Airports In The Philippines

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In a nation made up of 7107 separate islands those of us used to driving everywhere are going to find ourselves learning to use alternative forms of transport.  One of the good things about living in the Philippines is that there are many local (domestic) airlines and they offer many inexpensive (sometimes downright cheap) fares ... so unlike flying, say from Illinois to Arkansas you won't have to spend an arm and a leg to get around. But the Philippines doesn't have an airport for ever … [Read more...]

Philippine Domestic Airline Travel Tips

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Recently I read an interesting piece on one of the better Philippine blogs I follow about a fellow expat's problems with a trip on Air Philippines one of the better-known domestic carriers here in the Philippines.  the article pointed out many of the l ittle "idiosyncrasies" one has to learn to live with here ... the fact that Internet reservation systems and the "real world" of the airline are often not connected, the fact that you often have to accept being re-routed through a "hub' … [Read more...]

More Help On Adapters — Fit Any Plug

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Here's a little update on the article about voltage/frequency standards and using your current computers and appliances in the Philippines. Most laptops are multi-voltage but it is surprising how many laptop power supplies (the big "wart" in your power cord) go bad and how easy it is to lose a cable ... thus making a perfectly serviceable unit useless. And when your laptop or camera battery dies .. what do you do? Throw the otherwise good device away? Certainly that has been my only choice … [Read more...]

INPUT: AC 100V- 240V~ 1.0A 50 / 60 Hz

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One of the most consistent questions asked by persons living overseas and thinking about travel or a move to the Philippines is "can I use my electric-powered xyz there?" Fortunately, the answer is almost always "yes".  But you can't always just plug it in and go.  Here are some basics: Philippine commercial power is standardized at (nominally) 220 Volts, AC, 60 Hertz (Hz or cycles) Most North American power is 110 volts, AC, 60 Hz ... an obvious mismatch The rest of the world most … [Read more...]

Anyone Got A Case Of The Crabs?

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No, I'm not talking about the ubiquitous sexually transmitted crab lice.  I'm talking about a phenomena that anyone planning to move to the Philippines had better be aware of.  I don't often use Wikipedia as a source, but these few paragraphs sum things up much better than I could: Crab mentality describes a way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side, but is … [Read more...]

Life Is What Happens When You're Busy Planning Something Else

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Don't know where that saying came from, it's one of those "oldies but goodies" though that keeps on circulating because it is so true.  I was working on a totally different posting for PhilFAQS this morning, along with a number of other projects, when this gem of a travel article popped up in response to something completely different I was searching for. It was so good I couldn't help but jump on it right now.  In eight years of travel to and from the Philippines and 38 years of … [Read more...]

What Everybody Ought to Know About Citizenship and Visas — Permanent Visas

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There is a lot of misinformation and half-baked information circulating about this subject in most of the on line Philippines resources I visit, so I decided to do my bit to try to clarify a few things. First, an important DISCLAIMER: I am not an attorney, I don’t even play one on TV.  If you need legal advice … and on citizenship issues you often do … then seek advice from a competent attorney.  These issues are not the place to be trying to save money.  I have been … [Read more...]

Getting Around In The Northland

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I'm working on a number of other PhilFAQS blog subjects (perhaps one of my weaknesses, too many irons in the fire at once) but I couldn't resist Bob Martin's recent post about "Getting Around".  Bob lives down there in the sunny Philippine Southland, Davao City, Mindanao, which is almost as far south as you can get in the Philippines.  I live in central Luzon, the northernmost major island, just outside Metro Manila.  The subject seems attractive to me because Bob and I share much … [Read more...]

How To Make Millions In The Philippines

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Well, perhaps I am a bit over enthusiastic there.  I'm not yet sure I have the secret to individual fortunes.  But I do know how Philippine businesses could increase their bottom line profits tremendously ... at absolutely no cost.  So if you know someone in business here or if you're thinking of starting a business, here's a couple free tips that truly could be worth a fortune. Answer Your email: One rule of writing is to hold your reader's interest by putting first things … [Read more...]

I Could Write A Book

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I could write a book ... sigh.  Every day the Manila papers are full of news about some hotel chain or another investing in the Philippines.  But just try to find a hotel, as noted, on-line .. or one that doesn't double their rates.  Even when living here in the Philippines it's a tremendous hassle to find out anything about hotels where you might want to travel for sightseeing or family business.  You have to be much more reliant on "by guess and by gosh" arrangements for … [Read more...]

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

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'Habitat for Humanity' goes on recruitment drive By Tarra QuismundoMANILA, Philippines--It takes no expert to pile blocks, drive nails or paint walls, just the heart to make time to rebuild lives one by one. Seeking to enlist more volunteers for a noble mission, international humanitarian organization Habitat for Humanity is going on a road trip to typhoon-ravaged Bicol this September for a volunteer build, an event that hopes to add hundreds more to its roster of goodwill servants.... read the … [Read more...]

Top 5 Problems in the Internet Café Business:

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This great post was contributed by my friend Arvin Santiago.  This is Arvin's second guest appearance, he contributed the Philippine Internet Business series earlier.  Arvin is exploring blogging for himself now, you can read his latest at: http://just4kicks.wordpress.com/ 1. Competition – You start your own internet café and you’re earning good money from it. When people notice your business and see you’re progressing, they feel some kind of envy and something urges them to … [Read more...]