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 The
the more than 7,000 islands of the Philippines are blessed
by being surrounded by Pacific Ocean, Philippines Sea,
Sulu Sea, South China Sea and Celebs Sea, all offering
divers one one the most diverse underwater environments
available. The tropical Philippines are divided into
3 geographical regions, Luzon in the north, Visayas
central, and Mindanao in the south.
Scuba diving in warm crystal clear waters with underwater
visibility of up to 150 ft. divers find more than 800
types of soft and hard corals, shipwrecks, drop-offs,
and over 2,000 species of fish.
Looking for palagics? Imagine running into mantas and
sharks at the Apo Reef, whale sharks in Sorsogon, or
manatees in Palawan. Puerto Galera will wow you with
vast fields of coral and rare species of fish. One of
the major destinations when it comes to wreck diving,
is Coron, worldwide known for its sunken Japanese fleet
from World War II as well as commercial shipwrecks.
Photographers will be astounded with the small fishes,
sponges, colorful corals and gorgonians. You may even
experience rarely see exotic fishes like Spanish dancer,
harlequin ghost-pipefish, camouflaged frogfish, fire
gobies and various species of Seahorses.
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Dive
Services
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Fun
& Sun Dive Travel
#5 Regency Crest condominium
Saturnino road
Banilad, cebu city 6000
Philippines
Telephone: (63-32)3433410
Fax: (63-32) 343-3357
Email Address: sito@funsundivetravel.com
Web Address: http://www.funsundivetravel.com
Dive Cebu/Bohol/Visaya. We specialize in dive safaris
from Mactan to Bohol sites and Dumaguete. We also have
a dive shop at Malapascua.
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Fast
Facts
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| General
Information |
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Area:
300,000 sq km (115,831 sq miles).
Population: 81,160,000 (2000 est.).
Population Density: 243.8 per sq km.
Capital: Manila. Population: 1,673,000 (2000).
Geography: The Philippines lie off the southeast
coast of Asia between Taiwan and Borneo in the
Pacific Ocean and South China Sea. They are
composed of 7107 islands and islets (7108 at
low tide), 2773 of which are named. The two
largest islands, Luzon in the north and Mindanao
in the south, account for 65% of the total land
area and contain 60% of the country's population.
Between the two lie the Visayas Islands.
Government: Republic since 1987. Gained independence
from the USA in 1946. Head of State and Government:
President Joseph Ejercito Estrada since 1998.
Language: Filipino, based on Tagalog, is the
national language. English is widely spoken,
Spanish less so. The Philippines is the third-largest
English-speaking country in the world. There
are over 111 cultural and racial groups, each
with its own language or dialect.
Religion: 85% Roman Catholic; the rest are made
up mostly of Muslims, other Christian denominations,
Buddhists and Taoists.
Time: GMT + 8.
Electricity: 220 volts (110 volts in Baguio)
AC, 60Hz. 110 volts is available in most hotels.
Flat and round 2- and 3-pin plugs are in use.
Telephone: IDD is available to main towns. Country
code: 63. International calls to the smaller
towns must be booked through the operator. Outgoing
international code: 00.
Mobile telephone: GSM 900/1800 network. Operators
include Smart Communications Inc. (website:
www.smart.com.ph) and Globe Telecom (website:
www.globe.com.ph). Coverage is limited to Manila
and other main urban areas.
Fax: All 3- to 5-star hotels, most government
offices and most businesses have facsimile services.
Telegram: Telegrams can be sent from Eastern
Telecommunications Philippines Incorporated
offices.
Internet/E-mail: ISPs include Internet Manila
(website: www.i-manila.com.ph), Philworld Online
(website: www.pworld.net.ph) and Cyber Space
(website: www.cyberspace.com.ph). Visitors can
access their e-mail from cybercafés across
the country.
Postal: Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700.
Press: There are about 20 daily newspapers.
English-language daily newspapers include the
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin,
Philippine Star and the Manila Times. |
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| Travel |
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AIR:
The Philippines' national airline is Philippine
Airlines (PR). Other airlines serving the Philippines
include Cathay Pacific, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways,
Northwest Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Silk
Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia
Airlines.
Note: The period over Easter, from Good Friday
to the following Bank holiday (and sometimes
beyond), is a major holiday in the Philippines
as is Christmas and New Year. There may be some
difficulty booking a flight during these periods.
Foreign travellers should not visit the areas
of Mindanao and Palawan unless on essential
business, owing to the current political climate.
For further information, consult a government
travel advice department.
Approximate flight times: From Manila to Paris
is 16 hours 30 minutes; to Los Angeles is 14
hours 25 minutes; to New York is 17 hours 30
minutes; to London is 18 hours; to Singapore
is 3 hours 40 minutes; to Hong Kong is 2 hours
35 minutes; to Bangkok is 2 hours 35 minutes;
to Tokyo is 4 hours 50 minutes and to Sydney
is 8 hours.
International airports: Ninoy Aquino (MNL) is
12km (7 miles) southeast of Manila. Airport
facilities include banks, post office, medical
clinic, baggage deposit area, duty-free shops
and car hire. Bus and taxi services are available
to the city (travel time - 60-90 minutes by
public bus or 25 minutes by taxi).
Mactan International Airport (CEB) (Cebu Island)
is 45km (28 miles) from the city centre. Hotels
and tour operators provide their own coaches;
taxis can be hired.
Departure tax: P550 for international departures.
Children under two years of age and transit
passengers are exempt.
