The Philippines FAQ

[Sammon]

Hey,

I wanted to know whether prostitution is legal in php. Is it ok to stay with unknown girl in hotel.

No. Do not stare at girl, talk to girls and most of all never stay with unknown or known girls.

[Dg8787]

Hi,

I need to send something rather expensive (value about $750 USD) to a friend in Quezon City from the US. The package is roughly the size of a shoebox, and weighs 2-4 lbs. What is the safest method of shipping to Metro Manila? I don't trust USPS or regular mail.

I am concerned about the package getting lost or stolen during transit or delivery. I definitely want the destination party to sign for receipt of the package, and not simply left on the doorstep. I am thinking that Fedex, DHL, or UPS might be the best choice, but I got sticker shock when pricing this on the Fedex and DHL websites. I don't need fast delivery. Up to six weeks would suffice.

Any recommendations for safe, cost-effective shipping to Metro Manila from the US? No can do on me delivering it in person.

You didn't state your location that you would be sending it from which would be helpful.

In general if there is LBC Express near you: Air freight under 5 lbs delivered in 7-10 days is approximately $40 plus any tariff if any.

By ship delivered within 2 months approximately $50.

[WestCoast1]

Fedex, DHL, or UPS might be the best choice, but I got sticker shock when pricing this on the Fedex website. I don't need fast delivery. Up to six weeks would suffice.

Any recommendations for safe, cost-effective shipping to Metro Manila from the US? No can do on me delivering it in person.

Those three are the only good choices I can think of. They do a bang-up job, and delivery is usually a week from the US to the NCR (much longer timeframes to the provinces at times). The initial price quoted by them either in person or online includes $100 US Dollars insurance. If your package is worth more than that to you, they sell more insurance in increments of $100 value. You will need to purchase an extra $700 insurance, and I think its about $10 for each $100 insurance, so you're shelling out an additional $70 for insurance. If they lose / destroy your package, they will just cut you a check for the value that you initially claimed, $750.

The old days of sending something that might take weeks to arrive, for a cheaper rate, are gone. How heavy is the shoebox, and how much was your sticker shock? Several times I had family send me things from there to here in the NCR (ie, documents or medicine). Its always been in the $15 - $80 range. I didn't think any of that exorbitant when I needed it done.

Also check LBC shipping. You can have it shipped to your friend in QC, or have it shipped to a particular LBC location in QC where your friend can pick it up. FedEx in Mania will also hold a package for personal pickup, as opposed to delivery.

One last item. Depending on what you send, the Philippines Customs office might grab it for inspection. If they do, they may have it for 1-2-3 weeks, and the delivery agent will have to collect a small Customs fee COD (100-150 p is not unusual).

[WhatsUrName]

Hi,

I need to send something rather expensive (value about $750 USD) to a friend in Quezon City from the US. The package is roughly the size of a shoebox, and weighs 2-4 lbs. What is the safest method of shipping to Metro Manila? I don't trust USPS or regular mail.

I am concerned about the package getting lost or stolen during transit or delivery. I definitely want the destination party to sign for receipt of the package, and not simply left on the doorstep. I am thinking that Fedex, DHL, or UPS might be the best choice, but I got sticker shock when pricing this on the Fedex and DHL websites. I don't need fast delivery. Up to six weeks would suffice.

Any recommendations for safe, cost-effective shipping to Metro Manila from the US? No can do on me delivering it in person.

[WestCoast1]

Hey,

I wanted to know whether prostitution is legal in php.

No, it is not.

Is it ok to stay with unknown girl in hotel.

Not sure how to answer that. . .

[Raj1587]

Hey,

I wanted to know whether prostitution is legal in php. Is it ok to stay with unknown girl in hotel.

[Simmer]

Oh, don't I know it. That Wicked Roger there is the archetype of the monger who gives the whole lot a bad name. It was the same deal on the American monger forum as well. You've made a good first impression by being mature and not silly with random, digression-based jokes that don't get anyone anywhere, and I thank you for that.

Now, I'd be flying out of SW International in Ft Myers. There aren't too many travel agents around me, and those that are tend to be all about the state themselves or Europe for obvious reasons. It was easy enough getting to Brazil and Latin America (wonder if I should do reports on that), but the PI has always evaded me. Like a carrot dangled in front of. Something that eats carrots. I guess I'll have to hit the grind and see what I can find.

Thanks again for not being so dramatic. Just two grown men having a chat about info. Seems there are less and less of them these days.

Flights.google.com.

You can use the date drop-down boxes to see the fares over an entire month. Beware it does not know about all airlines though. I was looking the other day and found good flights for just $614 in September from US West Coast to Manila. I thought $750 last year was good but $614 is great. And on Delta too.

Travel agents are so yesterday [grin] . Actually I've heard there are some good ones for complicated itineraries but for your run-of-the-mill out-and-back flight+hotel the regular search engines are your friend as far as I'm concerned. Always read the small print though, as in pay-in-advance for hotels, or non-changeable flights, or not including meals, baggage, bathroom access, or oxygen on flights.

[Goferring]

Google is correct: Everything might work out just fine and quickly, or you might face a severe "trappik" problem.

Other gents, since he has only hand-carry luggage, can he walk it (assuming he's in shape) from T3 to T4?

Thanks Westy.

I've used the bus before and it worked well but that was at 01:00 in the morning. My master plan is to have no hold baggage to wait for, catch the bus if it is outside the terminal (don't wait) or get a prepaid SUV-esque taxi, if it's not. Online checking should also save a couple of minutes.

Walking for me would be pretty risky. Google Maps shows it as 40 minutes, and I don't know the roads or turnoffs very well. Getting lost and / or run over is a real possibility.

