manila survival guide for interns.pdf

Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns

2

Internship World Health Organization

Location: Western Pacific Regional Office, Manila / Philippines

Manila Survival Guide – Information and Advice for Interns new to town

Compilation by summer interns 2011

Disclaimer: All the information below is derived from the World Wide Web and collected from former interns to our own best knowledge. There are no guarantees in terms of accuracy, dependability or actuality. Please use this document only as a hint to collect your own information and make your own decisions. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial, or risk management) please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area. Thank you.

Sky Line from Manila Bay, Source: Wikipedia

Introduction

Not long ago we prepared ourselves to travel to the Philippines for the first time. We weren't only excited to begin our internship, but also very curious about the new country we'd be travelling to. And yes, maybe even a little bit anxious what to expect in a town as large as Manila. There were many questions from where we'd stay to how we would get around, etc. Now this small guide intends to offer future interns some information and advice on their stay in the beautiful Philippines. This is in addition to the "Administrative Briefing Notes for Interns and Volunteers" provided by WPRO that also contains important information.

From Preparation to Arrival

→ Visa

As the Visa regulations vary very much between countries it isn't possible to give a lot of information on that topic. Generally it helps when applying for a longer Visa to include proof of the planned internship and its duration. If you have problems obtaining your Visa keep in touch with WPRO to see if they can offer Philippine Flag, Source: Wikipedia

assistance. General information for foreigners can be found on this Website: http://www.immigration.gov.ph, but the probably best option is to check the Website of your local Philippines Embassy.

→ Security

According to the "Administrative Briefing Notes" there is a security training required (available under http://applics.wpro.who.int/bsitf/language/htm Basic and http://applics.wpro.who.int/asitf/language/htm Advanced). There are indeed security issues, but not really apparent if being careful and considerate. At least we've not heard from one intern while we were here who had problems during the stay in Manila. Its often helpful to move around in groups and to absolutely avoid empty streets alone (at night). If looking at travel warnings from the U.S. Department of State or the German Federal Foreign Office things sound a lot different and they surely have their reason. This is just an excerpt from different sources that is both not complete and subject to changes: it is absolutely warned to travel to Minandao, Basilan and Islands of the Zulu Archipelago. There is a general terrorism warning. The general criminality rate is high, so it should be avoided to obviously carry articles of value or higher amounts of cash. During car drives doors should be locked (by the way: even Manila taxi drivers often insist of that). Food or drinks from strangers shouldn't be accepted (drugs).


3

One Canadian intern added that for Canadians (and possibly for other nationalities), it is advisable to register with your embassy. A registration service is available for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that the embassy can contact you and assist you in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform you of a family emergency at home. (https://www.voyage2.gc.ca/Registration_inscription/Register_Inscrire/Login_ouvrir-une-session-eng.aspx?fwd=true&hash=p0V4sJhYtXNnDsAOImpW8w6161) Drinking in public is absolutely prohibited. Own and use of any drugs is heavily punished (jail). The Philippine Islands are typhoon areas and have active volcanos. In the Region is a potential of earthquakes, seaquakes, and tsunamis.

→ Health

Especially regarding health matters this information is incomplete and cannot replace professional advice. Before coming to the Philippines you should consult a specialist doctor regarding recommended immunizations. In the Philippines several tropical diseases such as Malaria or Dengue can be found. Depending on your travel plans you should consider Malaria prophylaxis. Currently it seems that Manila is relatively Malaria free, but as you can never be sure (and should also obtain more recent information) it is always good to take some preventive measures such as:

- wearing long and bright clothing that cover the body

- using insect repellant

- sleeping under a mosquito net (available i.e. for around 200 Pesos at Robinsons Department Store)

Mosquito, Source: Wikipedia

Health care in Manila is easily available for insured individuals in private practices or private hospitals. Outside of Manila and in rural areas, healthcare including rescue is rare and not as easy available. Just accross the Office, on United Nations Avenue, is the Manila Doctors Hospital. The best (and most expensive) hospital in town is said to be St. Luke's (http://www.stluke.com.ph), but no guarantees on that. Public hospitals from what I understood (see University Hospital Tour under extracurricular activities) seem to have very long waiting times and varying standards. Generally healthcare availabilty seems to depend very much on financial means.

