Visitor Visa in
their country of origin or place of legal residence.
All tourists wishing to stay longer than 21 days need a
visa
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