I do not arrive until November so hopefully some of the local construction may be finished by then but that may be overly optimistic!

[Dg8787]

Has anyone got recent real world travel time from Terminal 3 to 4 during mid day traffic?

I've got 2 1/2 hrs to get from Cebu Pacific International (hand carry baggage only) to departure time to Coron at Terminal 4.

Is this fantasy or do-able??

Google brings up everything from no problem to no way.

On paper it is possible. You need to check in at least 30 minutes prior to departure time at T4. Maybe do an online check in if you are only carry on.

I know a few friends were to check into T4 and the know it all taxi driver insisted AA flights were out of T3 and took them to T3. It took them 20 minutes to go to T4 from T3. This was around noon time. They ended up missing their flight as they had been stuck in traffic to T3. I think they would have made it if not the stop at T3.

To all: Make exactly sure which terminal you are headed to and insist on it to the driver. Especially if it is Terminal 4. Very few flights out of T4.

[WestCoast1]

Has anyone got recent real world travel time from Terminal 3 to 4 during mid day traffic?

I've got 2 1/2 hrs to get from Cebu Pacific International (hand carry baggage only) to departure time to Coron at Terminal 4.

Is this fantasy or do-able??

Google brings up everything from no problem to no way.

Google is correct: Everything might work out just fine and quickly, or you might face a severe "trappik" problem. Please read my recent post in the Manila thread, #14944, about halfway down the first page (July 20). Traffic getting out of T3 was backed up due to road construction, and getting a taxi was 90 minutes, and it would probably have taken an hour to get to T4 once inside the taxi. However there is also a blue inter-terminal bus (free) that supposedly runs every 30 minutes, and it would probably take a long time to get from T3 to T4.

Other gents, since he has only hand-carry luggage, can he walk it (assuming he's in shape) from T3 to T4?

About 6 months ago I wrote of a similar incident. My int'l flight landed at T1 around 11 am, and my CP inter-island / province flight was scheduled out of T3 around 3:30 pm-ish. I was thru Immigration and with my luggage curbside at T1 by 11:30. 4 hours leeway, no problema, right? There were even a line of taxis waiting, with no customers. I decided to skip the taxi and wait for the inter-terminal free bus. I waited a *long* time and no bus showed up. Finally an hour or so later I jumped in a taxi and we headed off, only to run quickly into heavy traffic. What should be a 5 minute ride turned into much longer, and I started to worry. But, no worries, this is Phils, fella! I was not only on time to T3, but my CP flight was delayed. And delayed. And delayed, finally departing around dusk.

[Goferring]

Has anyone got recent real world travel time from Terminal 3 to 4 during mid day traffic?

I've got 2 1/2 hrs to get from Cebu Pacific International (hand carry baggage only) to departure time to Coron at Terminal 4.

Is this fantasy or do-able??

Google brings up everything from no problem to no way.

[X Man]

You are starting to sound like an angry old woman WR.

Perhaps but the UAE has a thread for stupid questions asked by newbies perhaps you should look at that also. Your FR was odd and confusing plus a Google search plus RTFF would have helped hence the 'extraneous" (not sure what this means in the context it was written).

Sometime newbies need to learn that RTFF and other search engines are faster, less hassle and way les 'extraneous' than asking a question in the same vein that your FR was.

And so many search engines for consolidating airfares.

You are a manager Nob Traveler and if you don't know the meaning of that word in the context of this board, suggest you RTFF as many have given a definition.

[Noob Traveller]

Don't be too dispirited by a couple of the responses that you got. Some of the folks on this forum are as useless as a cock flavored lollipop and have way too much time on their hands. As for your question, I am no expert since I normally do not fly out of the US but I would suggest reaching out to US travel agents located in areas where there are a large numbers of Filipinos. Daly City south of San Francisco comes to mind. These businesses may get you the best deal going to the PI even if you don't fly out of SFO. Let us know how it goes.

Oh, don't I know it. That Wicked Roger there is the archetype of the monger who gives the whole lot a bad name. It was the same deal on the American monger forum as well. You've made a good first impression by being mature and not silly with random, digression-based jokes that don't get anyone anywhere, and I thank you for that.

Now, I'd be flying out of SW International in Ft Myers. There aren't too many travel agents around me, and those that are tend to be all about the state themselves or Europe for obvious reasons. It was easy enough getting to Brazil and Latin America (wonder if I should do reports on that), but the PI has always evaded me. Like a carrot dangled in front of. Something that eats carrots. I guess I'll have to hit the grind and see what I can find.

Thanks again for not being so dramatic. Just two grown men having a chat about info. Seems there are less and less of them these days.

[Member #4566]

But yes, let's turn it down some. We're all on the same team here. No need for all that extraneous.

Don't be too dispirited by a couple of the responses that you got. Some of the folks on this forum are as useless as a cock flavored lollipop and have way too much time on their hands. As for your question, I am no expert since I normally do not fly out of the US but I would suggest reaching out to US travel agents located in areas where there are a large numbers of Filipinos. Daly City south of San Francisco comes to mind. These businesses may get you the best deal going to the PI even if you don't fly out of SFO. Let us know how it goes.

[Wicked Roger]

But yes, let's turn it down some. We're all on the same team here. No need for all that extraneous.

Perhaps but the UAE has a thread for stupid questions asked by newbies perhaps you should look at that also. Your FR was odd and confusing plus a Google search plus RTFF would have helped hence the 'extraneous" (not sure what this means in the context it was written).

Sometime newbies need to learn that RTFF and other search engines are faster, less hassle and way les 'extraneous' than asking a question in the same vein that your FR was.

And so many search engines for consolidating airfares.

You are a manager Nob Traveler and if you don't know the meaning of that word in the context of this board, suggest you RTFF as many have given a definition.