But before you worry too much: most of us have never seen an hospital here from the inside, at least not because we got sick. What really does happen quite often though is getting the runs sooner or later (diarrhea!), but in that case pharmacies can hook you up with i.e. loperamide. It might be wise to bring loperamide and sachets Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) from home to be safe. During a trip or a long bus ride loperamide can be your best friend!

In the Office itself is a "Regional Medical Service" that gives recommendations on health matters related to medical evacuation, service-incurred illness, immunization, occupational health and safety in the workplace. In case of sickness or another need for medical attention, WPRO can offer emergency assistance. There is staff 24/7 available to come pick you up at home, drive you to the hospital, wait for you there and bring you back home. Make sure to save the number (528-8001 or 303-1000) in your telephone, so you always have it with you!

→ Money

Money exchange seems more private than bank business. At least when trying to exchange at two different banks the personnel send one of us to the privately operated money exchange booths. Those private money exchangers are for example located on Mabini Street and often walk up to foreign looking people to offer their services. Whether the rates are good or bad is hard to tell.

Generally, cards such as Visa or Mastercards are accepted in Manila. There are ATM machines all over town, BUT many of them allow only small withdrawals (10,000 Pesos max). This is very important information, because many banks charge their customers for each withdrawal (fee of 200 Pesos). Therefore it is easy math that many withdrawals of small amounts are becoming pretty expensive. Discussing that topic with several interns who had the same problem it seems that CITIBANK (located not too far from the office for example at Padre Faura


4

Entrance in Robinsons Mall or on T.M. Kalaw Street) offers one of the highest possible withdrawals, being 15,000 Pesos at most (≈ 246 Euro ≈ 348 Dollar). Some interns also opened accounts at local banks to transfer money from abroad. According to an intern who opened an account at the Bank of the Philippines (BPI) it is very easy. She said that this bank is used by many WHO staff (and that its easy to open the account straight with the branch manager when showing your WHO badge). You can either chose a Peso or a U.S. Dollar account. The closest BPI branch is just a minute walk from WPRO away and it has many other ATM's in town. There is even one ATM machine inside of WPRO, but this seems to sometimes have insufficient funds (especially on Mondays). Please be generally aware that when you travel to less populated areas outside of Manila there sometimes aren't as many ATM's at sometimes there are none so that you fully depend on cash.

Important to note regarding the exchange of traveller's cheques is that banks such as BPI require a pending period of 20 days (excluding Sat and Sun, therefore approx. 4 weeks pending period). If you want to cash your traveller's cheques immediately, it is a better option to use the money exchanger inside WPRO (travel agency). Their exchange rate matches the BPI rate, which is usually fairly good.

A private money exchanger is also an option for the cheques, although our reporting intern personally had not used that. She said the largest (and considerably more reliable) one is called Edzen, closely located to Robinsons and according to Internet reviews offering a good exchange rate. For more information you can check: http://wikimapia.org/3586170/Edzen-Money-Changer

→ Language

English is widely understood and spoken so it is very easy to get around with only that. But there are also many local languages, especially the wide spread Tagalog that is fun to learn and certainly helps to win over hearts ☺

There are many resources to do first steps in Tagalog, such as books ("Basic Tagalog") or websites (i.e. http://tagaloglang.com).

→ Airport Pick up

There is an airport service provided by WPRO if you make arrangements in advance. Detailed informations are provided in the "Administrative Briefing Notes". Contact person for the Service is Mr. Jeff Pablo: [email protected]. Other than that you can either book a hotel for the first days (while you look for appartments) and check if they have airport pickup or just take a metered taxi to your desired destination. Also there's a "International Organization Desk" at the Ninoy Aquino Airport (Terminal 1) located at the arrival lobby that offers airport assistance.

