PHILIPPINES
The country is known for having its rich biodiversity as its main tourist attraction. Popular destinations among tourists include Boracay, Palawan, and Sarago. Despite the potential, the Philippines has lagged in the tourism industry behind some of its Southeast Asian neighbors due to political and social problems.
Main Destinations
Manila, Cebu, Bohol, El Nido, Palawan, Coron Island, Puerto Princesa, Mactan Island, Tagaytay, Donsol, Vigan, Sagada, Moalboal, Batan Island, Siquijor, Boracay
The Location
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Main Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA /ˈnaɪə/, locally /nɑː.ˈiː.jə/; Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Ninoy Aquino or Pandaigdigang Paliparan ng Ninoy Aquino; IATA: MNL, ICAO: RPLL), originally known and still commonly referred to as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving the city of Manila and the metropolitan area of the same name. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) south of Manila proper and southwest of Makati, NAIA is the main gateway for travelers to the Philippines and serves as a hub for AirSWIFT, Cebgo, Cebu Pacific, PAL Express, and Philippine Airlines, and as the main operating base for Philippines AirAsia. It is managed by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), an agency of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Capital City
Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is a densely populated bayside city on the island of Luzon, which mixes Spanish colonial architecture with modern skyscrapers. Intramuros, a walled city in colonial times, is the heart of Old Manila. It’s home to the baroque 16th-century San Agustin Church as well as Fort Santiago, a storied citadel and former military prison.
Language Spoken
There are some 120 to 187 languages spoken in the Philippines, depending on the method of classification. Almost all are Malayo-Polynesian languages native to the archipelago. A number of Spanish-influenced creole varieties generally called Chavacano are also spoken in certain communities. The 1987 constitution designates Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog, as the national language and an official language along with English. Filipino is regulated by Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and serves as a lingua franca used by Filipinos of various ethnolinguistic backgrounds.
Currency
The Philippine peso, also referred to by its Tagalog name piso, is the official currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 sentimo, also called centavos.
Emergency Calls
9-1-1, commonly referred to as 911, is the national emergency telephone number of the Philippines managed by the Emergency 911 National Office. On August 1, 2016, 911 and 8888, a public complaint hotline, effectively replaced Patrol 117.
Peak Season
Months from November to May are those of the High Season. These months are our “dry” season (locals call it “summer”) when the humidity drops along with the perceived temperature - though the weather is still tropically warm.
Low season
Low season: June-September. Low season means fewer crowds and cheaper accommodation prices, but rougher seas and a greater chance of bad weather, with passing typhoons sometimes causing days of torrential rain.
Temperature
Based on the average of all weather stations in the Philippines, excluding Baguio, the mean annual temperature is 26.6o C. The coolest months fall in January with a mean temperature of 25.5oC while the warmest month occurs in May with a mean temperature of 28.3oC.