Things to know about the Philippines
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Things to know about the Philippines
General:
 Filipinos often use their eyes, lips, and hands to convey a wide range of messages. Raised eyebrows and a smile indicate a silent "hello" or a "yes" in answer to a question. Fixed eye contact between men is considered an aggressive gesture. The proper method to summon somebody is with a downward wave.
Filipinos place great emphasis on polite language and gentle conversation. Voice tone is always soft and gentle, and direct questions should be avoided.
Filipinos value their self-esteem, so never criticize or argue with them publicly. Most men, when so provoked, will fight for the preservation of their pride or self-esteem.
Avoid topics such as politics, religion, corruption and foreign aid. Filipinos enjoy conversations about their families.
Business:
English is the language used to conduct business.
Punctuality is expected for meetings, it is better to arrive a little late for a dinner invitation.
Greet business people with a handshake.
Women feel comfortable conducting business here, as sexual equality is more widespread in the Philipines than in other Asian countries.
Make sure you have your business cards, as Filipinos like to know who they are dealing with.
THINGS TO KNOWPopulation: 67,114,060
Capital: Manila
Flag: Two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side. In the center of the triangle is a sun with eight primary rays, each containing three individual rays, and in each corner of the triangle is a small, yellow, five-pointed star.
Shop Hours: Most shops operate from 10am to 7:30pm daily and are closed on public holidays.
Bank Hours: Banks are open 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday and are closed on public holidays.
Holidays:
- January 1 - New Year's Day
- Maundy Thursday
- Good Friday
- April 9 - Day of Valor
- April 14 - Good Friday
- May 1 - Labor Day
- June 12 - Independence Day
- June 23 - Manila Day
- November 1 - All Saint's Day
- November 30 - Bonifacio Day
- December 25 - Christmas Day
- December 30 - Rizal Day
Time: Local time is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) plus 8 hours.
Tipping:
As in the U.S., tipping is expected for many services. When in doubt, do as you would at home.
Restaurants: Most upscale restaurants automatically add a 10% to 15% service charge to the total amount of the bill and a 4% to 10% sales tax for food and drinks. In restaurants, when no service charge has been added, at least 10% of the bill is expected as a tip.
Porters: In hotels, tip doormen and porters P10-P20.
Taxis: 10% of the final fare.
USEFUL PHRASES - Please - Pah-kee
- Thank you - Sahlah-mat
- Hello - Kuh-moos-tah
- Good bye - Paalam-na po
- Today - Nga-yohn
- Tomorrow - Boo-kaas
- Yes - Ooh
- No - Hin-dee
- One - Ee-sah
- Two - Dalawa
- Three - Taht-loh
- Do you speak English? - Mah-roo nohng ho kay-yong mahg-Ing-glehs?
- How much is this? - Mag-kano eeto?
SPORT
Basketball is the country's premier sport. Tournaments are held by the professional Philippine Basketball Association, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, and the Philippine Amateur Basketball League. Major teams play 2 to 3 times a week and major courts are at the Ultra Center in Pasig and at the Rizal Coliseum in Malate. Tickets are inexpensive and can be bought at the coliseum in advance or at the day of the game. On championship games, reserve or buy your tickets ahead of time since they are always sold out a day or two before the game.
One of the Filipino people's favorite pastime, especially in the provinces. is the cockfight. Cockfights are held every Sunday in several cockpits around Manila and are abundant in the provinces. The highly prized birds are fitted with sharpened blades and displayed to the highly emotional crowd before bets are verbally placed with the calador. This sport can get rather bloody and is offensive to many first time spectators.
The Philippine archipelago is reputed to have more sites for scuba diving than any other country in the world. With at least 28,000 square kilometers (10,808 sq.mi) of the best coral reefs, its undersea world has an incredible amount to offer a scuba diver. Warm, crystal-clear water in various shades of blue, with an amazing visibility to depths of up to 200 feet (61m). Beneath the waters are undiscovered reefs and mysterious shipwrecks waiting to be explored. There are many dive sites, diveshops, dive boat operators and dive tour operators; contact the tourist office for more detailed information.
Sportsfishing has become a very popular sport in the waters surrounding the Philippines. The country ranks 12th in the world for fish production, with almost two million square kilometers (770,000 sq.mi) of fishing grounds. Some 2,400 fish species inhabit these grounds, and many are perfect for sportsfishing. Big game fish such as the blue marlin and the giant tuna, as well as the smaller but very aggressive grouper, or lapu lapu, are also plentiful.
Imagine playing golf amid coconut palms, jungle foliage and deep gorges, or better yet, on a seaside golf course overlooking the South China Sea and Manila Bay. This is golf at its best - golf in the Philippines. Compared to other countries, green fees are unbelievably reasonable. In Metro Manila there are over 10 golf courses.
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