Choosing A Car

Many ex pats make a choice of buying a brand new small japanese sedan car like TOYOTA VIOS or HONDA CITY which you can avail from around 650 000 Philippine peso (around $15 000). You can go much higher above that or go for a second hand car, it all depends on your budget. It’s good value for many since used cars are more expensive in the Philippines than in the western countries. Although the repairs are cheap. For example for used Toyota Corolla year 1990 you probably gonna spend around 100 000 Philippines peso (around $2300). Repairs will cost you from P250 for simple repair in the authorized garage to P2000-P5000 per day for some serious repair. In the Philippines you can find plenty of mechanics, if you befriend one then they can work for you for cheaper with better effect plus you always sure of the repair since the mechanic is your friend.
If you fancy a vintage car there are plenty of VW bugs here going cheap. Like for a perfect condition, fully refurbished will cost you around P150 – 200 000(around $3500 – 4600). Also you can find here some nice vintage japanese cars from 70s and really nice ones american cars from 50′s 60′s and 70′s. You can also go Filipino style buying a brand new small jeep made of scrap aluminum. It’s new, parts are new, it’s reliable in the hard terrain and easy to repair by anyone. Downside of the project is security since the jeep doesn’t have either doors or windows. Protection from the rain gives you sheet of tarpaulin on the back. and the windscreen with a bit of roof on the to

Sorting Out Papers

After purchase of a car you take the papers to the local LTO (Land Transportation Office), pay a tax equivalent to the VAT (about 10% ) and get your papers. Like everything else in the Philippines that has to do with the government offices, The process can take all day or a few minutes. All depending on how much “snack money” you are willing to use to grease the wheels. You can easily find “fixers” outside the LTO who will charge you whatever they think you will pay but P500 is more than enough. Often they will be retired government workers, policemen, etc. or their wives. When I was buying my car I was lucky enough that the person who was selling me the car had their connections in the LTO.

Ownership

It’s not always a wise idea to put a car in your own name. Accident settlements here are generally low. For example you can’t find a motorcycle liability policy for more than P50 000 but this can change if a “rich” foreigner is involved. No matter who is driving, the owner is ultimately responsible. This is what I have done. My car is registered on somebody’s else name. I am not scared that he will ever claim my car as his because the courts in the Philippines are more interested in equity and if you can show that you provided the money for the purchase of the car and that it has never been paid back than in what is written on the papers. It’s very unlikely the court would award the car to the other person plus it takes months and a lot of money which most Filipinos are usually not willing or having to provide.

Driving vehicle in the Phills

Then comes the most important thing, driving a car in the Philippines! Well, driving here is a bit chaotic. There’s a lot of vehicles on the road, plenty of tricycles, bicycles, jeepneys and old fuming cars. (For the latter reason is wise for you to get a car with good Air Conditioning.) Drivers don’t save on the horns, there’s loads of tooting but the drivers don’t argue! They simply either letting you know that they coming and you should stay where you are instead of joining the traffic, or over taking you. Also there’s whole galactic of another purposes like tooting on a friend, on a too slow going jeepney, on a dog or sexy lady.It gets noisy. After a while you notice that the chaos is only an impression and most of Filipinos drives very cautiously to avoid damaging there ‘expensive’ vehicles.
Parking in the bigger cities may be a problem although in smaller cities you can park literally everywhere. Traffic lights are quite rare here in the Philippines, instead you often see a Policeman coordinating the traffic.

Don’t always expect drivers to use lights at night because they just might be broken, same goes for brake lights and indicators. Also badly tinted windows adding to the danger at the night time when a young driver cannot see enough because of his ‘cool’ car tints. I’ve heard about few accidents caused by negligence in brake servicing as well.
If you have experience in driving in a big city like New York or London with high volume of traffic, then you should be fine. If not you may have a problem with getting used to new ‘road environment’. This problem can be solved by hiring a chauffeur (prices start from P2500/£60 per month) for your vehicle and trying to get a feeling of the Filipino road conduct.