SEA: Manila is a major seaport, a crossroads
of trade in the Asia-Pacific region. Shipping
lines which call at Manila include American
President Lines, Eastern Shipping Lines, Premier
Shipping Lines, Lloyd Triestino and Evergreen
Lines. Schedules and rates are listed in the
shipping pages of daily newspapers. |
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| Entry |
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Passport |
Visa |
Return
Ticket Required |
| Australian |
Yes |
1 |
Yes |
| British |
Yes |
1 |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
1 |
Yes |
| Japanese |
Yes |
1 |
Yes |
| Other
EU |
Yes |
1 |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
1 |
Yes |
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PASSPORTS:
Passports valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond
intended length of stay required by all except
holders of a Hong Kong or Taiwan Certificate
of Identity.
Note: (a) Holders of Certificates of Identity
do require visas. (b) All children of Filipino
nationality must hold individual passports.
(c) Children of other nationalities up to the
age of 15 and not accompanied by a parent are
only permitted entry if they secure a visa based
on an approved Waiver Exclusion Ground (WEG)
granted by the Bureau of Immigration. Applicants
should apply at the Consulate (or Consular section
at Embassy) at least 2 weeks in advance.
VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) 1. bona fide foreign tourists (including
business travellers) for stays of less than
21 days provided holding passports valid for
a minimum of 6 months and return or onward tickets
(except nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria,
Armenia, Azerbajan, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Cambodia, China (PR), CIS, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt,
Estonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgeyzstan, Korea (DPR), Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,
Libya, Lithuania, Moldova, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, Slovenia,
Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Taiwan,
Tonga, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam,
Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and holders
of Palestinian passports who do require a visa
even if staying less than 21 days);
(b) holders of Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region (SAR) passports, British National Overseas
(BNO) passports and holders of Macau-Portuguese
passports for stays of up to 7 days;
(c) transit passengers continuing their journey
to a third country within 72 hours provided
holding onward or return documentation (some
nationals are required to leave by the same
or first connecting aircraft; enquire at Embassy
for details).
Note: (a) Nationals of Afghanistan and Korea
(DPR) must have their applications approved
by the authorities in Manila before visas can
be issued. (b) All tourists wishing to stay
longer than 21 days need a visa.
Validity: Single-entry (59 days from date of
issue); Multiple-entry (between 6 months and
1 year from date of issue). Visas normally allow
stays of up to 59 days. Extensions are possible
at the discretion of the Bureau of Immigration.
Additional Visa Information:
http://us.sequel.net/RPinUS |
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| Misc.
Info. |
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CRIME
INFORMATION: As in many of the major metropolitan
areas in the U.S., crime is a serious concern
in Manila. As a rule of thumb, Americans are
advised to exercise good judgment and remain
aware of their surroundings. Reports of confidence
games, pick-pocketing and credit card fraud
are common. If someone offers you a deal that
is too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary
of unknown individuals who attempt to befriend
you, especially just after you have arrived
in country. Criminals have administered drugs
via proffered drinks to unwitting visitors in
order to facilitate robbery and assault. Tourists
frequenting lower quality nightclubs are particularly
at risk. It is best not to flaunt your nationality
and to maintain a low profile. Avoid wearing
large amounts of jewelry, and do not carry large
amounts of money. Visitors should take advantage
of safety deposit boxes at hotels. Taxis are
the recommended form of public transportation;
however, the following safeguards are important:
do not enter a taxi if it already has accepted
another passenger, and also request that the
meter be used. If the driver is unwilling to
comply with your requests, it is best to wait
for another cab. All other forms of public transportation,
such as the light rail system, buses and jeepneys,
should be avoided for both safety and security
reasons.
Visitors should also be vigilant when using
credit cards. One form of credit card fraud
involves the illicit use of an electronic device
to retrieve and record information, including
the PIN, from the card’s magnetic strip. The
information is then used to make unauthorized
purchases. To limit your vulnerability to this
scam, never let your card out of your sight.
Major problems have occurred at large department
stores and some hotel restaurants.
MEDICAL FACILITIES: Adequate medical
care is available in major cities but is limited
in rural and more remote areas. Serious medical
problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical
evacuation to the United States can cost thousands
of dollars or more. Doctors and hospitals often
expect immediate cash payment for health services.
MEDICAL INSURANCE: U.S. medical insurance
is not always valid outside the United States.
U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide
payment for medical services outside the United
States. Uninsured travelers who require medical
care overseas may face extreme difficulties.
Check with your own insurance company to confirm
whether your policy applies overseas, including
provision for medical evacuation. Ascertain
whether payment will be made to the overseas
hospital or doctor or whether you will be reimbursed
later for expenses that you incur. Some insurance
policies also include coverage for psychiatric
treatment and for disposition of remains in
the event of death.
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: Travel
within the archipelago is possible by boat,
plane, bus, or car. Few tourists rent a car
to drive, as the road system is crowded and
drivers are undisciplined. Driving off the national
highways and paved roads is particularly dangerous,
especially at night. To avoid overcrowded or
unsafe transport, caution is urged in planning
travel by older, inter-island ferryboats or
other public conveyances. The information below
concerning the Philippines is provided for general
reference only, and may not be totally accurate
in a particular location or circumstance.
Safety of Public Transportation: Poor
Urban Road Constructions/Maintenance: Poor
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance: Poor
Availability of Roadside Assistance: Poor
For specific information concerning Philippine
driver’s permits, vehicle inspection, road tax
and mandatory insurance, contact the Philippines
Department of Tourism via http://www.tourism.gov.ph. |
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