Philippines: The Philippines is an archipelago abundant in nature, rich in culture, and filled with pleasant discoveries. Experience the Philippines, its 7,107 islands, its natural wonders, colorful history and warm, engaging people. Over a hundred ethnic groups, a mixture of foreign influences and a fusion of culture and arts have enhanced the uniqueness of the Filipino race and the wonder that is the Philippines.
On entering the Philippines, foreigners from most countries automatically get a free 3-week tourist visa

Local time: GMT +8.

Seasons: The climate is tropical, with March to May (summer) being the hottest months. The rainy season starts in June and extends through October with strong typhoons possible


Capital City:- Manila.
About Capital city:-
The Metropolitan Manila area includes several cities and municipalities to form one administrative body. The fairly orderly streets of ‘town’, with its high-rise buildings ranging from cool to quirky. There’s the quiet, green suburban streets (known as ‘low density’ areas), which have oversized gardens (with tennis courts and pools) spilling out over high, house-concealing walls onto handsome grass-and-tree-lined roads, which are busy with knitting uniformed maids, gentlemen on bicycles and snappily dressed school kids. Scuba diving is spectacular in the Philippines. Visitors can also use the 6,000 ATMs nationwide to withdraw funds or ask for cash advances. The three major local ATM consortia are BancNet, MegaLink and Expressnet. International networks, like PLUS and Cirrus, are accessible with many ATMs, but Cirrus is more predominant than PLUS; however, withdrawals are often limited to 5,000 pesos. An exception is HSBC where up to 50,000 pesos is possible.

Visitors who have a MasterCard/Maestro/Cirrus card can withdraw funds or ask for cash advances at ATMs that display their logos. The most prominent MasterCard ATMs are the Express Tellers by BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands) and the Smartellers by Banco de Oro.

Cool Places in Manila:-
SM Shopping Mall:The SM Mall of Asia is the largest shopping mall in the Philippines and the 3rd largest shopping mall in the world
Boracay:Boracay Island off the island of Panay has the White Beach. It is also one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It has fine, powdery white sand stretching on for several kilometers and is an excellent spot for sun-worshippers. Boracay also has several other lesser-known beaches. Outrigger boats to Boracay depart from Caticlan Port, just a short flight from Manila.
Makati:Best place for people watching would be in the wonderfully developed Greenbelt in Makati. While sipping coffee in one of the many cafes, feast your eyes on the endless throng of beautiful people from virtually all four corners of the globe. And nothing prevents you from making new friends.
Manila Luneta:Considered as one of the largest parks in Southeast Asia, it has an area of 58 hectares which runs from Taft Avenue up to the walls of the famous Manila Bay.
Paco Park: :Paco Park is a recreational garden area and was once Manila’s municipal cemetery for the well-off and established aristocratic Spanish families who resided in the old Manila, or the city within the walls of Intramuros during the Spanish colonial era
Tagaytay and Taal:Taal Lake lies in the crater of an extinct volcano on Luzon Island, about 56 km (about 35 miles) south of Manila.

Languages: English & Filipino..
Electricity: 220V 60Hz
Int. direct dialling code: +63. The area code for Metro Manila is 2
Driving: is on the left. International Driving Permit or National licence (for up to 90 days) if not in English must be accompanied by a certificate of authority or translation of text.
Currency: Philippines Peso. Peso bills come in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000. One peso is equivalent to 100 centavos and coins come in 5, 10 and 25 centavo variants in addition to the 1, 5 and 10 peso coins.
Business Hours:-

Banks: 8am-3pm Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday, 8am-1pm Wednesday, 8am-11.30am Saturday.
Offices: 8am-4.30pm Monday-Friday.
Shops: 8am-5pm Monday-Friday, 8am-1pm Saturday.
Emergency services:-

Tourist Information and Assistance

Aklan Provincial Tourism Office Provincial Capitol, Kalibo, Aklan Tel. No. (6336) 2624692 Fax No. (6336) 2623132 E-mail: aklanpgo@kalibo.i-next.net