→ Traffic

The traffic is heavy and always crammed in the city center. Road safety is definitely an issue, because drivers don't stick to many rules and even taxis often lack seat belts. But as interns usually don't have their own car or even a driver as actually quite a few wealthier locals or foreigners in the Philippines do, these are the options (fortunately we never saw bad traffic accidents happen):

- Tricycles and "petty cabs" – those are either bikes or motorcycles with a little waggon for about 1-3 passengers (depending on size of the passengers and need for comfort). Prices are to be negotiated, usually they start at around 30-50 Pesos for short distances.

- Jeepney – those robust, but air polluting longish "jeeps" are former U.S. vehicles that are now used for public transport (nowadays they are also produced in the Manila area). For non-locals the routes they drive are rather difficult to understand and there are no official time tables. In the center of Manila they pass along all the time. Some fixed points of the route are written on the side. Once somebody wants to hop off they make noise, click with the tongue or tap on the roof. It is definitely an adventure to ride them, although air (due to pollution) and sight (due to low windows) are not really good.

Jeepney, Source: Wikipedia Prices start from 8 Pesos for short distances. The money is passed on through all passengers sitting in the row up to the driver. Change returns the same way.

- Taxi – starting at 30-40 Pesos base rate (except Airport taxis that are a little more expensive) their rates are really reasonable. Although every taxi has an electronic meter that always shows the rate as it goes up, quite a few taxi drivers won't turn it on. Instead they want to agree upon a fixed rate or don't say anything until you arrive and then name their price. So if you want to negotiate the price you should rather do that beforehand rather than at the end of the ride. But this is ususally to your disadvantage. Several times interns were kicked out of taxis


5

after insisting that the driver would turn his meter on. But keep looking and you'll find your metered taxi – leave the driver a (good) tip though. It is also possible to rent taxis for an entire day to do sightseeing – rates are to be negotiated.

- Bus – especially for long distance over land tours buses are commendable and cheap. Different bus companies serve different destinations, therefore you should check travelguides for the right one. For a roundtrip to Banaue (famous rice terraces, the "8th world wonder", eight hours away from Manila) by Florida bus you pay appr. 1000 Pesos (≈ 16 Euro ≈ 23 U.S. Dollar). There are different types of buses that are reflected in the prices such as comfort (with a on board toilet) or super deluxe (with larger seats that lean all the way back). As all buses are heavily air conditioned toward arctic temperatures always bring a sweater, scarf and long trousers for longer tours.

- LRT / MRT – a great option to get around traffic jams, but only if you don't mind standing tight. Be aware of thiefs. There is a special waggon for females only to prevent harassment. The "light rail transit" and "metro rail transit" connect the city centre, respectively the metro Manila area effectively. Prices vary and depend on distances, usually they start at 12 Pesos.

→ Literature recommendations

There are bookstores everywhere in the malls and additionally there are quite a few book (and movie) sellers in the streets (for example on Maria Y. Orosa Street around the corner of WPRO). Therefore you don't have to necessarily bring books (except the travel guide) from home. Use the opportunity to find the local literature here at reasonable prices (paperback book in a bookstore costs around 350 - 500 Pesos). There are also local libraries as well as a WHO library (mainly to research for work) at WPRO.

Travelguide "Lonley Planet Philippines": http://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines

WHO Country statistics and profile: http://www.who.int/countries/phl/en

Writer and Philippines National Hero José Rizal (1861–1896), Source: Wikipedia

Novels by (or about) Filipino hero José Rizal "Noli me tangere" or "El Filibusterismo" – which were highly critical of Spanish friars and the atrocities commited in the name of the Church. With his writings he angered the Spaniards colonial elite and was therefore prosecuted as inciter of the revolution.

