4 types of people you could meet in the Philippines

Philippines has 7,107 islands, along the way of your travels, you’ll get to meet so many friendly people, Here are some few ones that you may encounter on your journey.

Tourism Experts
Everywhere you go in the Philippines, there are lots of friendly folks that are willing to help you out in your travel destination. You will get to bump amazing Filipinos who are passionate about their country, willing to sit you down, offer you foods and gives you list of places to see and where to stay. Most of these people are total strangers you will meet up in the road, if you’re lucky enough to make friends with somebody who is very passionate about their country, listen to them- they know the best spots.

Adventurers
These people are always in thirst of adventures, people that are crawling in every cave, climbing and hiking the highest peak, conquering every jungle in 7000 islands and diving and surfing every waves. With friendly face, clad with gears and gadgets for adventures. They’re always coming from a mile off with their back packs, with bottle of alcohol stashed away, sits down anywhere in a bonfire.

Boozers
If you’re looking for a good time, get wasted or just to chill at night, You can always fine good companies with this people in Bars, clubs and even small stores. Beers and other alcohols are available anywhere. In the Philippines, These people are often found with a glass of beer on their hand, abstract smile and invites friends, acquaintance, or just a passerby in the table to take some shots of booze, join the group and tell some good stories.

Selfie Pals
These people are always armed  with a smarthphone, often with selfie sticks or a camera in their neck ready to take pictures and document the moments.

Philippines Cost of Living

When expats ask about the cost of living in the Philippines, generally that question is quite not easy to answer. Compared to other major South East Asian Countries, Manila is ranked as the 117^th most expensive cities out of 214 cities surveyed. Manila- the capital city has a cost of living lower than Jakarta, Singapore or Bangkok.

Within the country, the cost of living varies depending of where one is living, whether it’s a city life or province life. Overall, the most expensive is Manila and Cebu ranked closely behind.

You don’t need to be millionaire or have a trust fund to live a comfortable life in Philippines. Some expats or even locals don’t consider Philippines a third world country, although poverty is obvious, there are still lot of wealth and is still way too far compare to places like Pakistan.

Right now, the exchange rate is $1 – 52 pesos, For an American or European salary, Philippines cost of living is very doable. If you’re making at least $1200 a month, you can live pretty easily here, it’s not a hand-to-mouth living that I’m talking about, It would be decent and comfortable life.

Anyone who decides to move to Philippines for few months or years will most like to rent a condo, apartment or even a house. The cost of the rent is considerably depending on which type of accommodation and on which part of the country you choose. To give you an idea, In Meto Manila - A large 3 bedroom condo will cost you P39,000 to P80,000 in city center while on other parts of the metro such as Quezon city, will cost you P15,000 to P25,000 a month, complete with gym facility, swimming pool and some appliances and a security guard, But if you don’t want to spend that amount for a shelter, forgo the swimming pool and gym, there are lots of cheaper options and still perfectly safe. There is a lodging option that is unique here in the Philippines, something like a combination of apartment and hotel called Apartelle. You can get some amenities of the hotel but you can stay a long time and it’s not expensive.

Food, depends on your taste, In big cities like Metro Manila or Cebu, meat is much cheaper than seafood, and in some provincial places, seafood is very cheap. There are also restaurants that offer cheap, decent servings depending on the luxury you want. Cow’s milk and some dairy products are quite expensive here, Soda and coffee is pretty cheap, Beer is really cheap here, the two stable beer brands here are San Miguel and Red horse and will cost only 35 – 40 Pesos a can.

Transportation in big cities you usually do is through taxis. Taxis in the Philippines are quite cheap also, with a base fare of P40. If you’re down where the action is, you won’t be paying maybe a buck or two for taxi. There are also other transportation options, Jeepneys- sort of a miniature bus are everywhere in the cities. They ride on routes on major roads of the city in just 8 pesos for the first kilometer. City buses are also everywhere in just 12 pesos on first kilometer. IF you want to cross over to another island, Local flights are very cheap if you book earlier from a promo price of P400, P2000- P6000 for regular flights, Boats and ship are cheap depends on destination, Manila to Cebu can cost P1200 to P2000.

One thing I would recommend before going to Philippines is that you will need a location independent source of income, or a pile of savings. If possible you have both because Philippines does not have lots of job opportunities for foreigners. Unlike Thailand or Cambodia where a lot of job opportunities when it comes to English teaching. Everyone in the Philippines already speaks English.

The Weather of the Philippines

The Weather of the Philippines

The Philippines is a country with diverse culture, people and places - but not when it comes to the weather. It has only 2 seasons – wet and dry seasons. The Dry season starts in the late of November and ends in mid-June. The Wet or Rainy season starts in June and will lasts till October with typhoons.

Philippines is located in the South East Asia, positioned on the Western edge of the Pacific Ocean, along the ring of fire close to equator making it prone to strong typhoons and earthquakes.  Some places in the Philippines are known to have their own weather system and it is monitored by a Government agency – PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration).   During typhoon season, the Northern and Eastern part of the country are the mostly affected areas because it’s on the typhoon path.  Climate change has made a big impact and affected the weather of Philippines too.

During dry season, winds are generally hot and dry, but in the tropics, small rain can fall also during the season and usually happens in the afternoon, making the end of the day cool and relieving. Some areas will not experience any rain for several weeks and months, causing damages to crops and considers it a calamity.

Is this a good time to visit or travel? I say Yes, Beaches are the most visited spots during this time and Philippines hailed as a country with the best beaches and summer getaways the world has to offer.

On the Wet or Rainy Season – after a high humidity and heat, the season will break, usually in July then wet season comes. During this time, rain pours and it pours really hard, causing floods on some cities. These rains are called monsoons and are a constant wind bringing rain. During the time on monsoons, the climate also attracts typhoons which batters the Northern and Eastern part of the country.

Is this a good time to visit? I say it depends - when travelling this season, expect rain every day. The good thing about travelling this season is the cloud cover. It’s a good time to enjoy outdoor activities without getting burnt from the sun. The clouds can be your friend and provides protection from the harsh of the sun and provides cool temperatures.  Also, it is also an Off Season for Hotels and resorts also, making travel cheaper and quieter. Just make sure to keep updated with the weather changes from Local and International news before going off to travel around Philippines.