The City in Plains

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is an important commercial, industrial and cultural center and is the second most populous city in the country. It is situated about 950 kms Southeast of Hong Kong and 2400 kms Northeast of Singapore.

The City of Manila has an area of 38.3 square kilometer, located on the west coast of the Philippine main island of Luzon, and on the eastern shore of Manila Bay. The Pasig river, equally divides Manila’s 16 districts, with 8 on the north and the rest on the south of the river.

Manila is the heart of the country. It is the seat of government administration, the fashion trendsetter, the intellectual hub, home for salient political, religious, and educational engagements; the limelight for entertainment, and the melting pot for the Philippines’ 7,107 islands.

People and Language

Manila has 1.7 million people. Approximately 94 percent of its population is of Malay-Indonesian descent, often infused with Spanish, Chinese, American, and European blood. Of the remainder of the population, between five and six percent are Chinese; this portion of the population includes many of Manila's wealthiest families and businessmen. Because interracial marriage is common in the Philippines, many Manila residents can be described as Mestizos, the product of marriage between Filipinos and Caucasians or Chinese and non-Chinese.

Tagalog is the main language of Manila. It contains words borrowed from many sources including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Sanskrit.

English is widely spoken and is generally the language of business and politics. English is also the language of instruction in the academe.

Entry Requirements

Passport/Visa Note: Everyone entering the Philippines must have a passport valid for at least six months beyond the intended period of stay (some exceptions are possible). All visitors must have return or onward tickets, documents necessary for further travel, as well as sufficient funds. A visa is not required for a stay of up to 21 days provided these criteria are met. Extensions for visas are possible and should be made with the Bureau of Immigration.

Americans, Canadians, Australians, South African, Irish, and New Zealand nationals must have a valid passport. No visa is required for a stay of up to 21 days.

Arriving in Manila

There are two airport terminals for international flights to Manila.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which straddles the boundary between Parañaque City and Pasay City, is the country's busiest airport. NAIA is only 7 km. from the city. Security is very tight at the airport with numerous security and baggage checks.

Centennial Terminal
The Centennial Terminal is exclusive for Philippine Airlines flights. There is a lounge for business and first class passengers on the lower level. Stringent security procedures are likewise practiced while terminal fees, and exit taxes also apply.

Airport Prohibitions
List of prohibited items like explosives, weapons, and other dangerous items and substances has been expanded to include all liquid substances exceeding 100 milliliters, such as beverages, lotions, shampoos, toothpastes, gels, astringents, and other items of similar consistency. These liquid  items shall be placed in check-in luggage and shall be confiscated if found at the final screening point.

Airport Taxi
Upon arrival, taxi services are available to take you to hotels in all points of Metro Manila. Jeepney and bus routes are also available from the airport. Both forms of transportation facilities connect all NAIA terminals..

Manila Basics

Money: The currency of the Philippines is the Peso (PHP), which is divided into 100 centavos. Major credit cards are widely accepted in the cities and tourist destinations. Banks do not always accept traveler’s checks, but a receipt of purchase is useful. Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are available in major cities. US dollars are widely accepted in Manila and other tourist areas and are the easiest currency to exchange; otherwise Euros and Pounds Sterling can also be exchanged in banks and hotels. Banks located in malls are open Mondays to Sundays 10 am to 7pm. Otherwise, they are open from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, but ATMs are open 24 hours. It is best to carry pesos when traveling outside of major centers.

Climate: Manila has hot, humid weather all year round, although it is a little cooler between November and February. The hottest month is May, when the temperature averages 83ºF (28ºC). The rainy season is between June and October, although some precipitation is possible all through the year.

Health: No special vaccination certificates are required, except by travelers entering the Philippines from an area infected with yellow fever. Urban areas are generally considered risk-free.

Hospitals	Tel. Nos.
Asian Hospital	771 9000
Makati Medical Center	815 9911
Manila Doctor’s	524 3011
Medical Center Manila	523 8131
Medical City	631 8626
Philippine General Hospital	521 8450
St. Luke’s Medical Center	723 0101

Business: Third party introductions are useful when conducting business in the Philippines and face-to-face communication is key. Emphasis is placed on building good working relations and getting to know each other. Business is conducted formally, and although punctuality is important, meetings may not begin on time. Dress should be conservative; suits and ties are the norm, although many Filipino men wear a shirt known as a barong tagalong, which is a far cooler option in the humid environment. English is widely spoken in business circles. Business hours are usually from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Tipping: Tipping is expected for most services. The standard practice is 10% of the total bill. Tipping is optional on bills that already include a 10% service charge.

Duty free: Travelers to the Philippines over 18 years do not have to pay duty on 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g pipe tobacco; and 2 liters of alcoholic beverages. Prohibited items include firearms or parts thereof, explosives and ammunition; printed material that contains subversive, obscene or pornographic content; drugs, gambling machines, lottery sweepstake tickets, or coin-operated video machines; gold, silver and other precious metals that do not have authentication of quality; non-identifiable brands of medicines or foodstuffs; marijuana leaves and any prohibited drugs; plants or parts thereof, fruits and vegetables.

Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 60Hz. Two-pin flat blade attachments and two-pin round plugs are used.
 

Going Around the Metro

There are many ways to go around the metropolitan.

Taxis: Discounting the metro’s heavy traffic, taxis are the most convenient mode of transportation at a relatively reasonable fare. They are normally metered and are air-conditioned. Flag down rate is at Php 30.00 with additional Php2.50 in every succeeding 500 kms. Taxis do not accept credit cards and are not capable of giving official receipts. Most shopping centers have taxi stands where you can queue for your taxi service. Some drivers would negotiate for a fixed price depending on your destination but always insist to use the meter.

