General Info

[Buko Max]

Northwest Airlines is having a sale on web fares to certain cities in Asia. Tickets must be purchased by Dec. 14, for travel begining Dec. 24 through Jan. 31, 2005. All travel must be completed by March 2, 2005. My internet fare to HK from Detroit was only $700! So get up off it and book those tickets asap!

[Dinghy]

Ticket prices depend on availability.

IF you are buying a seat thru an on-line agency (Travelocity, Expedia, among others) the cost and availability is based on inventory listed by THE AIRLINE ITSELF and aside from the agency fee, the price will be the same whether you go direct or thru the agency - word of caution, though - some itineraries available thru the net are not exactly available thru the airlines (it happens - you might have to jump thru ALL the hoops to get THAT fare).

The way to get generally consistently lower fares is to go thru a consolidator - otherwise called a "bucket shop" - (but you might have a problem with getting credit for the frequent flier miles, if that's important to you)

I know that in Thailand, I went thru an agency for a Thai air ticket BKK-Chiang Mai (promo fare) for less than it would have cost over the net (3200B RT - in OCT) They (Thai) still operate on "commission" so no added fee.

[Travel Guy]

We in the travel industrie can help find the lowest rates . Just call a travel agent next time you need to fly. The internet is not always the cheapest way to go.

[Dashing Don]

I might buy a cell phone this trip to keep up with the girls. Usually I just buy a phone card for the four or five daily calls back to the States.

I had an interesting experience while booking this trip. I searched the dates that I wanted to go, on Travelocity, among others. Consistently, I was quoted a fare from New York to Manila via Hong Kong, of $1300+. I tried to book it online but kept getting an error message. So I called Cathay Pacific direct. They charged me only $980!! I always thought that it cost more if you called the airlines direct.

Don

[Member #2887]

Jan 13 I arrive in Manila for my first trip to the Philippines. If anyone is going to be there on the 13th to the 17th or so (before i move on to Cebu) and want to catch up for a few drinks, pm me.

[Member #2718]

I need some advice on cell phones in the Philippines.

A buddy and I will be in Manila for about a week and I want to have a mobile phone with me in order to stay in contact with the ladies that we meet during our stay. Should I bring my own phone or buy one while I'm there? My mobile service Sprint (USA) uses GSM technology and my buddy uses CDMA. I would also like to use the phone to stay in contact with family in the US. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

J

The problem is that unless your cell phone is a tri-band phone it wont work here. In the U.S. cell phones use 19000 Mhz and in some cases 900 Mhz (GSM), while in the PI cell phones use 18000 Mhz (and in some cases 900 Mhz). Most cell phones tend to be dual band exceot for the high end models which can handle all three frenquency bands. As for CDMA, it is a different coding scheme all together and is only used in Japan and Korea, so CDMA phones wont work here regardless of the frequency used.

At P1800 for a cell and P200 SIM included (at Greenhills) invest the $35 and buy the throw-away for ue in the PI.

Besides, the pre-paid SIMs offer absolute anonymity as a side benifit.
Happy hunting

[Brown Rail]

Buy a Smart SIM and load upon arrival. SMS your number to your relatives in the States. Have them use http://www.chikka.com/ to text with you. It will save you and them pesos. Also you can use it when you return to keep up with your new friends.

[Brown Rail]

hey don,

i can't tell you what it is like finding girls in siargao. i can tell you that some of the most beautiful women i have met come from sairgao. my experience has been that it can be a drag if you assume you will find someone in the provinces and you don't. some places it is easy, and some places it is not. depends on your personality as well.

what i suggest, as you have 9 days, land in manila. first night go to la cafe and see if you find someone you fancy. if not go to angeles the next night. stay at orchard inn. find the girl you love and ask her to go with you for a few days, let’s say two nights. after the two nights you can ask her to stay on, or if you see other opportunities, send her home.

this will ensure that you keep your options open, a filipino tradition. going to la or angeles will also keep the prices down. if you pick up a girl in a makati burgos bar you can do the same, but it will cost you more.

be sure to ask the oriental, before you arrive, if your room includes high speed internet access. else they charge $20 per night for it.

