Trainee guide. There is more to life than increasing its speed. (Mahatma Ghandi)

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1 Trainee guide There is more to life than increasing its speed. (Mahatma Ghandi) Without any problems this quote of Ghandi can be projected on the Philippines. The Philippines are a decelarated, slow country, which do not know the word hurry and offers so many friednly faces. The Philippines are defenitely a place worth to see, not without reason it is called pearl oft he Orient sea. This guide was prepared by an intern, with tips and advices, to help future interns. Arrival There are several ways to fly to Manila. For example the airlines KLM and QATAR or Etihad Airways offer very good and reasonable connections. KLM flies nonstop from Amsterdam to Manila. If you take QATAR, you will have a stopover in Doha but they offer student discounts. Using an international Student ID Card you can get cheap offers on wwww.sta- travel.de. Visa The visa regulations change from time to time. There are different ways to obtain a visa. Together with the school there will be made a decision on which way is the best way at this time. At the moment it is possible to enter he country with a typical Visa for tourists, which expires after 30 days. After your arrival in the Philippines the school will request for either a tourist or a working visa, depending on the length of your stay. Please be reminded, that during the time of the process (1-3 month) you should not leave the country. Unfortunately this is he usual and easiest way. NOTE: Within the entry you normally have to provide a ticket for your flight back in between those 30 days. We suggest to book a return flight in between the 30 days with the purpose to rebook the flight to a later date for a small fee later on. Another possibility would be to

2 book a cheap flight with Cebu Pacific ( to Hong Kong or Kota Kanabalu. Most of the time, this is cheaper than rebooking a flight. Health Before your trip you should see a doctor and check whether you need certain vaccinations. Hepatitis A&B, polio, diphtheria, tetanus or typhus are vaccinations, which are required for the Philippines. Hydrophia and Japanese encephalitis should be considered for long term stays (more than 6 months. Should you be going to sleep in a room without air- conditioning, using a mosquito net is advisable. Due to doctor s statements malaria only exists on the island of Palawan, but you could get contagious with dengue fever even in Manila. First- Aid Kit Most medicine can be purchased on the Philippines at least in the bigger cities. Most of the time the medicine consists without packaging and a package insert, nevertheless it is the same medicine as in western countries. If you want to be on the safe side, you should be taking a clinical thermometer, mosquito repellent and charcoal tablets with you. It is advisable to buy sun protection here because it is much cheaper and comes with a higher sun protection factor. Living The school will help you with finding a place to life (e.g. with a colleague). Do not be puzzled with cold water in the showers. Warm water is not provided in every part of the city. You should calculate around 150 to 300 euro for a furnished apartment/ room. Traveling on the Philippines Traveling on the Philippines is amazing and relatively simple. You can get in one hour from Manila to the nicest beaches by plane. There are several airlines, which provide a wide array of destinations. Not only in between the borders of the Philippines but also to the bigger megacities around south east Asia. You can find the two Philippine airlines on the web: Leisure time activities are quite limited in Manila. There are some nice places you should have seen (e.g. Intramuros, Chinese Cemetery, Ocean Park, Manila Bay, Rizal Park), but you would not need too much time for that. Being capable of speaking the English language will help you very much on the Philippines as most of the Filipinos speak good English. Which islands should you be visiting?

3 This is a very hard question. There are a lot of beautiful islands which are one of a kind and really amazing. Palawan, Bohol and Boracay are most definitely places, which are really worth to travel to. The smaller islands Camiguin and Siquijor are also very nice. In Banaue at the rice terraces you can see the original Spanish influence. Security The gap between rich and poor is very wide. Nevertheless the people are very friendly and helpful. Unfortunately this is not the rule for everybody. Frequently you will be having heavy discussion with taxi drivers about the prices, which can be annoying after a certain amount of time. There is a travel warning for the region of Mindanao. Weather The average temperature throughout the year is 26,7 C. In the monsoon season from May to November a loft of heavy rain falls and typhoons occur. Warm clothing can be left at home with good conscience. Rain jackets and pullovers can be useful by night and especially in the malls. If you are planning an excursion to Banaue in the north, you would consider taking warm clothing. Shopping Rumors about not being able to by everything are false. There are SM Malls where you can find everything. Furthermore there are big shopping malls like the Mall of Asia, Greenbelt, Bonifacio High Street, Glorietta or Greenhills, where the supply is immense. All international brands can be found, so you will no be feeling like being abroad any more. But the prices for technical items and clothing do not differ much from European prices, e.g. German prices. Transportation There are several ways of transportation on the Philippines. In Pranañaque, the part of the city where the school is located, the main mean of transportation is the trycyle. Jeepneys and taxis are used too. One ride with the trycicle costs 10 Pesos in Pranañaque, a special demand costs 36 Pesos. A taxi ride from Pranañaque to Makati would be 200 Pesos, depending on traffic and mood of the driver. On the islands it is advisable to use public buses. It usually takes more time but that is how you get to know the true Philippines. Insurance A lot of insurances companies also offer additional travel insurances. Together with some platinum credit cards travel insurances are provided as well.

4 Please contact your insurance company for further information. Mail Sending post can be an adventure. Postcards from Manila to Europe cost around 26 Peso and need 10 to 21 days. Packages sent with Fed Ex can be in Germany in 3 days, but they are really expensive around 150 for 10 kilos. DHL has better conditions: Manila- Germany, 25 kg 9600 PhP Country and People Filipinos are very nice, friendly and helpful. They always would provide information although they do not really know the answer, but they would never admit to that. Unfortunately some still try to pull foreigners over the barrel. But you will realize it after some time and oppose to it. The country provides beautiful beaches, fantastic areas for snorkeling and scuba diving, a thick jungle, exiting animals and rice fields with Carabao (water buffalos). The Philippines open a view to a different country, another world, in which you can get a lot of special impressions. It is definitely worth to visit the country and to get to know it closer. It is fascinating with what kind of complacency they encounter you, always with a smile on the face, even the poorest people of the squatters. They love it to be photographed. Food and Drinks If you like fish and seafood you are at the right place on the Philippines. You can find them in huge amounts in nearly every restaurant. The Filipinos mainly eat rice, fish and meat. To get a lot of vegetables and salad in restaurants remains a wishful dream. There are thousands of fast food chains. McDonalds, Jollibee and Pizza Hut are everywhere. Starbucks is also something to be found very often. Money You can find a lot of ATM s around the city and at touristic places. If you go to more native parts of the country you should get you cash while still in the city. Please check with your bank whether there are options for free withdraw around the globe. Credit cards can also be used in the great malls and shopping centers but it is always better to have cash on you. Needed Change In the south east Asian area the Philippines belong to the most expensive. It is hard to find a cheap accommodation along European standard. If want to have European standard you easily pay 30 to 50 Euro, but you can have more simple at price even below 20 Euro. Sadly, the idea of getting along with a small budget is wrong.

5 Eating out may be cheaper than in Germany or other European countries, nevertheless your budget can decrease easily. Also grocery shopping in the supermarket is not very cheap. Dairy goods and juice is very expensive as they get imported from abroad. Going to the cinema is in comparison is not very expensive. You can pay three euro on a Saturday night. I am packing my bag and take with me - Rain jacket - Proper shoes (trekking, sports, sandals) - No leather products as they will start to get moldy - Summer clothing of all kind (do not forget you bathing suit!) - Head covering - Tampons (you can get them here if you really look for them but they are expensive)