General Info

[Amavida]

... how to you know this? How does Homeland Security know what countries you've been to?

Hey OEM, one of my business's is in the security industry. Our travel movements are logged trust me. In my home country (Australia) the government is phasing in Passports with a chip in them. Its all stored & available to officials. Airlines log your details. Airports log your details. etc etc. These day's there is no horseing around when dealing with officials in airports. Answer all questions truthfully & don't carry anything you should'nt be carrying because its all deadly serious now.

Im recent years, on return to Australian airports, I have been pulled aside many times & put through the 'third degree' with questions, thorough x-ray & bag search down to the last detail. My crime? Im flagged because Im a frequent traveller to Asia (I live in PI) thats all... Some of the bitches who work in Australian customs are real sneering ball breaking smart arses. I dont let them get to me, when they are doing their little act i just tune out & think of the last wonderful session I had with a chick before getting on the plane. :)

These day's, before travel, I 'sterilise' my electronic devices of any pics/info that could give these goons in customs something to annoy me with.
AV

[One Eyed Man]

Homeland security already KNOWS where you are coming from before you answer.... If you failed to list the Philippines on your customs form you have committed a Federal Felony. In sum, you didgeed a bullet but i would NOT make a habit of it ... but omitting a country you visited (and they can tell without looking at your passport stamps) is a dangerous game indeed.

Surfer, thanks for sharing this info, but how to you know this? How does Homeland Security know what countries you've been to? (Because they get copies of flight logs?) Omitting a country you visited is a felony? What if you forget one?

[Sick Boy3]

Sometimes ATM cards don't work.

I have had cards rejected in AC for example and had to hunt out other ATMs. This is often because of ATM malfunction. I always bring enough cash to enable me to get by for a week or so and never had a problem.

If you have not had any problems in the Phils then you are lucky basically.

However with your $500 you are covered anyhow.

I would have agreed with bringing little cash until a few years back when the earthquake destroyed the cable carrying communications from Asia to the western nations. There was a huge line at checkout at my hotel. People getting their credit/debit cards refused for no reason. Even calls to Visa, Mastercard etc were of no help. I was able to get away with cash. And get to my plane. Left about 60 people to miss their flights. And probably had to stay another day or late departure. A few hours later it was discovered what happened. And I was thankful I had that cash. Remember Asia is not the safest as far as earthquakes. Floods. Etc. And other things that could make your life hell for a short time.

[Devils 1]

This is sooooo true! If you get off the beaten track you would be surprised at how hard it is to use big bills!

X

Yes very true and you notice the ATM's will only give you 1000 or 500 peso notes.

The way to beat this is always get foreign currency from your own bank before you leave. I usually request 200 US dollars worth of pesos but i request it all in small bills. This way you have plenty of 20 - 200 peso notes for things like taxis and tipping.

If you have ever had the frustration of trying to pay a 60 peso taxi fare with a 500 or 1000 peso bill this will save you a huge headache.

[Shanghai Lover]

Hi ,

I am planning to visit Banaue in the first week of June. Is autobus the only bus service to gat up there. Do they have assigned seating or free seating . Could anyone suggest a good clean hotel to stay there. Any recoomendations on Bataad

[Pheasantplucker]

Many tks to all for the info.

I'll give it a go.

Happy Hunting!

PR

[Surfer]

BB: Homeland security already KNOWS where you are coming from before you answer. You are VERY lucky that answering HK (your transit point) did not get you flagged for secondary. If you failed to list the Philippines on your customs form you have committed a Federal Felony. In sum, you didgeed a bullet but i would NOT make a habit of it.

On the form where you list countries visited you could list HK first but omitting a country you visited (and they can tell without looking at your passport stamps) is a dangerous game indeed. Out of almost 40 trips to the PI I have gotten flagged upon return a total of twice (and once because I listed the generic viagra I was bringing back as you are REQUIRED TO DO).

If you have racy pictures better to send them home electronically then delete from memory stick or at least hide the memory stick (and have another stick with touristy pics in the camera).

Also be aware that pornograpy is illegal in the PI (and they are more prudish that CBP here at home) so you don't want to get caught there either.

[Bob Bowie]

GE, I guess I have the name, wrong. If you leave Swiss Deli and take the large pedestrian bridge to cross the busy street you will exit the bridge near a corner pharmacy. If you walk past the pharmacy toward Microtell Hotel/ McDonald's, it should be the first or second business from the pharmacy. I may have the name wrong, but I remember going there at least twice because it was convenient and allowed the largest withdraw amount I could find.