Novel from Bodo Kirchhoff "Infanta" – a love story between a traveller and beautiful kitchen aid on a Philippine Island, observed and narrated by missionaries

→ Clothing

Packing light is most important to keep room for all your new things when returning home. ☺ And almost everything you forgot at home or that you suddenly need after arrival you'll be able to get here. There is a dress code at WPRO that asks for a "ligther and cooler office attire" due to the tropical temperatures and "formal business attire" for some occasions. Further information are found in the "Administrative Briefing Notes". Generally the Philippines invite for a great deal of shopping. Clothing are rather cheap compared to many other countries and there are millions of souvenirs such as wooden figures, necklaces, recycled paper goods (see www.papemelroti.com), coconut candy, etc. Top end branded clothing seems pricewise more or less the same compared to other countries (except one turns to imitations which are also found everywhere, i.e. Chanel Bags).

→ Communication

A very good thing is to bring your cellular phone and to buy a Philippine SIM-Card. They cost just a couple of Pesos, are available at every "Seven-Eleven" or "Minimart", but are a guarantor for your social life. It's a lot easier to keep in touch and make after work arrangements with your fellow interns. Sending SMS is incredibly cheap.


6

With your WHO personal E-mail address you can also get in touch during day time to make others aware of an event, an interesting article or to just meet for lunch.

A whole different story is getting in touch with home. You can always speak on your cellular phone, but that is usually very expensive. International long-distance phone cards are widely available though at phone booths in Robinsons, convenience stores (Sari-sari's), and even in WPRO (there's also a Globe Telecom store accross the street from WPRO). For more information visit: http://site.globe.com.ph/prepaid/call_and_text_offers/prepaid_sim?sid=TdMvbcuxpRYAAD8jgqUAAAHTe

One of the easiest ways to update your loved ones is to e-mail or to skype with them. Internet Cafes you can frequently find over town. In many appartments you can also check in advance if they can make an Internet connection available to you. At Alpha Grand View (where most of interns lived in summer 2011) it costs around 1000 or 2000 Pesos per month to install a connection, depending on the speed (the slow one allows you to skype perfectly fine, but streaming films from youtube takes very long). If a connection is not possible, you can always buy a broadband (internet stick) from Global (preferably due to the coverage) for approximately 1800 Pesos. This gives you an initial 125 hours and once these are expired, you can reload as you go.

→ Places to stay

Probably one of the most important issues upon arrival is the question where to stay during the internship. Recommendable would be an accomodation not too far from the WHO compound, because then you won't depend on public transport. The quarter you wanna look for then in housing offers is Ermita/Malate and everything around the mall Robinsons Place. Prices there for a studio/one bedroom appartment range between around 20.000 to 30.000 Pesos. You can certainly find cheaper with less comfort, but also more expensive. The probably most expensive, but nicest quarter where many foreigners live is Makati – here you will depend on public transport or a personal driver though.

There are several other options to find an accomodation:

- Alpha Grand View Condominium

While we were in Manila most interns decided to move into the Alpha Grand View Condominium in Ermita/Malate, because they had sufficient numbers of rooms for temporary rentals and the building is only approximately 1,2 km walking distance away from the WHO compound. Also it is located only a few steps away from Robinsons Place, a large mall that offers everything you need (supermarket, restaurants, shopping, hairdresser, movies, etc.). The rent for a fully furnished one bedroom appartment in Alpha Grand View is around 25.000 Pesos (≈ 404 Euro ≈ 580 U.S. Dollar) per month plus utilities (depend on usage) and one month deposit once you move in. A nicer view is more expensive. Internet is available for another 1000 – 2000 Pesos per month (depending on speed of the connection). Alpha Grand View

Additional advantages are security personnel in the lobby, swimming pools on 4th and 17th floor, and that the brokers are everyday on site if you have queries or problems. The lobby will organize laundry pick up (30 Pesos per kilo) and drinking water supply (appr. 250 Pesos when buying a canister for the first time and then 40 Pesos for every 12 liter ≈ 5 gallon refill). Disadvantage was that some interns there had problems with cockroaches and/or ants (not all, it seemed to depend on the appartment, therefore you should definitely look for signs of bugs when you view it for the first time by looking in drawers, closets and under the kitchen sink – if you spot bugs talk to the brokers and have them solve the problem before you move in). This is because bugs are a very common problem in town. But the affected interns kept in touch with the broker to get the appartments sprayed (against bugs). Generally the most of us who lived there were content and recommended the housing there to other incoming interns.