Driving License Laws

So called “international” drivers licenses are not recognized here. You can legally drive on your foreign license for a period of 90 days along with your passport. Then you have to get a RP license. Again, it’s just a visit to the LTO. In theory you take a written test and a driving test but again P500 of “snack money” gets you your “temporary” license immediately. No matter where you are, all permanent licenses come from Manila and will take 6 to 8 months because of the overload there. Although, your “temporary” license is good until you actually get the permanent one.
Plenty of people will tell you how they drove on their US/UK/whatever licenses for years and just played ignorant when caught. That happened to me few times here and Police/Traffic enforcement never asked any questions when saw my british driving license. Sometimes you will be warned to get an RP license immediately. There are also cases when a policeman will use such an opportunity to extort money so it’s up to you what you gonna do.

See you on the road!

Jozef Gorka.

Masbate City Description

Masbate City, engraved at the southewestern part of Luzon’s lower peninsula fits the bill when you want to have a nice boating getaway in a sleepy, traditional paradise. Masbate City is some undisturbed nature and modernization converged together for a perfect tango. It’s the capital of the province of Masbate in the Philippines. Latest census shows a year-round residence of 13,400 households for Masbate City. The major industry is on agriculture. Principal products include copra, fish, rice, livestock, corn and fruits. Set upon the ridges of the main islands of Luzon and Visayas, there is plenty to do in this homey resort town.

Masbate City Attractions

Masbate city is Asia’s rodeo center with its Masbate Rodeo, be amazed on how cowboys and cowgirls display their prowess and stunts on horse riding unmindful of the loud country music on the background. Another fulfilling encounter in Masbate one shouldn’t miss is riding the Floating Restaurant across Masbate Bay while savoring sumptuous food and live music. Other favorite destinations are a mere block from the heart of Masbate City. Awa Mangrove Ecosystem and Wildlife Park located at Barangay Pawa offers beautiful sight for bird watching, fishing and family picnic. A 1.3 kilometer wooden bridge connects Barangay Pawa and Sitio Daang Lungsod of Barangay Usab. Two marine sanctuaries at the coastside which are Buntod Reef Sanctuary and Bugsayon Marine Sanctuary are great locations for rediscovering marine life with its abundant fish sightings and colorful live corals underneath. Thanks for the sustained effort for environmental protection of the City Government of Masbate.

Masbate City is known for its festivities. One is the Lapay Festival, a local dance where they imitate the flight movements of a native bird called “Lapay”. Another is the Pagdayao Festival, a religious feast in honor of St. Anthony of Padua who is a local patron. Masbate City is also a popular venue for holding professional car races in the Philippines.

With all of these attractions, Masbate City is the most visited in Masbae province. Masbate City is truly a memorable place for vacation.

Masbate City Location

The city domain is bounded on the northeast by Masbate Pass; on the southwest by the municipality of Milagros and on the northwest by a portion of Asid River and the municipalities of Milagros and Baleno. By plane, it takes more or less one hour to negotiate; by boat, 16 to 18 hours to ply if you start from Manila.

Marikina City Description

Marikina City, a lush valley bounded by mountain ranges and sliced by a river is one of the 12 cities and 5 municipalities that comprise the National Capital Region in the Philippines.

Marikina City is the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines” or “Shoe Capital of Asia”. Guinness Book of World Records stamped the place “Marikina City” on their list as the holder of the biggest shoe in the world. Their shoemen’s craftmanship made Marikina City the producer of 70% of the quality shoes coming from the Philippines.

Marikina City Attractions

Marikina City promises contentment to each visitors prying eyes, from its extravagant festivals, staging its rich cultural heritge to its scenic tourist spots. Famous cultural events awaiting their schedules every year includes the River Festival or Ilognayan in the local dialect which falls on each 2nd week of February to educate the people of the importance of the Marikina River. The Ka-Angkan Festival every April 8, a mass reunion of every family in Marikina City to strengthen family ties. The Sapatos Festival on Oct.15 upto Nov.30 which is a market encounter to promote their shoe industry. The c on 2nd week of November, and the Rehiyon-Rehiyon on December 9 which is an enactment of the 16 regions of the Philippines by the 16 barangays of Marikina City.