[Dashing Don]

Fellas,

I will arrive in Manila on Sat Jan 8 for a nine-day stay. It will be my fourth visit in recent years. I would like to visit Siargao Island in Mindanao because the beaches and surfing are supposed to be good. Does anyone have any info on the girlie scene there? Or the lack thereof?

Its kind of critical because if I have no monger info I'll probably take two girls from EDSA with me for the week--something I've never done before, and quite a committment on my part, I might add. The alternative would be to spend a week in the Phils with no action--kind of ridiculous considering I'm coming all the way from New York.

Any info appreciated.

Also, if any other guys will be in Manila drop me a pm and we'll hook up. Through a Cathay Pacific special, I'll be staying at the Mandarin Oriental in Makati for $77 a night!

[GoodEnough]

I would add to Juniour's excellent analysis that the population growth rate here is out of control, and, this being a Catholic country, the notion of family planning is not going to take hold anytime soon. The economy, although growing at a rate of 5-6% cannot expand quickly enough to create jobs for the burgeoning number of workers entering the labor force every year. Also, given the Government's chronic cash shortfalls, it cannot afford to invest in Education, so the Philippines lages further and further behind in this investment as well. It's a vicious cycle that's compounded by corruption, inequitable distribution of wealth and sporadic social unrest.

[Member #1005]

puff

whilst there is no single answer to this question here are a couple of factors to take into consideration.

the country is faced with debts of around 40% of it’s national income.

many of its state run industries power, farming etc are very inefficient (still too many brownouts), haemorrhaging money and not brining in the revenue it could be, as in other countries.

added to this the country is forced to take out further loans to meet its current day-to-day commitments, corruption is rampant, illegal logging etc so the money it should receive through taxation is reduced because many major corporations are looking at ways to avoid paying taxes, there is currently a shortfall of p80 billion in tax revenue.

remember this is a country that still relies heavily on the remittances from its overseas worker, just like the dominican republic. poverty and inequality are widespread throughout the country the gap between rich and the poor is large, there is no halfway house here.

so on top of this all when faced with natural disasters, like the typhoons that has just hit the country, recently you can understand why the president is not too focused on cleaning up the open sewers in the shanty towns rep001tered around manila, luzon and the country when she will now have to find money to replace damaged bridges, broken power lines and provide fertiliser to the many rural farms that have just had their top soil washed away and consider importing food to meet the short fall in their food needs within the next few months.

whilst there is no conclusive answer to your question but this allows you to see the problems they face. i once suggested that the easiest way to help the country was to rent different islands to another countries, for example singapore has plenty of assets and skills in business development, but not enough land, resources or labour if they took over cebu for a short lease of 50 years you would see some major improvements – but the only problem with this idea is as the island becomes more prosperous it draws people from less developed parts of the country and unless its managed properly it becomes uncontrollable. plus, many philippinos would not be too happy with this idea.

on the aids situation i am certainly not qualified to comment on the current situation.


juniour

[Pute Nut]

Puff,

Double bagging is considered less safe than using a single, actually. If you want to continue your preaching, perhaps the safe sex forum is more appropriate for this. BTW HIV is not "rampant" in the Philippines.

[Advantage]

Although not to tactful, pretty close to the truth.

[Firedick]

Puff,

Perhaps you should just stay home. Or, perhaps that's the problem. I have my doubts that you've ever been to the Philippines. Nobody here is moved by your "heart felt" warnings.

FD

[Puff]

My first visit to the islands was one of wonder. Decent motel, decent food, decent time. However, this place is an environmental hell hole!! Trash is everwhere, children begging in the streets running naked etc. The storms are horrible and and the smell is one you don't forget. There are some very nice places in the Philippines but jeez they are usually behind walls. If the Philippines are SO great then why don't they clean it up and make something of it? If the environment is beyond description just think about the pussy you are buying. AIDS is rampant in Asia. Oh well be safe and double bag yourself.