Buses: Both air-conditioned and regular buses travel in all the major routes in Metro Manila except Roxas Boulevard. On an air-con bus a short ride or minimum fare costs PhP 11.00, adding PhP 2.00 for every succeeding kilometer. Just tell the conductor where you are going and he will tell you how much it costs. Keep your bus receipt/ticket, as it is your proof of payment.

Jeepneys: The Jeepney or jeep is the king of the road. It is the famous trademark of Manila Streets. Jeepneys service most of Manila`s secondary roads and even a few main roads. Their routes are painted on the sides of their jeeps and a small signboard is place in front of the windshield for the passengers to see. Although there are regular stops, you can often just flag one down and aboard. Call out "bayad" (bah-yhad) and pay the driver. If you are too far back, pass your PhP 7.00 (minimum fare for the first 4 kilometers; 50 centavos additional for every succeeding 500 meters) to other passengers until it reaches the driver. When you are ready to get off, call out "para" (pah-rah); wait till the jeep slows down and jump.

Strong Republic Transit System (SRTS)

 

The Light Rail Transit (LRT): It is the fastest, cheapest way to go. Popularly known as the LRT, it is the main metropolitan rail system serving the Metro Manila area in the Philippines. There are two lines to the LRT: LRT-1, called the Yellow Line, and MRT-2, called the Purple Line.

LRT 1 (Yellow Line) takes you from Monumento (the northern end of Edsa) to Baclaran, traveling first along Rizal Avenue and then Taft Avenue. Many of the tourist maps have the route of the LRT marked.

LRT 2 (Megatren or Purple Line) runs from Manila in the west via Quezon City to Pasig in the east. LRT2 runs along Recto Ave., Magsaysay Boulevard, and Aurora Boulevard. The full length from Santolan to Recto Avenue is 14 km with 11 stations.

Trains stations are operational from 5:00am to 10pm on weekdays and 6:00am to 8:00pm on weekends.

Metro Rail Transit (MRT): The Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly known as the MRT, Metrostar Express or Metrostar, serves 13 stations on 16.95 kilometres from Taft Avenue to North Avenue, serving the cities that EDSA passes through: Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, and San Juan. MRT opens from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm everyday.

Things to Enjoy in Manila

Manila welcomes the most number of foreign visitors in the country, and so the city offers a wide array of attractions and diverse things to do to make one’s visit worthwhile and stirring. The vast range of things to do in Manila consists of shopping, nightlife, entertainment, and sports.

Manila is a shopper’s delight.  Markets and shops satisfy punters’ wide-ranging preferences from native products, antiques, and handicrafts to advanced hi-end gadgets at the most reasonable prices. Along with many attractions, shopping in the city runs from sidewalk vendors and small retail stores found in Divisoria, Quaipo, and Baclaran to market districts and big shopping centers like SM Mall of Asia, SM Manila, SM San Lazaro, and Robinsons Manila, among others.

There are hundreds of fine restaurants in Manila offering delectable cuisines like Italian, Japanese, American, Chinese, Thai, and Filipino. 
 
Not to miss while staying in Manila is the city’s exciting nightlife and unrivaled entertainment. Countless bars, pubs, and nightclubs are spotted everywhere in the metropolis. Music clubs, theatres, cinemas, and comedy bars are also everywhere. 

The popular districts of Malate and Ermita showcase a wide variety of hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, cafes, art and antique shops. Nightlife offers everything from cultural shows to discotheques, casinos, entertainment lounges, and fashionable cafes.

For sports enthusiasts, Manila is a place for golf, basketball, billiards, baseball, football, indoor sports, as well as extremely physical sports like martial arts, boxing, and wrestling.

Must See in Manila

Manila is home to many tourist spots and historical cradles attracting countless visitors.

Intramuros
The oldest part of Manila is the medieval Spanish walled city of Intramuros, Spain’s seat of power during their colonial period. Located at the southern bank of the Pasig River, Intramuros is packed with historic buildings, churches, and museums.

Rizal Park
The 58-hectare (143 acre) Rizal Park is named after Dr Jose Rizal, the country’s national hero, renowned as anti-colonialist, writer and philosopher. The park is one of the largest in South East Asia, and is much used by the residents of Manila for recreation.

San Agustin Church
Within Intramuros stands Manila's oldest stone church, San Agustin, which was completed in 1606 and has since survived the ravages of time and successive invasions. The church has a magnificent intricately carved door, baroque pulpit, and an 18th century pipe organ.

National Museum of the Philippines
The large and comprehensive National Museum of the Philippines preserves and showcases the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the islands with collections housed in two different buildings within Rizal Park. Exhibits are categorized in five divisions: art, botany, zoology, geology and anthropology.

Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace is the seat of government and the official residence of the Philippines head of state. The name comes from the vernacular ‘May Lakan Diyan’, which means ‘there lives a noble man’.  

IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Ninoy Aquno Int'l Airport	877-1109
Bureau of Customs	527-4517
Bureau of Immigration	527-3259
Police/Fire/Medical Emergency	117
International Operator	108
Local Operator	109
Directory Assistance	187

DIALING PROTOCOLS FOR MOBILE PHONES ON INTERNATIONAL ROAMING
Local calls within Metro Manila	+63 2 (number) or 02 (number)
Local calls outside Metro Manila	+63 (city code) (number) or 0 (city code) (number)
International calls	+ (country code) (city code) (number) or 00 (country code) (city code) (number)

Note: in lieu of "+" key, you may dial the prefix "00"

Departing From Manila

You are advised to re-confirm your flight 1-2 days before departure. Traffic can be fierce and you will have to allocate substantial amount of time to reach the airport. Remember that you must be at the airport two hours before your departure time. There is a terminal fee of P750 for international flights