The government of Marikina City renovated the old Kapitan Moy Building into this day’s Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina and Shoe Museum. From a plain shoe museum, it has transformed into a bustling cultural center showcasing traditional music, visual arts, literature and the like. The Sentro has become a favorite venue for social functions because of its distinct atmosphere. Take a peek of the shoes which once belonged to Imelda Marcos at the Marikina Shoe Museum and experience the surge of adrenaline rush with watersports at the Marikina River.

Marikina City Location

Marikina City is located along the eastern limits of Metro Manila, bordered on the west by Quezon City, south by Pasig City, and north by San Mateo, Rizal.

Manila City Description

Manila City is the largest as well as the capital city of the Republic of Philippines serving as the economic, educational, industrial, and cultural center of the country this country. Covering an area of about 39 square kilometers and with a population of about two million people, Manila City is the world’s most densely populated megalopolis.

Once a stronghold of the Spanish Empire during the colonial times and a point of trade between Europe and Asia, Manila has now become one of the most prominent cosmopolitan cities in the world. Metro Manila is regarded as one of the world’s mega metropolises being made up 17 cities and municipalities.

Manila City Attractions

Manila city exhibits a wide spectacle of endless attractions from historic buildings, monuments, and interesting museums to entertainment facilities and parks and gardens. A favorite tourist point is Intramuros, which is a medieval fortified city designed in European style. This served as the central administrative point during the Spanish regime. Another is Fort Santiago; Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church, which is the oldest of its kind in the city; and Casa Manila, a 19th century mansion noted for its beautiful furniture.

A museum, exhibiting some rare collections of oil paintings, can also be found within the San Agustin Church’s old monastery. Apart from these, attractions also include the Rizal Park, an excellent area for enjoying recreational activities. Named after the national hero, Jose Rizal, the park is credited to be the largest of its kind in Asia.

Another worth visiting attraction in the city is the magnificent Malacanang Palace, which now serves as the official residence of the Philippines president. Located along its palatial complex is noted for its splendid architecture, and consists of sections such as Malacanang Palace; the Bonifacio Hall, which was formerly the office of Ferdinand Marcos successor Corazon Aquino; Kalayaan Hall, built under the American administration; Mabini Hall, sometimes referred to as the administration hall; and a guest house. Also, a significant attraction in Manila is Bahay Tsinoy, which is an interesting museum that has on display collections related to Chinese-Filipino culture. Housed within the Kaisa Heritage Center, the museum’s collections include pictures depicting life of Chinese immigrants, and Chinese artifacts such as coins, pottery, and kitchen utensils.

Further, popular attractions in Manila cover Paco Park, which is probably the one of its kind in the whole of the world. Once a cemetery, the park consists of two circular structures with different levels of recesses. In short, the way the park is designed is truly stupendous.

Other not to miss attractions in Manila are Manila Zoological Garden, which is home to some rare collection of Philippine as well as African wildlife; Carfel Seashell Museum, which has on display some rare seashells; Kanlungan ng Sining, where you can find a unique variety of sculptures, paintings and photographs; Ayala Bridge, which connects San Miguel to Arroceros; Meban Garden, the city’s first botanical garden; and Liwasang Bonficacio, a park that has been built to commemorate a Philippine hero, Andres Bonifacio.

Manila City Location

City is situated at the mouth of the Pasig River on the eastern shores of Manila Bay on Luzon western side. The city is bordered by several cities and municipalities such as Navotas and Caloocan City in the north, Quezon City in the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong City in the east, Makati City in the southeast, and Pasay City in the south side.

Manila Overview

Manila, a sprawling mass of humanity, is one of Asia’s most diverse and energetic cities, acutely reflecting its long heritage as a point of convergence for cultures and classes. Straddling the delta of the Pasig River, the capital of the Philippines is actually several cities fused into one.

Visit www.hoteltravel.com for further information about Manila City of The Philippines. If you are looking for a great selection of places to stay with discount prices, visit Where to stay in Manila for more information.