Alpha Grand View Condominium 1716 M.H. Del Pillar Street Malate, Manila

Ms. Babes Riofrio Mobile: 00639182313743 [email protected] Website: www.condos2008.multiply.com www.manilacondos2010.multiply.com www.condominiumandyou.com


7

- Google (www.google.com) terms such as "manila temporary rental" and many results will come up. Some companies have specialized on corporate personnel that is just temporary in town. Also worth to "googleing" or visiting in person upon arrival (as we have no contact data, but know that other interns lived there in the past) are buildings that are relatively closely located to the WHO compound such as Robinson Towers, Adriatico Towers or Cityland Tower under the following addresses

� Robinson's Place Manila, Padre Faura, Malate, Manila

� Robinsons Place Residence, Padre Faura, Malate, Manila

� Cityland Tower, 1200 J. Bocobo St., Malate, Manila

� One Adriatico St, Ermita, Manila

� 409 Arcadia de Manila corner Leon Guinto Apacible, Manila

� 1655 Hidalgo Lim St (Victoria de Manila Condo), Malate, Manila

� Gotesco Tower, Natividad Lopez St., Ermita, Manila

� BSL Building, Leon Guinto Street, Quirino Avenue, Manila

- www.craigslist.com (there's an entire Manila/Philippines section with housing options and you can also place an ad to explain what you are looking for, but please be aware of internet fraud, i.e. people that ask rent and deposit in advance send by Western Union)

- contact one of the brokers or owners representatives that have successfully serviced WHO staff in the past (no guarantees on reliability as we've also just received the list from someone else and were never personally in touch with them)

Brokers

Company Name Contact Person/s

Telephone Numbers

Prominent Homes Ginna Ramos Nitz Espares

895-7697 896-7388

Lamp Properties Lorna Liberato 915 0122 640 0310 994 0411

AFM Realty Paz M. Paguio 633 5441 633 4308 9017529 2120

Ms Nanette Morata Nanette Morata 845- 3517 845-3518

Owners representatives

Echelon Tower

Josie Inocencio 525-2516 521-3879 521-4910

Rosaria Apartments Adriatico Street Mabini, Manila

524 1924

Baywatch Roxas Boulevard

Carol Vinalon 523 6640 524 4049


8

→ First days at the office

Certainly you will make arrangements with your supervisor when to begin on the first day. There's a flexitime policy that allows to begin between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m., but usually the golden rule is to start when your supervisor does. Core hours are between 8:30 to 15:30 and the full working period is eight hours plus break time.

At some point after arriving in your future unit there's a very helpful briefing by Marge Crespo on the administrative side of things. By the time you arrive in Manila you'll probably know her from mail contact. During the first days it is also nice to ask for a short introduction to the library on 2nd floor and to have a lunch with your lovely fellow interns. Usually there's a list of current interns that helps to find each other.. You'll very likely also meet each other in one of the lectures of other technical units or in a "brown bag session". Those are great opportunities to gain insights in other technical units and learn more about WHO's work.

WHO WPRO, Source: WPRO Website


9

Extracuricular Activities

Intramuros: Absolutely recommendable to get started on Philippine history and culture are the walking tours of Carlos Celdran through the old part of the city, Intramuros. By now Carlos has gained quite some fame for his tours. Everyone who went said that it was great and well worth it – after joining we have to agree. The tour costs around 500 Pesos for students and 1000 Pesos for adults. Find more info on Carlos Blog: http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/ Carlos Celdran, Source: Celdrantours

University Hospital: Another great opportunity for people with an interest in "health", that should cover about every WHO intern is a walking tour with Renzo Guinto, who is an outstanding medical student at the University of the Philippines and very engaged with the International Federation of Medical Students Association. Renzo toured the University Hospital (by Pedro Gil Street) with several interns in the past and is an incredible speaker. During the tour he talks about everything: the health system, the medical school and Filipino history. He invited future interns to get in touch and would definitely take a group of people around again if he's still located in Manila then: [email protected].

