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Location | Climate | Population | Language | Visas | Embassies | Geography | Holidays | Utilities | Currencies | Tel. Numbers |
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Ours is a country of sun, sand and smile And Manila is the center of it all
- business, culture, shopping, and spectaculars. Discover the delights
of the Pearl of the Orient today. |
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| Location
As an archipelago, the Philippines is composed of 7,107 islands, spanning 1,840 kilometers from north to south. Of these, only about 2,000 are inhabited and 500 are larger than one square kilometer. The three main island groups are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. In strict usage, "Manila" refers to the City of Manila, while "Metro Manila" refers to the entire metropolitan area which sprawls over 630 square kilometers and comprises of seven cities (Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, City, Pasay City, Makati City, Mandaluyong City and Pasig City) and several municipalities. Most people simply use "Manila" to refer to the entire metropolis. |
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The Philippines is tropical, with just two seasons-hot and dry from November to June and rainy from July to October. Typhoons frequent the monsoon season except in the southwest islands of Visayas and Mindanao, which are below the typhoon belt. Best time to visit 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 local travel. Temperatures in May, usually the hottest month, can reach 35`C to 40`C during the day but average year-round temperature usually hovers around 25`C. Peak travel season in the country usually concentrates around the long holidays of the Holy Week and Christmas to New Year. |
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There are presently over 70 million Filipinos in the country. Majority is of Indo-Malay, Chinese and Spanish decent. Approximately 40% of the population live in the city, with 13% residing in Metro Manila alone. Some 21% of the total population or 6 million are members of about 60 tribal or ethno-logical groups. This includes 4 million Muslims from the south. The Philippines boast of having one of the highest literacy rates in Asia.
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While there are over 100 regional languages in the Philippines, the national language is Filipino, which is derived from the Tagalog language. English is the most widely spoken second language, and is widely understood even by the mostly lowly cigarette vendor on the streets. English is also the preferred medium of communication when visiting the provinces as natives are more likely to use it as a second language, after their native dialect, rather Filipino. All business, governmental and legal transactions are conducted in English.
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You may enter without a formal visa and stay for 21 days free of charge if you are coming from America, Asia or Europe and hold a passport valid at least six months beyond the period you intend to stay 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 your trip from a Philippine consulate or embassy or, once inside the country, from the Commission on Immigration and Deportation in Intramuros, Manila or its offices in Angeles, Cebu City and San Fernando in La Union province. All extensions must be submitted to the Immigration Office at least seven days in advance.
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Argentina - 6th flr, ACT Tower Condominium,
135 Salcedo St. Makati (632) 8108301 |
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Owing to its numerous islands, the country has an irregular coastline that stretches 334,539 kilometers. Inland, it is dotted with numerous lakes and rivers. Long mountain ranges, narrow valleys, rolling hills and vast plains essentially characterize the three major islands. There are five major bodies of water that surround the archipelago: the Pacific Ocean, the Philippine Sea, the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea and the Celebes Sea.
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The legal holidays in the Philippines are: 01 January - New Year's
Day |
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The country is powered on AC 220 volts. Many major hotels, especially in the Subic area, also have AC 110 volt outlets. An Adapter may be needed for local plugs that are usually the flat two-pin types. The frequency of power failures has drastically been reduced since the late 1980s but they still happen especially during a typhoon.
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As of press time, the exchange rate of the Philippine Peso to the US dollar hovers around P 52.00 - 1.00 US $ Currency notes are available in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000. Readily available coins are in denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50, one peso and five pesos. The exchange rate for cash is slightly higher than traveller's cheques. Best value is given to the US dollar, especially in large denominations like US$100. Planning Your Trip The best time to visit the Philippines is between the months of December to middle of May. After May the rainy season starts. There is no need to bring heavy cold weather winter clothes, the country having a tropical climate even during the monsoon seasons. Depending on your likes and itinerary, the Philippines can offer you a lot in terms of it's diversity, culturally and geographically. Among the well known beaches just near Manila is found in the province of Batangas, just three (3) hours south of Manila. Right after Batangas one can go to the island of Puerto Galera, Palawan, Romblon and of course the world famous island of Boracay. |
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The country code of the Philippines is 63, with Manila having
the area code of 2 Tourist Information Hotline : 524-1728; 524-1660 |
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Copyright 2002 Century Park Hotel. All rights reserved. |
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