Also the area was nice, I ate at a few of the restaurants near the bank and enjoyed the late night bakeries.


I also bought the pacsafe for my last trip. I ended up not using it once because it just was not worth the hasle for me. The only concern I had was someone stealing my laptop, and I always looked for a place in the room to hide it. I should have used the pacsafe more, but I was just lazy and useally just wanted to get out the room and find some P*****.


As far as the customs, I got red flagged my first 2 times and had my stuff checked and my digital camera searched when I arrived home from Manila. The last trip, when they asked where I was comming from, I said Hong Kong, since that is where I changed planes for the flight home. No problems that time, I was just some middled aged white guy on a businees trip.

[Robbaf]

Robb, If I'm not mistaken, you passport would have a differnet visa than those of us who come as tourists. Maybe that is why you could easily open up an account. X

They just looked at my passport for identification, never looked at my visa status. I dropped $2500 cash, so maybe they just said never mind and took it. I really didn't think there was any requirements on living in the PI.

Funny story is that I went to BPI on-line and registered for on-line banking. I received an email stating that they received my request and they would call me. Sure enough, today I received a car to verify that it was me who was trying to access my account on-line. Goodshit.philippines:)

Robb

[Rubberyman]

What's with the guys who travel with cash? I don't get it. I've been traveling across Asia since 2000 and have brought nothing but my ATM and $500 for emergency.

Sometimes ATM cards don't work.

I have had cards rejected in AC for example and had to hunt out other ATMs. This is often because of ATM malfunction. I always bring enough cash to enable me to get by for a week or so and never had a problem.

If you have not had any problems in the Phils then you are lucky basically.

However with your $500 you are covered anyhow.

[Columpuss]

What's with the guys who travel with cash? I don't get it. I've been traveling across Asia since 2000 and have brought nothing but my ATM and $500 for emergency. My bank statement showed a deduction of $2 for whatever amount i withdrew and i find it quite a bargain for the convenience of not bringing cash.
Bringing cash involves asking for perfect bills from your bank at home, which is not always possible, and involves keeping them in good conditions on the trip. When you loose them, you loose everything. With my ATM, I just loose a piece of plastic.

[GoodEnough]

The best deal I found was HSBC at in Davao, near Swiss Deli.I felt very safe there with a lot of High End restaurants in the area. It let me take out 20,000 peso at a time, compared to some ATM that had limits as low as 4, 000.

With the Wells Fargo charge of $5 each shot, HSBC saved me a lot of money over a long vacation and I did not have to deal with any of the currency dealers.

It's true that HSBC is the best deal in town, but it's nowhere near Swiss Deli. It's about 100 meters from the Venue, across the street from the National Bank building and diagonally across from Bigby's. It's also the only HSBC branch in the city.

GE

[Lustforthrust]

I went to a suburb of Manila in '94 (can't remember the name) and the entire town ground to a halt when I tried to change $10 worth of Peso. It was as if someone rose from the dead!

If had told anyone this, they would never have believed it.

[X Man]

This is sooooo true! If you get off the beaten track you would be surprised at how hard it is to use big bills!

In Ormoc Leyte, at the largest hotel in town, I paid for a few days in cash (early evening so maybe the cashier was gone) and they didn't have the 60 pesos in change. I suggested they just pay me back later. That night when I got back to the hotel, they handed me a plastic bag with 60 pesos in coin.

X

By the way, a common problem is having too much money. I've cashed US hundred dollar bills and have had the changer try to give me all 1000 Peso notes! Outside of your hotel, the casino, or major stores, you simply can't change big peso notes.

This is even worse in the province. I was in the Camotes, and the whole economy seemed to run on nickels and dimes. A hundred Peso note was like a $10,000 bill.

So I buy a coin purse and keep all of my coins and small notes (20's and 50's). Otherwise, the taxi driver is going to pretend like he doesn't have change for a 100 Peso note.

It's appalling how many stores don't have change. Here in America we take it for granted that a cashier starts with a change/cash drawer.

So hoard your small bills and coins.

[Professional]

I actually to the opposite of what was suggested. I bring enough cash to get me out of an emergency and do not spend it until the last few days of my trip that way I have don't have to carry large amounts of cash I just my atm card throughout my entire trip and just keep around 7 to 8 hundred hidden in my bags, pockets, hotel safe and any combination of those hiding places. That way I don't have to carry large amounts of cash and just live off my atm I usually spend a few hundred dollars a couple of days before I leave so I can save on the atm fees and bring home the rest.