Philippine General Hospital, Source: Wikipedia

Volunteer: Once you arrive and see the poverty in some streets you might want to use your free time and skills to do some good. Especially in Malate around the Office there are many people, including children and women with babys, that sleep on cartons in the street and beg for food. There are many organizations and NGO's that you can get involved with in different ways. Donations are also welcome. Just take initiative and ask if help is needed or organize a discussion round (as for example an Australian medical student who discussed with Filipino medical students on the "social determinants of health"). Some options are:

- http://www.handsonmanila.org.ph "Hands on Manila" as head project to different volunteering opportunities and also allows short term participation

- www.likhaan.org Womens Health Organization that steps in for womens rights and reproductive health, interns organized medical updates for community health workers or donated to support womens clinics where contraceptives are provided for the poor community

- http://www.hospiciodesanjose.com Care for children, elderly, and disabled with christian background located not far from the Office, interns got in touch to play with children or donate swaddling clothes/formula milk

- http://www.mvphilippines.hypermart.net/activities/events.shtml The Museum Volunteers of the Philippines have ongoing activities, including tours.

Mall and Movies: You can probably spend every evening for several weeks in a row in one of the malls and you'll still see new things. Malls in general are really popular in Manila, to be seen especially on crowded weekends, as they are climatized. About every quarter has its own. The one closest to the office is "Robinsons Place". The biggest mall in the Philippines and according to Forbes 2007 3rd biggest in the world is the "Mall of Asia" or also called "SM Mall". Real high end shopping (and nice dining at reasonable prices) you can find at Greenbelt in Makati. It is easy evening fun after work to have dinner and see a movie in one of the many theaters (movies cost around 160 Pesos or 320 Pesos when they are 3D). Alternatively you can treat yourself to a new haircut, a massage or a manicure. Bring the money and you can be queen/king for a day at a spa.

Markets: Famous markets are for example the flea market like Greenhill (not to mix up with the Shopping mall Greenbelt in Makati), Chinatown (LRT to Carriedo station) or Divisoria (Jeepney from Mabini). For fresh fruits and vegetables look for St. Andres Market (St. Andres Street). There are also many tailors located in case you need some clothing repaired. Fresh fruit and vegetable you'll also find at Sta Cruz Market in Malate. Another option are the weekly organic markets in Makati: 1. Saturday Salcedo Market: 7am-2pm. It is located in the tree shaded parking lot directly across the Three Salcedo apartment building and close to the Makati Sports Club. 2. Sunday Legazpi Market: in the parking lot in the middle of Legazpi Village in Makati. For more information on markets in Manila, please see this website: http://marktetmanila.com Vegetarian food is available here: Quan Yin Chay Vegetarian Food Garden, G. Masangkay Street (+63 2 243 3356).


10

Concerts, culture and events: Keep your eyes open for this. There are great concerts in Manila from time to time (depending on your taste in music). Also there are interesting museums and nice events, such as music and light games in Rizal park. Often such things are announced by signs in streets, malls or in the newspaper. Karaoke is another really popular thing in the Philippines. Don't miss out on that. If you like exploring as many cultures as possible you can also check the websites of the Spanish Instituto Cervantes (http://manila.cervantes.es/en/default.shtm), the French Alliance Francaise (http://www.alliance.ph), or the German Goethe Institut (http://www.goethe.de/ins/ph/map/deindex.htm). All of them have regular cultural events and language classes, just check the schedules. Cervantes for example shows Spanish movies in original language or has a nice small cafe on the ground floor. Indie movies you can sometimes find at the basement of Solidaridad Bookshop (Pedre Faura corner Bocobo). The bookshop itself is also worth a explore. It is owned by an award-winning Filipino writer: F Sionil Jose.

