LEAGUE GOTHIC

VIETNAM TRAVEL

DESTINATION

TRAVELERS GUIDE

HISTORY

POPULATION
The Philippines has a
population of 92 million and is
now the 12th most populous
nation. It is estimated that half
of the population resides on the
island of Luzon.

TIME
The Philippines is GMT plus 8
hours. The Philippines is 12
hours ahead of the east coast of
the United States, 15 hours
ahead of the west coast.

VISAS
United States citizens may
enter the Philippines without a
visa for tourism purposes upon
presentation of their U.S.
passport, valid for at least six
months after the date of entry
into the Philippines, and a
return ticket to the United
States or an onward ticket to
another country. Upon arrival,
immigration authorities will
annotate the travelers passport
with an entry visa valid for 21
days. If the traveler plans to
stay longer than 21 days,
he/she must apply for an
extension.

The history of the Philippines is

believed to have begun with the
arrival of the first humans via
land bridges at least 30,000 years
ago. The first recorded visit from
the West is the arrival of
Ferdinand Magellan on
Homonhon Island, southeast of
Samar on March 16, 1521. Prior
to Magellans arrival, there were
Negrito tribes who roamed the
isles but they were later
supplanted by Austronesians.
These groups then stratified into
hunter-gatherer tribes, warriorsocieties, and petty plutocracies.
Spanish colonization and
settlement began with the arrival
of Miguel Lopez de Legazpis
expedition in 1565 and
established the first permanent
settlement of San Miguel on the
island of Cebu, and more
settlements continued northward
reaching the bay of Manila on
the island of Luzon in 1571.
Spanish rule unsuccessfully
attempted to achieve the political
unification of the whole
archipelago of previously
independent kingdoms and
communities. Unification of the
Philippines was not achieved
until the twentieth century. The
Philippine Revolution against
Spain began in April 1896,
culminating two years later with
the proclamation of
independence and the
establishment of the First
Philippine Republic. However,
the Treaty of Paris, at the end of
the Spanish-American War,
transferred control of the
Philippines to the United States.
Of course this agreement was not
recognized by the Philippine

Government which, on June2,

1899 declared war against the
United States.
The Philippine-American War
resulted in massive casualties.
Philippine president Emilio
Aguinaldo was captured in 1901
and the U.S. Government
declared the conflict officially
over in 1902, although hostilities
continued and only began to
decline in 1913. U.S. colonial rule
of the Philippines began in 1905
with very limited local rule.
Partial autonomy (commonwealth
status) was granted in 1935,
preparatory to the planned full
independence from the United
States in 1946.

GOVERNMENT
In the Philippines , politics and
entertainment are almost
synonymous. Political events and
politicians antics unfold like a
soap opera with many twists and
drama, captivating the people.
Democracy is enjoyed and taken
very seriously and thus Filipinos
would easily dispute any sign of
political suppression. The media
in the Philippines is one of the
freest in Asia and are the biggest
allies of the people in voicing
their concerns and sentiments.
The Philippines is a republic
constituting three branches of
government: executive, legislative
and judicial. It is headed by a
president and vice-president, who
are elected to a six-year term
respectively. The Congress is
bicameral with a 24 member
Senate and a 200 member House
of Representatives. The
government is modeled after that
of the United States of America.

LANGUAGE
Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight
major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo,
Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan.

THE PEOPLE
The Philippine people are known for their friendly warmth and
informal or casual nature. As with most predominantly Roman
Catholic cultures, religious customs and family values shape their
everyday life and view of the world. A combination of Eastern
and Western cultures, The Philippines shares many aspects with
other Asian countries with a traditional Malay heritage; however
its culture displays a significant amount of American and Spanish
influence.

RELIGION
The Philippines is a predominantly Roman Catholic country.
Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni
Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%,
unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

CLIMATE
The Philippines is hot year-round but sea breezes can add
freshness during the winter (November to February). The
typhoon season lasts from around July to October, although in
recent years it seems to have been starting and finishing later in
2010 for example there was severe flooding in North Luzon as late
as November.
Rainfall patterns vary across the country. In Manila, Palawan and
Coron, for example, most rain occurs in the typhoon season. Other
areas (including much of the Bicol region) have no distinct dry
season, with the most rain from December to February. The
Visayas have only a short dry season from November to January,
while in Leyte and Bohol, rainfall levels dont change much
throughout the year. Travellers should therefore check the local
climate before making plans.
Most tourists visit from January to May (and particularly the first
half of that period) when most of the country is undergoing its
best climatic conditions.

CREDIT CARDS
Many shops, restaurants, hotels and
resorts accept payment by plastic, and
credit-card cash advances are possible in
larger towns and cities; in small towns
and on islands rarely visited there are
often no provisions for credit cards.

CURRENCY
The unit of currency in the Philippines is
the peso (P), which is also spelled piso in
Filipino, and is divided into 100 centavos
(c). Banknotes come in denominations of
10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 2000
pesos. Coins are in 10c and 25c pieces,
and P1, P5 and P10.
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)

TIPPING
Service charges of 10% are added to bills
in most leading hotels and restaurants.
Where it is not included, a tip of 10-15%
of the bill is appropriate.
Airport porter/hotel bellboy:
$1.00 - $ 2.00 US per bag.
Your tour guide:
$10.00 - $ 12.00 US per person per day.
Driver/assistants:
$ 6.00 - $ 8.00 US per person per day.

WHAT TO PACK
The Philippines temperate weather means you can pack lightly for your
Philippines trip.
A few items we suggest:

Lightweight cotton clothing

Hat
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Lightweight rain jacket
Comfortable walking shoes
Swimsuit and cover-up
Prescription medications and over-the-counter remedies
Voltage converter (220 Voltage, 60 cycles).

