 Economy.The
Philippine economy is agriculture based, with vast productive
farmlands stretching from north to south. Coconut plantation is
abound, making the country one of the largest coconut producers
in the world. The economy also relies on the other major industries
such as fishing, mining and manufacturing. The present administration,
however is, pushing for the industrialization until now. Dubbed
the "Philippines 2000", this program of recovery entails government
and private sector working together to fulfill the goals. |
 Language.While
there are over 100 regional languages in the philippines, the
national language is Filipino, with english as the most widely
spoken second language. All business, governmental and legal transaction
are conducted in english. |
 Currency.As
of present time, the average exchage rate of the Philippine Peso
to the Us dollar is P49.50:$1.00. Curency notes are available
in denominations of ten, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000. Readily available
coins are in denominations of .10, .25, one peso and five pesos. |
 Visas.You
may enter without a formal visa and stay for 21 days if you are
coming from America, Asia or Europe and hold a valid passport
and Either a return ticket or a ticket to another destination
outside the Philippines. If you wish to stay longer, you must
obtain a visa extension either before you trip from a Philippine
consulate or embassy, or once inside the country, from the Bureau
of Immigration. |
 Electricity
and other Utilities.AC 220 volts. Many major hotels also have
AC 110 volts outlets. Water in Metro Manila is considered potable
but a lot of residents still boil thier drinking water. Mineral
or bottled spring water is readily available in stores at relatively
cheap prices. Deluxe and first class hotels and restaurants also
supply mineral water. |
 Telecommunications.
Telephone country code:63, Telephone city codes:2 Metro Manila(includes
cities of manila, Makati, Pasig, Etc.)32 Cebu, 35 Davao. |
 Newspapers
and other Media.The country's newspaper have often been called
one of the freest in the world and local journalists have often
been known to carry clout over the information-hungry masses.
There are at least 25 newspapers to choose from, ranging from
daily broadsheets to specialized weeklies and morning and evening
tabloids. Most of these papers are in English. There is also a
wide selection of local and foriegn magazines. Books abounds and
the paperback versions are known to be the cheapest in Asia.
Television is "on the air"
from noon to midnight, showing mostly local and American programs.
Channel 7 is on 24-hours a day. The other channels are 2, 4,
5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 39.
Radios are on AM and FM
broadcasting. Most local news and radio soaps can be heard
on the AM. Pop and classical music stations are heard on FM.
|
 Clothing.Suits
are prefered for more formal affairs while long-sleeve shirt and
tie are worn for businesses. The Filipino barong tagalog, along
sleeved embroidered shirt worn untucked, is also suitable for
formal occasions. The short Sleeved type called polo barong is
considered casual. |
 Climate.
Tropical, with two seasons - hot and dry from November to June and rainy from July to October.The
best time to visit the country is from November to February when the weather is cool
and dry. Summer(March to May) is also a fine time, when the weather, through hot, suits
and local travel. |
|
Location.As
an archipelago, the Philippines is composed of 7,107 islands,
of which only 3000 are named. The three main island groups are
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Geography.
The Philippines is gifted with adverse geographic profile. The
archipelago spans a a total land area of 1,840 kilometers from
north to south.Its irregular coastline stretches for 334,593 kilometers.
The land is dotted with several scenic lakes and hundreds of rivers.
The major islands are characterize by stretching plains, narrow
valleys, rolling hills and magnificent mountain ranges. Five prominent
bodies of water surrounds the archipelago - the Pacific Ocean,
The Philippine Sea, The South China Sea, The Sulu Sea and The
Celebes Sea.