Swimming and physical fitness: Amazingly most big appartment buidlings have their own pool – so swimming is a great way to cool down after a long (and hot) day. If there's no pool ask one of your intern friends if they have one in their building. Usually it’s possible to bring guests for a small fee (i.e. 60 Pesos ≈ 1 Euro ≈ 1,40 Dollar). Even easier than that is using the gym for free on 5th floor of Building 4 in WPRO. Also inquire about Yoga classes and a personal trainer (yes, according to one intern there's one available) at WPRO if you enjoy fitness.

Trips: The Lonely Planet or many other travel guides will certainly give more comprehensive advice on potential trips for every different interest. Also there are countless small travel agencys around town (if you're adventurous it is probably more exciting and cheaper to go on your own though). Here we'll just mention a few things.

What interns have done in the past are day tours for example to the Volcano of Tagaytay or to Corregidor Island. You can get a bus to Tagaytay for 95 Pesos one way (they drive i.e. by Taft Ave.). For the tour to Corregidor it's a one hour ferry ride from Manila to see the island and learn about WW II history (USA vs. Japan): http://www.corregidorphilippines.com Easiest for day tours is often to collect a group of people and share costs for a car rental (with a driver of course), but there are also numerous buses to different destinations.

One of the closest places from Manila to snorkle and dive is Anilao, reached by bus to the Batangas (around 170 Pesos one way) and then by Jeepney in about 3-3 ½ hours. Although it is possible to go there for just a day it is well worth taking more time. One lovely resort is for example this one: http://www.diveandtrek.com.

And there are many more options for a full weekend or even more days, such as the bus tour to the world famous rice terraces in Banaue (around 500 Pesos one way). Usually the buses drive 8 hours during night time (buy tickets i.e. at Florida bus station in advance) starting at 9 or 10 p.m. Therefore it is possible to start Friday night, use all Saturday to see the rice terraces, then return Saturday night and arrive Sunday morning back in Manila. However, it is definitely worth it to stay a little longer and visit the towns of Batad or Sagada, located closely to Banaue.

Rice Terraces, Source: Wikipedia

For ones who wish to see other Islands there are several airlines operating in the Philippines such as www.cebupacificair.com or www.philippineairlines.com. It seems that rates are better the earlier the booking. Destinations are numerous. In the past, interns have travelled for example to Legazpi to see the whalesharks http://www.whalesharkdonsol.com, to the beautiful beaches of Boracay or Palawan (i.e. http://www.ddivers.com). Package deals can be bought again at local travel agencys, such as www.philippineexplorer.com that also operates a small booth in Robinsons Mall to sell packages (Mall Outlet Robinson

Boracay Beach, Source: Wikipedia Number: 3020095 or 5366680). Sample packages to Boracay without flight (3D/2N accomodation beachfront, daily breakfast, roundtrip transfer, environmental and terminal fees) or Palawan without flight (3D/2N accomodiation, roundtrip transfer, welcome drink, 2 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 dinner, city tour, choice of underground river or honda bay) cost around 6300 Pesos per person.


11

More Insider Info

Mangos – the best in the world!

Don't drink tap water but use the "Water Health" cleaned water cannisters instead. Refills cost only around 40 Pesos for several gallons (only first time you pay for the cannister, too).

For the ladys: Tampons are extraordinarily hard to find and rather expensive – if those are your choice better bring them from home.

People are very friendly here and always willing to help you. However, that also means that they sometimes don’t want to say they don’t know something. For example, if you ask for directions, people will sometimes send you in a certain direction, which is not always the right one. It is good to keep this in mind when you have just arrived here and don’t know your way around yet.

Summary

There is an incredible lot to experience and to see when coming to the Philippines for the first time. And even though some people rant on the mega-town Manila it is so true what Carlos Celdran says in his tour about it: don't skip Manila. The town has so much history and such a colourful and mixed population (according to Carlos like a "Halo-Halo", which translated means "Mix-Mix" and is a Filipino dessert that contains all kinds of different things like ice, jelly, milk, grains, etc.) – you are very lucky to have the chance to see a lot of that during your weeks at WPRO.

Halo-halo, Source: Wikipedia

Many places to see.... Manila impressions, Source: Wikipedia

manila survival guide for interns.pdf

Documents