Lightweight cottons and linens are worn throughout most of the year, with
warmer clothes are useful on cooler evenings. Rainwear or umbrellas are advisable
for the rainy season (July to October). Bring resort casual and formal wear if you
plan on frequenting upscale dining establishments and nightspots.

COMMUNICATIONS
Telephone: Country code: 63. Public telephones are available in post offices, hotels
and shops displaying a telephone unit sign and at roadside kiosks. To call the
Philippines from the USA/Canada dial 011 + 63 + Area Code + Phone Number.
Mobile Telephone: Roaming agreements exist with most major international
mobile phone companies. Coverage is good in towns and cities throughout the
country, with sporadic coverage in rural areas.
Internet: Internet is available in many areas of Philippines; there are Internet cafes
in many main towns and cities that have restricted access to internet sites critical
of the government.
Post: Postal service takes a month, airmail services takes approximately 5-10 days.
Express-mail service takes 5 days or less. Many hotels have a mail drop. Post
Offices are generally open 9:00am 5:00pm Monday through Friday. Overall, the
Postal service in the Philippines is not known for its efficiency or dependability, if
you have something to mail you may want to consider doing so during another leg
of your journey if possible. Receiving a package from abroad can be difficult and
time consuming due to the lengthy inspection process and could take weeks.
Media: The Philippiness media are tightly controlled by the country's leadership.
The industry has been opened up in the areas of distribution and advertising but
not in editorial content and access to foreign news providers is limited. In general,
the press report on corruption and inefficiency among officials, but they avoid
criticism of the government.

THE LAND
The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands
with a total land area of approximately 300,000
square kilometers (116,000 square miles). With a
coastline of over 36,289 kilometers (22,548 miles),
The Philippines has the 5th longest coastlines in the
world.
Most of its mountainous islands are covered in
tropical rainforests and are volcanic in origin. The
highest mountain is Mount Apo on the island of
Mindanao standing 2,954 meters (9,692 ft.) above
sea level. The longest river is the Cagayan River in
northern Luzon. Situated on the northwestern
fringe of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines
experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
To the east, on the Philippine Sea bottoms lays a
tectonic subduction zone. About 20 earthquakes
are registered in this area although most are too
weak to be felt. The last major earthquake was the
1990 Luzon earthquake. The Philippines is home to
a number of active volcanoes such as the Taal
Volcano, Mayon Volcano, and Mount Pinatubo.
Due to the volcanic nature of the islands there is an
abundance of natural mineral deposits. The
Philippines is estimated to have the 2nd largest
gold deposits in the world, after South Africa, and
one of the largest deposits of copper in the world.
There are also significant deposits of nickel,
chromite, and zinc, although most of these
resources have remained largely untapped. One
area that The Philippines has excelled is in the use

of geothermal energy. It is second in the world

behind the United States with approximately 18% of
its countrys electricity coming from geothermal
power.

COMMON ETIQUETTE
Initial greetings are formal and follow a set protocol
of greeting the eldest or most important person first.
A handshake, with a welcoming smile, is the
standard greeting.
Close female friends may hug and kiss when they
meet.
Use academic, professional, or honorific titles and
the persons surname until you are invited to use
their first name, or more frequently, their nickname.

PHOTOGRAPHS
It is polite to ask permission before taking
photographs as some people may take offense.

CRIME
The Philippines is an underdeveloped country with
more than its fair share of beggars, pickpockets, and
con-artists. Drive-by thieves on motorcycles and bag
snatchers in trains are common. The Philippines is
likely safer than many large North American cities
but you must exercise caution.

SHOPPING
Metro Manila is known as a shopping haven with giant shopping malls and arcades, specialty stores,
bargain shops, as well as luxurious department stores.
The Philippines is famous for pearls, hand-woven cloths, embroidered fineries, ready-to-wear and haute
couture clothes, terra-cotta, porcelain, coral accessories, fabric, pineapple fiber shirts, pre-historic jars,
brassware, earthenware, and native handicrafts. Haggling is the name of the game in Manilas frenzied &
frantic flea markets with bargain basement prices on fabrics, clothing, shoes, as well as housewares, home
dcor and fresh produce. Dont forget about airline weight limits.

Words of Wisdom-Buyer Beware

Bring your purchases home with you. Unless you are prepared to wait a prolonged period of time, do not
have it shipped -- not even by air freight.
Do not purchase expensive goods of supposed high quality unless you are absolutely sure of what you are
buying.
Unless you are an expert in gems, antiques, artifacts, etc., you should not assume that it is of the highest
quality or value.
Always take the time to read the charge slips for credit card purchases before you sign them. This may
seem obvious; but in the excitement of making a foreign purchase, travelers sometimes overlook this and
are unpleasantly surprised when they return home and are billed by the credit card company. Taking a few
moments to review the charge slip before signing it (and computing the exchange rate to be sure you are
charged the right amount) can save you headaches later.

CUSTOMS
The following are prohibited items: military ammunitions, drugs, food, live animals, snails, insects,
vaccines, viruses. You are allowed to import without duty, Tobacco: 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams
pipe tobacco, and Alcohol, 2 bottles.

FOOD
The population of the Philippines is made up of numerous different ethnic groups, each of which has
added their own flare to Filipino food. The Chinese have had a major influence although seasoned to local
tastes. In the 19th century many Chinese dishes had their names changed for the ease of Spanish clientele.

WATER SAFETY
Drink only bottled water.